Pitcher Everett Catlett earns league honors; road trip concludes with disappointing results | Spokane Indians notebook

The Spokane Indians kick off a six-game High-A Northwest League series against the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. for their second “Education Day” game. The sun-drenched bleachers will be filled with elementary school kids and their chaperones hoping to see the home team get back on a winning track.

That hasn’t been the case so far this season.

The Indians limp home after a two-week road trip, losers of five of six at first-place Everett and nine of 12 overall. They are last in the NWL at 9-18 overall, and the stats back that up.

One of the most telling stats is run differential – the Indians are a whopping minus-46, evidence of offense and defense both performing below average.

The offense easily leads the league in most strikeouts with 325 – 36 more than second-place Vancouver. They’ve also drawn the fewest walks with 104 in 27 games. They are next-to-last in the league in combined average (.217), on-base percentage (.313) and slugging (.356).

The team is third in the league in homers with 24, but next to last in doubles at 35.

On the mound, Indians hurlers rank next to last in strikeouts and lead the league in walks allowed. Their combined earned run average is 5.64, by far the worst in the league.

There are individual bright spots, but the road trip really put a spotlight on the team’s combined struggles and they will benefit from playing 12 of the next 18 games at home.

Honors

Lefty pitcher Everett Catlett was named NWL pitcher of the week on Monday for his dominant performance on Friday. He earned the win against Eugene tossing six shutout innings of relief. The 23-year-old from Manassas, Virginia and Georgetown University struck out a career-high 11 and allowed just two hits and one walk.

Catlett has been one of the bright spots for the staff. In five appearances and four starts he’s 2-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He leads the team with 32 strikeouts against 12 walks and has given up just two home runs in 232/3 innings.

He was drafted by the Rockies in the 12th round of the 2024 MLB draft.

On the mend

Right-handed pitcher Jeff Criswell was sent to the Indians on April 29 by the parent Colorado Rockies on an MLB rehab assignment as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

So far, the 27-year-old former second-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2020 MLB draft has made two one-inning appearances, starting both games then giving way to a “piggyback” starter. He allowed two runs on three hits in his first outing against Eugene on Wednesday, but bounced back on Sunday to toss a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Criswell went 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA in 13 relief appearances with the Rockies in 2024.

Who’s hot

The only two batters to qualify as “hot” last week were outfielder Jacob Humphrey and infielder Roynier Hernandez. Humphrey went 6 for 16 (.375) in four games with three stolen bases and is hitting .330/.402/.490 with three homers, 12 RBIs and 12 stolen bases this season.

Hernandez hit .357 (5 for 14) in five games with a homer, double, four walks and a stolen base. He is hitting .234/.319/.359 for the season.

Leaderboard

Infielder Tevin Tucker recently registered a six-game stolen base streak and leads the NWL with 14. Humphrey is tied for second at 12. First base Kevin Fitzer and third base Ethan Hedges are tied for fourth (with several others) in home runs with four. Max Belyeu leads the circuit with three triples and Humphrey leads the league in hits with 33.

Catlett and Jackson Cox are tied for second in the league in strikeouts with 32, while Jordy Vargas and reliever Bryson Hammer are seventh with 28.

Prospects watch

Robert Calaz (No. 5): Long homer in Sunday’s game measured 113 mph off the bat. Went 4-for-17 (.235) over four games and didn’t take a walk.

Brody Brecht (No. 8): Struggled mightily in his lone start, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout over 12/3 innings.

Max Belyeu (No. 12): Hit .133/.287/.333 (2 for 15) with a homer, one run, one RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts.

Ethan Hedges (No. 17): Hit .294/.400/.529 with a homer, double, two runs, two RBIs, three walks and two strikeouts over five games.

Jackson Cox (No. 19): Piggybacked on Criswell’s rehab start on Wednesday and allowed one run on three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over six relief innings.

Yujanyer Herrera (No. 20): Started Sunday’s game and gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over just 22/3 innings.