CLEVELAND, Ohio - For awhile it looked like utility man Tyler Krieger had lost his batting eye for the Akron RubberDucks. But he looks to be layered back in of late, with a 14-game hitting streak going into the weekend. When Krieger, who was drafted fourth in 2015, first emerged at Lake County, he was a hitting machine who rarely went more than two straight games without a hit.
But last season at Akron he hit .225. And this season to date he's at .252. But that is rising fast. Inside his 14-game hitting streak, Krieger has five multi-hit games including a pair of three-hit performances.
He also has five doubles and a triple in that stretch with 10 RBI. Krieger has raised his average from .227 to .252 in those 14 games going into this weekend.
Who's back there?: Now that Francisco Mejia has been traded, the obvious question is, Who is the young catcher to watch in the Indians' minor league system? There are two with the RubberDucks to keep an eye on: Logan Ice and Sicnarf Loopstock. Ice, 23, was only recently called up from Lynchburg. He was drafted in 2016, the last lottery pick in the first round at No. 72.
A 5-10, 180-pound switch-hitter out of Oregon State with strong defensive skills behind the plate, Ice has already moved through the system faster than the two players the Tribe picked in front of him, Will Benson and Nolan Jones, who are both at Lake County. In his eight games with the Ducks, Ice is hitting .269.
Who's back there II: Loopstock 25, is the prototype for the position with his 5-11, 195-pound frame. A native of Aruba who was drafted 13th out of Western Oklahoma State in 2013, he is considered a solid backstop who has worked his way through the system.
Loopstock has caught 58 games so far this season for Akron and is hitting .225 with nine home runs, two triples and 35 RBI. He has also stolen 28 bases in his minor league career.