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Cleveland Indians Yu Chang Interview4/9/2019 I had the opportunity to ask Indians prospect, Yu Chang, some questions. Yu is a shortstop for the Columbus Clippers, the Indians Triple-A affiliate. The Indians signed him as an international free agent in 2013 and he has played for the organization ever since.* According to Baseball reference he got to see the field for the first time in 2014 for the Indians’ Arizona rookie league team. Ever since then, Yu has started out each year on a higher level team in the Indians’ organization. He moved to Lake County in 2015, Lynchburg in 2016, Akron in 2017, and Columbus in 2018.* This will be his second year with the Clippers, but a call-up could be coming soon for Yu. Yu could see his first chance soon as the Indians are currently struggling to hit with injuries to Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis. They are in desperate need of middle infielders who can provide productive offense on a regular basis while their veterans are out. The Indians have high expectations for Yu; however, as they envision him as an everyday player who could be plugged in the lineup at multiple positions. Last year, the Indians sent Yu to the Arizona fall league to practice playing third base, making him an even more versatile player. Due to this practice he can now play second, short, and third if need be. Yu is a great fielder and according to Baseball Reference he had a 1.000 fielding percentage at second, a .944 fielding percentage at third, and a .975 fielding percentage at short.* This will give him even more of a chance to play for the Indians or any team in the future, as his bat and ability to play three of the four positions in the infield could help find himself in the lineup everyday. In addition to his stellar fielding, Yu can really swing the bat. Two years ago in Double-A, Yu led all shortstops with 24 home runs.* Last year in Triple-A, Yu batted .256 with 28 doubles and 13 home runs.* Yu also had a great stint with the Indians Arizona fall league team last fall as he hit .337 with 4 doubles and 4 home runs.* His play earned him a spot on the Double-A all star team in 2017 and the Triple-A all star team in 2018. Still only 23 years old, Yu Chang will have the opportunity to make an impact with the Cleveland Indians very soon. His versatility, bat, and fielding will provide him plenty of opportunities to find himself in the lineup on an everyday basis. Yu was nice enough to answer some questions about his development and future as a player: Q: What expectations or goals do you have for yourself this upcoming season? -Staying healthy, building a stronger mentality, and making my MLB debut soon. Q: After having a strong season with Columbus last year, you are on the verge of being called up. Do you believe you are ready to join the big league squad? -I am 100% ready! Just waiting for an opportunity to open up! Q: You had the chance to play third base in your time with the Indians’ Arizona fall league. Have you played third before and do you feel confident to play it on an day-to-day basis if needed? -I have played second base shortstop and third baseman. I’m ready to play any position if needed! Q: How have you prepared and worked this offseason to improve your overall game? -This off-season I had worked with a personal trainer in Taiwan, we worked a lot with having explosive power! And I also worked with a hitting coach, Dan in California! Q: How challenging has it been living in a different city each year and how have you learned to adjust to it? -It is pretty hard for me because Taiwan and America have totally different culture and language differences. This is the sixth year I have been in America, I would say my baseball language is very fluent! Hanging out with teammates definitely helped me in learning English and the culture. Q: Who is your favorite teammate that you have moved through the organization with? How have they inspired you through this process? -Eric Stamets! He is now playing in major league! He has very strong mental skills, and of course he’s very friendly! We always talk about how to be a better baseball player! Q: Taiwan currently has one player in Major League Baseball now. What does it mean to you to represent your country in this popular sport? -Being in the major leagues really means a lot to the young players back in Taiwan, gives them hope and will look up to us as their goal to chase their major league dreams! Anything is possible if you just do it! Thank you to Yu Chang for taking time to answer my questions. Also, a huge thanks to Ling Chang helping with the interview process. Without her help and translating none of this would be possible. Good luck to Mr. Chang in the future, you have an amazing city that will have your back for years to come. Thank you for reading and comment below what you would like to hear about next. Also go follow Yu's instagram. Click on the icon below. Contributed By: John Achkar *The Statistics used are owned by Baseball Reference. All credit to Baseball Reference https://www.baseball-reference.com/
4 Comments
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TED VAN DE MOTTER
4/9/2019 02:26:31 pm
GREAT, article , keep up the good work
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Malone
4/9/2019 04:14:31 pm
Great work, really enjoy the article
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Christopher Garofoli
4/10/2019 06:16:47 pm
Love it John! Very informative with great questions. I’m a fan!
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Nina Regalbuto
4/10/2019 06:46:22 pm
john this is killer!! And Yu Chang sounds cute:)
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