Erik Kratz (Harrisonburg, Waynesboro) has always been a friend of ATVL. Waaaay back in the beginning (2006!), he sat down for a 3+ hour 2-part interview to help kick start this Erik Kratz Columbus 2017blog. (Part I is here, part II is here.) Erik and I went to both the same high school and the same college, although ten years apart. (Full disclosure- I taught his wife and two of his brothers-in-law in high school. Insert feeling old comment here)

Erik is now 36 years old, and has appeared in 224 major league games. In the 2016 offseason, he signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians, and was assigned to Triple-A Columbus after Spring Training.

So far sharing his time with Adam Moore, Erik is off to an amazing start. In 8 games and 32 at-bats, Erik is currently hitting 469/500/813, with 2 doubles and 3 home runs, along with 6 runs, 5 RBIs, and, strangely, a stolen base.

I don’t know whom the Indians will call up if there’s an injury, but Erik is surely making his case!

(Thanks to Dave Norman for the tip)