A look at how Lakeshore Chinook alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!
In the year or two after being drafted, many young minor league players progress through three levels of A ball in most professional franchise farm systems. The key for most players is to break through to Double and Triple A to have a chance of breaking through to the major league level. The Chinooks have had a number of players drafted in recent years with many pushing to the Advanced A level and now hoping for that chance to break through. Here is our first look at players drafted in 2016:
Shaun Anderson – Lakeshore Chinooks 2014
San Francisco Giants
The 3rd round draft pick in 2016 from the University of Florida moved quickly in his second year to the Advanced A Salem Red Sox where he pitched 58.2 innings with a 3-3 record, 3.99 ERA, and 48 strikeouts before being traded with another pitcher to the San Francisco Giants for third baseman Eduardo Nunez. The Giants kept him in Advanced A with San Jose where he improved his numbers with a 3.51 ERA in five starts. Anderson will start fresh in the Giant system in 2018 with a career record of 9-6, an ERA of 4.01.
Jake Noll – Lakeshore Chinooks 2014
Washington Nationals
After being selected as an All-Star within the National system for 2016, the 2016 7th round pick Jake Noll from Florida Gulf Coast returned to Class A Hagerstown for 2017. The dependable second baseman hit .270 with 16 home runs and 67 RBI before promoted to Advanced A Potomac in mid-August. With a career batting average of .265, career on-base percentage of .313, and a slugging percentage of .421, Noll will look to return to Potomac in 2018 and move higher from there.
Jack Sundberg – Lakeshore Chinooks 2013
Washington Nationals
Sundberg spent the entire 2017 season in Advanced A Potomac, joining Noll with the Nationals. A 26th round pick in 2016, the speedy outfielder has followed in the footsteps of fellow Connecticut and Chinook alum Zack Granite by utilizing that speed to make his mark. “Sunny” hit .277 in 110 games and stole 24 bases and will look to make further progress this season.
James Teague – Lakeshore Chinooks 2014
Baltimore Orioles
A surprise late round (37th) selection in 2016, the former Arkansas Razorback hurler began 2017 with a brief three week assignment to the Class A Delmarva Shorebirds. After five relief appearances, Teague returned to the Class A Short Season Aberdeen IronBirds where he made 16 appearances with 29 strikeouts and 8 saves in the back end of the bullpen. The former starter at Arkansas will attempt to prove his worth in the new role for 2018.
Cam Vieaux – Lakeshore Chinooks 2014
Pittsburgh Pirates
A left-handed pitcher from Michigan State, Cam Vieaux has made steady progress since the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the 6th round of the 2016 Draft. Vieaux gobbled up 141.1 innings in 24 starts between Class A West Virginia and Advanced A Bradenton with a 3.82 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Despite a short stint on the DL to begin 2017, Vieaux has amassed 209 innings with 133 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in his two year career.
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.
