WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A trio of Boilermakers are once again on Opening Day rosters as the Major League Baseball season begins on time this year.
Josh Lindblom (Milwaukee Brewers, Purdue 2007-08), Kevin Plawecki (Boston Red Sox, Purdue 2010-12) and Nick Wittgren (Cleveland Indians, Purdue 2011-12) are all back with the same clubs they played for during the abbreviated 60-game campaign. Jordan Comadena (2005-08) remains the bullpen catcher/catching assistant for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lindblom and Wittgren helped their teams reach the 2020 postseason and Plawecki enjoyed his finest offensive season at the big league level. Wittgren struck out three of the six batters he faced while registering four outs in game 2 of Cleveland's Wild Card Series with the New York Yankees. In doing so, he became the first Boilermaker to appear in an MLB postseason game since Archi Cianfrocco played for the San Diego Padres in 1996.
In December, Plawecki and Wittgren both agreed to deals with their franchises to avoid arbitration. Lindblom signed a three-year contract with the Brewers in December 2019 after winning the MVP of the Korea Baseball Organization as the ace of the league champion Doosan Bears.
The start of the Minor League Baseball season has been delayed until May. It was canceled entirely last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Purdue alumni Tanner Andrews (2015-18), Nick Dalesandro (2016-18), Jacson McGowan (2016-18), Jordan Minch (2013-14), Cameron Perkins (2010-12) and Patrick J. Smith (2018-19) were all part of projected MiLB rosters in March 2020 when Spring Training and the season were shut down. Perkins had signed with the Houston Astros as a minor league free agent in February 2020 and was likely headed to the Triple-A level.
Minor League Baseball has been reorganized, with each MLB franchise having one affiliate at each of the four levels – Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Low-A. Many of the leagues, like the Pacific Coast and International at the Triple-A level, have been merged and temporarily rebranded based on geographic location.
Wittgren is projected to be one of three Cleveland relievers to have opportunities to close games early this season. He has pitched in 198 games at the big league level since making his MLB debut in April 2016 with Miami. The right-hander has registered 22 holds and four saves for Cleveland over the last two seasons. He had more strikeouts than hits allowed and innings pitched both years. Wittgren is Purdue's all-time saves leader with 22 in 55 career appearances.
Lindblom made 10 of his 12 appearances for the Brewers last season as a starting pitcher, recording 52 strikeouts vs. 42 hits allowed in 45 1/3 innings. The Lafayette native was back on campus and training at Alexander during portions of the offseason. He may be opening this season in the bullpen, but Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said Lindblom is still likely to make his fair share of starts.
"Josh is going to make a lot of starts for us," Counsell said March 25. "He pitched out of the 'pen at the end of last year, so he's game for it. He knows what he has to do. I think Josh is going to pitch a lot of innings for us. I think he's capable of pitching a lot of innings, and we're going to lean on him for that. He's not going to start one of the first five games; after that, who knows?"
Lindblom was selected as the Brewers' Good Guy Award recipient by the Milwaukee Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in October. He was recognized as "the most outgoing, friendly presence in the clubhouse and interacts well with the media on a daily basis in a cooperative and pleasant manner."
Plawecki batted .341 (28-for-82) in 24 games as Boston's backup catcher last season. He has also played for the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians in his career since being selected 35th overall in the 2012 MLB Draft. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year and Purdue Male Athlete of the Year after teaming with Perkins and Wittgren to help lead the Boilermakers to a program-record 45 wins and a pair of Big Ten titles in 2012.
Boston and Cleveland square off Aug. 27 to 29 at Fenway Park and Sept. 3 to 5 at Progressive Field. Plawecki and Wittgren were teammates in 2019 but they have never faced each other as hitter and pitcher at the big league level.
Cleveland and Milwaukee also play each other Sept. 10 to 12 at Progressive Field.
Last year marked the first time since 2017 that Purdue had three alumni at the big league level at the same time.
Josh Lindblom (Milwaukee Brewers, Purdue 2007-08), Kevin Plawecki (Boston Red Sox, Purdue 2010-12) and Nick Wittgren (Cleveland Indians, Purdue 2011-12) are all back with the same clubs they played for during the abbreviated 60-game campaign. Jordan Comadena (2005-08) remains the bullpen catcher/catching assistant for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lindblom and Wittgren helped their teams reach the 2020 postseason and Plawecki enjoyed his finest offensive season at the big league level. Wittgren struck out three of the six batters he faced while registering four outs in game 2 of Cleveland's Wild Card Series with the New York Yankees. In doing so, he became the first Boilermaker to appear in an MLB postseason game since Archi Cianfrocco played for the San Diego Padres in 1996.
In December, Plawecki and Wittgren both agreed to deals with their franchises to avoid arbitration. Lindblom signed a three-year contract with the Brewers in December 2019 after winning the MVP of the Korea Baseball Organization as the ace of the league champion Doosan Bears.
The start of the Minor League Baseball season has been delayed until May. It was canceled entirely last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Purdue alumni Tanner Andrews (2015-18), Nick Dalesandro (2016-18), Jacson McGowan (2016-18), Jordan Minch (2013-14), Cameron Perkins (2010-12) and Patrick J. Smith (2018-19) were all part of projected MiLB rosters in March 2020 when Spring Training and the season were shut down. Perkins had signed with the Houston Astros as a minor league free agent in February 2020 and was likely headed to the Triple-A level.
Minor League Baseball has been reorganized, with each MLB franchise having one affiliate at each of the four levels – Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Low-A. Many of the leagues, like the Pacific Coast and International at the Triple-A level, have been merged and temporarily rebranded based on geographic location.
Wittgren is projected to be one of three Cleveland relievers to have opportunities to close games early this season. He has pitched in 198 games at the big league level since making his MLB debut in April 2016 with Miami. The right-hander has registered 22 holds and four saves for Cleveland over the last two seasons. He had more strikeouts than hits allowed and innings pitched both years. Wittgren is Purdue's all-time saves leader with 22 in 55 career appearances.
Lindblom made 10 of his 12 appearances for the Brewers last season as a starting pitcher, recording 52 strikeouts vs. 42 hits allowed in 45 1/3 innings. The Lafayette native was back on campus and training at Alexander during portions of the offseason. He may be opening this season in the bullpen, but Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said Lindblom is still likely to make his fair share of starts.
"Josh is going to make a lot of starts for us," Counsell said March 25. "He pitched out of the 'pen at the end of last year, so he's game for it. He knows what he has to do. I think Josh is going to pitch a lot of innings for us. I think he's capable of pitching a lot of innings, and we're going to lean on him for that. He's not going to start one of the first five games; after that, who knows?"
Lindblom was selected as the Brewers' Good Guy Award recipient by the Milwaukee Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in October. He was recognized as "the most outgoing, friendly presence in the clubhouse and interacts well with the media on a daily basis in a cooperative and pleasant manner."
Plawecki batted .341 (28-for-82) in 24 games as Boston's backup catcher last season. He has also played for the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians in his career since being selected 35th overall in the 2012 MLB Draft. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year and Purdue Male Athlete of the Year after teaming with Perkins and Wittgren to help lead the Boilermakers to a program-record 45 wins and a pair of Big Ten titles in 2012.
Boston and Cleveland square off Aug. 27 to 29 at Fenway Park and Sept. 3 to 5 at Progressive Field. Plawecki and Wittgren were teammates in 2019 but they have never faced each other as hitter and pitcher at the big league level.
Cleveland and Milwaukee also play each other Sept. 10 to 12 at Progressive Field.
Last year marked the first time since 2017 that Purdue had three alumni at the big league level at the same time.