A look at how Lakeshore Chinook alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!
Eric Hanhold – Lakeshore Chinooks 2013
New York Mets
For many young players working their way through the minor leagues, change is nothing new. Players change levels, deal with the setbacks of injury, and relocate after trades. Near the end of the 2017 season, former Chinook pitcher Eric Hanhold was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the New York Mets and now finds himself working his way through another franchise. Hanhold was the “player to be named later” when the Brewers finalized their trade with the Mets to acquire infielder Neil Walker. Hanhold, 6-foot-5 and 23 years old, was the Brewers’ sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Florida in 2015, and he was converted to relief this season, his second at the Class A Advanced level. He was 8-3 with a 3.94 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 64 innings for the Carolina Mudcats, setting career highs for strikeouts per nine innings and WHIP. Hanhold pitched 101 innings in 2016 for Brevard County, but had to fight his way back from an 11-day stint on the disabled list in 2017 prior to the trade. In attempt to showcase his ability, Hanhold made six appearances in 20 days after the trade was announced, as the Mets presumably wanted to evaluate his ability to pitch with little rest. With that answered satisfactorily, Hanhold will begin 2018 on the roster of Class Advanced A St. Lucie.
Ryan Krill – Lakeshore Chinooks 2012-14
New York Yankees
After rehabbing from wrist surgery in 2016, three-year Chinook player and former Michigan State first baseman Ryan Krill was held in extended spring training to begin the 2017 before being reassigned to Class A Staten Island. Krill rounded back into form as he played in 49 games and registered 149 at-bats for the Pinstripes. Krill hit .243 with a .378 slugging percentage and an OPS of .754 and looks to benefit from finally being healthy in 2018.
Alex Young – Lakeshore Chinooks 2013
Arizona Diamondbacks
In his third pro season, left-handed pitcher Alex Young was a workhorse in the Arizona system as he followed up his 118.2 innings pitched in 2016 with 137 innings in 2017 at Double A Jackson. The former TCU Horned Frog posted a solid 9-9 record with an ERA of 3.68 and posted 103 strikeouts against only 58 walks. With the high expectations for a second round draft pick (2015), Young has been dependable with a career ERA of 3.56 in 55 games, 46 of which he started, as he rose through the ranks from Class A Hillsboro (2015) to Class A Kane County (2016) to Class Advanced A Visalia and finally to Jackson in 2017. Most observers would expect that 2018 will be the summer that Young makes his mark and proves worthy of the lofty selection by the Diamondbacks.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, more than 185 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.
