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Kalamazoo, MI – As the Minor League baseball season concludes, let’s catch up with the former Growlers who are currently playing in the minors. There are currently over 30 Growlers still chasing that dream of playing in the majors. This past season saw 2015 Growler Brandon Hughes make his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs and 2016 Growler David Hensley debut with the Houston Astros. Who will be the next Growler to make it? Let’s take a look around Minor League baseball.<\/p>\n
Matt Mervis Niko Kavadas<\/span><\/strong><\/a> Niko was teammates with Mervis in Kalamazoo in 2018. Kavadas was just named the Red Sox Minor League Offensive<\/span> Player of the Year.<\/span><\/a> Kavadas has also had a rapid rise through the minor league system. He began the season with the Salem Red Sox (A), made his way to the Greenville Drive (Adv. A) before finishing the season with the Portland Sea Dogs (AA). Niko’s stats for the 2002 season; .280 BA, 26 HR and 86 RBI.<\/span><\/p>\n Zack Gelof<\/span><\/strong><\/a> Connor Hollis ###<\/span><\/p>\n The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its\u2019 29<\/span><\/i>th<\/span><\/i> season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019\/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at <\/span><\/i>watchnwl.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> and on ESPN+. For more information, visit <\/span><\/i>www.growlersbaseball.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kalamazoo, MI – As the Minor League baseball season concludes, let’s catch up with the former Growlers who are currently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,31,33,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-categories","category-permanentslider","category-player-news","category-team-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/a>Mervis was named the Minor League Player of the Year by the Cubs organization. The only players to hit more home runs in a minor league season in the Chicago Cubs organization than Matt Mervis are Kris Bryant, Bryan LaHair and Javier Baez. Mervis has hit 36 total home runs this season between three different teams. He has had a rapid rise through the Cubs minor league system. Mervis started the season with the South Bend Cubs (Advanced-A), he was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies (AA) after 27 games and slugged his way all the way up to the Iowa Cubs (AAA). Mervis’ stat line for the 2022 season; .311 BA, 36 HR and 119 RBI. Matt Mervis should see himself playing at Wrigley Field very soon.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nZack played for the Growlers in 2019. Gelof finished the 2022 season with the Las Vegas Aviators, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s. In an article from The Athletic<\/a> earlier this month, Oakland Athletics assistant GM Billy Owens had this to say about Gelof, “Zack Gelof is a DUDE to the millionth degree. He has real talent that will translate to the top level in numerous ways.” There is clearly a lot of excitement around Gelof within the A’s organization. Gelof’s stat line for the 2022 season; .273 BA, 18 HR, 66 RBI. It is worth noting that Zack’s younger brother Jake who played for the Growlers in 2021 is a highly touted prospect at the University of Virginia.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/a>The race for the next Growler to make it to the MLB may come down to either Matt Mervis, Zack Gelof or Connor Hollis. Hollis won the Northwoods League batting title while playing for the Growlers in 2017. Leading the league with a .375 batting average. <\/span>Since then all Hollis has done is hit. Finishing the 2022 minor league season with a combined .329 BA average across both AA and AAA. <\/span>Hollis <\/span>once again won a batting title after leading the Texas League (AA) in batting average with a .333 average. Hollis played 103 games for the San Antonio Mission in 2022, the AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Hollis was promoted to the El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA) the last month of the season where he played 24 games and hit .310.<\/span><\/p>\nBreaking Down All the Growlers in the Minors By Year in Kalamazoo<\/h2>\n
2014:<\/span>
\nCaleb Baragar<\/a> LHP (Indiana Univ.) – Caleb has played in the MLB with the San Francisco Giants. Baragar has spent the 2022 season with the Reno Aces, the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.<\/h5>\n2016:<\/span>
\nCam Duzenack<\/a> IF (Dallas Baptist) – Spent the 2022 season with the Reno Aces, the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
\nMatt Lloyd<\/a> IF\/OF (Indiana Univ.) – Chattanooga Lookouts, AA Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
\nMichael Brettell<\/a> RHP (Central Michigan) – Springfield Cardinals, AA Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
\nTanner Andrews<\/a> RHP (Purdue) – Played in four levels in 2022. Finished season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, AA Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
\nGrant Wolfram<\/a> LHP (Davenport) – Frisco RoughRiders, AA Affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
\nGarvin Alston<\/a> LHP (South Carolina – Aiken) – Started season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Adv. A). Finished year with the Harrisburg Senators, AA Affiliate of the Washington Nationals.<\/h5>\n2017:<\/span>
\nConnor Hollis<\/a> IF (Univ. of Houston) – Spent most of the season with the San Antonio Mission, AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Promoted the last month of the season to the El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA).<\/h5>\n2018:<\/span>
\nLuke Boyd<\/a> RHP (Baylor) – Fort Wayne Tin Caps, Advanced-A Affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
\nDylan Shockley<\/a> C (Univ. of Rio Grande) – Altoona Curve, AA Affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
\nKyle Virbitsky<\/a> RHP (Penn State) – Started season with the Stockton Ports (A). Finished year with the Lansing Lugnuts, Advanced A Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
\nJoey Loperfido<\/a> IF\/OF (Duke) – Started season with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (A). Finished season with the Asheville Tourists, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros.
\nZach Daniels<\/a> OF (Tennessee) – Asheville Tourists, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros.
\nSam Weatherly<\/a> LHP (Clemson) – Started season in Rookie League. Finished season with the Spokane Indians, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
\nIvan Johnson<\/a> IF (Chipola College) – Chattanooga Lookouts, AA Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
\nJoe Boyle<\/a> RHP (Notre Dame) – Began year with the Dayton Dragons (Adv. A). Finished season with Chattanooga Lookouts, AA Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
\nMatt Mervis<\/a> IF (Duke) – Played in three levels in 2022. Finished season with the Iowa Cubs, AAA Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
\nNiko Kavadas<\/a> IF\/OF (Notre Dame) – Played in three levels in 2022. Finished season with the Portland Sea Dogs, AA Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
\nJamison Hill<\/a> RHP (Cal State – Fresno) – Played in three levels in 2022. Finished year with the Amarillo Sod Poodles, AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
\nBaron Radcliff<\/a> OF (Georgia Institute of Technology) – Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
\nTommy Sommer<\/a> LHP (Indiana Univ.) – Began year with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (A). Finished year with the Winston-Salem Dash, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.<\/h5>\n2019:<\/span>
\nAnthony Walters<\/a> IF\/OF (San Diego State) – Arizona Complex League (ACL) Rockies, Rookie League Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
\nMax Bain<\/a> RHP (Northwood) – Started year with the South Bend Cubs (Adv. A). Ended year with the Tennessee Smokies, AA Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
\nAlex Nolan<\/a> RHP (Brock Univ. – Ontario) – Vancouver Canadians, Advanced-A of the Toronto Blue Jays.
\nZack Gelof<\/a> IF (Virginia) – Started year with the Midland RockHounds (AA). Finished year with the Las Vegas Aviators, AAA Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
\nMike Paredes<\/a> RHP (San Diego State) – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
\nDakota Kotowski<\/a> OF (Missouri State) – Began year with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Phillies (Rookie). Ended year with the Clearwater Threshers, A Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/h5>\n2020:<\/span>
\nBlake Dunn<\/a> *also played in 2021* OF (Western Michigan) – Began year with the ACL Reds (Rookie). Finished year with the Daytona Tortugas, A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
\nShawn Goosenberg<\/a> *MacDaddies* IF\/OF (Northwestern) – Winston-Salem Dash, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
\nIan Leatherman<\/a> *MacDaddies* RHP (Central Michigan) – Injured for the entire 2022 season. Finished the 2021 season with the Charleston RiverDogs, A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
\nBrett Barrera<\/a> *also played in 2021* IF (Stanford) – Started with the FCL Yankees (Rookie). Finished with the Tampa Tarpons, A Affiliate of the New York Yankees.<\/h5>\n2021:<\/span>
\nBlake Dunn<\/a> *also played in 2020* OF (Western Michigan) – Began year with the ACL Reds (Rookie). Finished year with the Daytona Tortugas, A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
\nBrett Barrera<\/a> *also played in 2020* IF (Stanford) – Started with the FCL Yankees (Rookie). Finished with the Tampa Tarpons, A Affiliate of the New York Yankees.<\/h5>\n2022:<\/span>
\nConnor Charping<\/a> C (Western Michigan) – ACL Mariners, Rookie League Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.<\/h5>\n
\nGrowlers Playing For Non-Affiliated (Independent) Teams by Year in Kalamazoo<\/h2>\n
2014:<\/span>
\nRyan Lidge<\/a> (Notre Dame) – Chicago Dogs.<\/h5>\n2016:
\nDalton Combs<\/a> (Huntington University) – New Jersey Jackals.
\nConnor Kopach<\/a> (Southern Illinois) – Chicago Dogs.
\nDan Robinson<\/a> *also played in 2018* (Central Michigan) – Windy City ThunderBolts<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n2018:
\n<\/span>Dan Robinson<\/a> *also played in 2016* (Central Michigan) – Windy City ThunderBolts.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n2019:
\nJake Hoover<\/a> (Hillsdale) – Lancaster Barnstormers.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h5>\n2018-2022 (5 Seasons):
\nAdam Wheaton<\/a> AKA Mr. Growler (Lamar University) – Windy City ThunderBolts<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n