Fan favorites and new additions will patrol Indy’s outfield in 2024
By Brooks Riley
The Indianapolis Indians 2024 outfield corps will soon be roaming the freshly installed grass at Victory Field. This year’s group is likely to feature many experienced veterans.
Gilberto Celestino: Celestino, 25, is a new name that could come through Indianapolis for Opening Day. He was originally signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2015, and went on to make his major league debut with Minnesota on June 2, 2021, at Baltimore. After appearing in 23 big-league contests that season, he played in 122 games for the Twins the following year. In 2023, he underwent thumb surgery and spent over two months on the 60-day injured list. In 59 games between Single-A Fort Myers and Triple-A St. Paul, he hit .244 (48-for-197) with 12 doubles, four home runs and 31 RBI. On defense, he split time between left field (11 games), center field (23 games) and right field (19 games).
Billy McKinney: McKinney, 29, has appeared in more major league games (311) than any of Indy’s expected outfield options. He was originally selected by Oakland in the first round (24th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft and made his MLB debut with New York (AL) on March 30, 2018, at Toronto. Last season, McKinney began the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before ending the season with the Yankees, hitting .227 (29-for-128) with 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in the big leagues.
Edward Olivares: Like McKinney, the 28-year-old Olivares brings a major league pedigree to the Indianapolis clubhouse. The Venezuelan was traded to Pittsburgh from Kansas City on Dec. 15, 2023, in exchange for infielder Deivis Nadal. He began the 2023 season on Kansas City’s Opening Day roster and hit .263 (93-for-354) with 23 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 36 RBI.
Joe Perez: The 24-year-old was signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Aug. 11, 2023, after beginning the season in Houston’s farm system. He split last season between Triple-A Sugar Land, Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis, hitting .272 (119-for-438) with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 72 RBI. In the field, he can bounce between the corner outfield spots to utilize his powerful arm and can also slot in at second and third base. After receiving just one big-league at-bat with Houston in 2022, the former two-way prep star from Florida seeks a return to the game’s top level.
Connor Scott: Scott, 24, is a product of the same high school in Tampa, Fla. as MLB Hall of Famer Wade Boggs and MLB All-Stars Pete Alonso and Kyle Tucker. Originally selected by Miami with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, the Pirates acquired him via trade on Nov. 29, 2011, with right-handers Zach Thompson and Kyle Nicolas in exchange for former Indians catcher Jacob Stallings. In 2023, the left-handed hitter spent the entire season with Altoona and hit .196 (51-for-260) with 14 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 37 RBI across 74 games.
Fan favorites Canaan Smith-Njigba, Joshua Palacios, and Indianapolis native Matt Gorski are also projected to return to cover Indy’s outfield, too. Last season the trio combined to play 140 games for the Indians.
Originally posted on milb.com