(March 24) — The York Revolution have announced three more player signings for the 2017 campaign, returning outfielder Jared Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Nick Mutz while acquiring catcher Luis Alen. The signings were announced by manager Mark Mason Wednesday evening on “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy” on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK.
Mitchell returns to York after a successful 2016 season. After beginning the season in the Yankees organization with Double-A Trenton, he joined the Revs on July 2, posting a .285 average, eight home runs, and 39 RBI in 69 games. He also ranked second on the team in walks (40) and stolen bases (26), despite only playing for half the season.
“He’s a former first rounder, and those are guys that when they become available and they’re healthy, we want to bring in,” said Mason on WOYK. “This is a perfect league for them to continue on with their careers.”
The New Iberia, LA, native was originally a first round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox out of LSU, where he not only was named College World Series Most Outstanding Player during the Tigers’ 2009 championship run, but also won a BCS National Championship, playing wide receiver for Les Miles. Mitchell enters his eighth professional season and has made it as high as Triple-A, both with the White Sox and with the Los Angeles Angels, most recently in 2015.
“If I was coming to the Atlantic League I was definitely coming back to York,” said Mitchell. “We had a great group last year, and I suspect we’re going to have a great group again this year.”
Mutz returns to York after a brief stint with the Revs during the 2015 season, in which he appeared in seven games. He struck out nine batters in six innings of work, before taking some time away from baseball.
“He has a lot of potential,” said Mason. “He has a swing-and-miss pitch, and anyone with a swing-and-miss pitch is a good bullpen guy for me.”
A native of Santa Rosa, CA, Mutz was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth round in 2011. He played in both the Angels and Padres systems, enjoying his best professional season in 2014, where he appeared in 46 games for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, posting a 2.29 ERA and striking out 51 batters in 51 innings of work.
Alen, who was acquired from the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association for a player to be named later, enters his 14th professional season. Last year in Lincoln he batted .297 with nine home runs and 53 RBI in 95 games, and walked nearly twice as many times as he struck out. He was selected to the American Association All-Star Game and hit a grand slam in his final game with the Saltdogs.
“He’s definitely a very good contact hitter,” said Mason. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in that league, and everybody says that we got a really great player, a great receiver of the ball, maybe the best receiver of the ball that they’d seen in that league in a long time… a cannon as far as throwing the ball, and one of the best hitters in that league year in and year out.”
A native of Venezuela, Alen was originally signed by the Marlins as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He made it as high as Triple-A in the Mets organization before playing his last seven seasons in the Northern League and American Association, where he combined to bat .305 with a .374 on-base percentage.
The Revs now have 21 players signed for the upcoming season and will continue to unveil preseason signings live each week on “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy,” with the next episode set to air on Tuesday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. immediately following “The Baltimore Baseball Show” on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK.
