July 2, 2013
In this update, four players who were PTM will be moved to Too Accomplished to be Prospects, and three players will join the PTM. If you've been following the weekly updates throughout this season, you'll have a fairly good idea who these four are. The four players who were added both meet the requirements laid out above in addition to having a history of success or the tools to succeed in the majors.
Here are the players that were not listed among the PTM before the season but are eligible for addition:
- 1B/DH Chen-Hsui Chen (Age 24, AAA)
- C Roberto Perez (Age 24, AAA)
- RHRP Preston Guilmet (Age 25, AAA)
- C Jake Lowery (Age 22, AA)
- RHSP Will Roberts (Age 22, AA)
- LHSP Shawn Morimando (Age 20, A+)
- RHSP Michael Peoples (Age 21, A+)
- RF Anthony Santander (Age 18, A-)
- 3B Leonardo Castillo (Age 19, A-)
There's one player in Arizona (Francisco Mejia) that meets the criteria, but his season is just beginning.
That's not a huge list to choose from, and it excludes several players that are having fine seasons, even dominant seasons, but miss the criteria because of age. For example, Tyler Naquin, who is in his Age 22 season, is having an outstanding season in Carolina, and if I were basing this on projections/scouting, he'd be a shoo-in. But that's the point of the criteria: it purposefully makes a player dominating a level reach a higher, more age-appropriate level before he can be included. This is a list designed to just give the casual minor-league follower the prospects worth following, and if I included all the players having decent seasons at lower levels, then the list would be 2 or 3 times larger, and would defeat the purpose of a list, because if everyone's included, then the designation of a prospect loses its meaning. The criteria is strict at lower levels, and much more forgiving in AA and AAA, which is as it should be for this purpose, as results start to matter more at those levels. I fully expect Naquin, once he's promoted to Akron (whether its this year or next), to make this list.
With all that being said, here are the mid-season additions to the Prospects That Matter:
- RHSP Preston Guilmet (Age 25, AAA)
- C Jake Lowery (Age 22, AA)
- LHSP Shawn Morimando (Age 20, A+)
Anthony Santander is doing OK in Lake County, but he's not having what I consider a solid season. Likewise, Chun Chen is struggling a bit in his first taste of AAA. Both were borderline choices, but I decided to err on the side of caution for now.
[End re-post]
Comments on the PTM snubs
There were several questions on the system, mostly centered around Tyler Naquin and Clint Frazier. Although each will be included in the Prospects That Might Matter at Some Point section, I'd like to fully explain why Naquin and Frazier are not included, as they both certainly merit a full explanation. Each was excluded for different reasons, and serves as a good look at the
Clint Frazier - to me, this is a fairly easy explanation. This system is based on professional results, and since Frazier has just started his pro career, including him now would not only be jumping the gun, but would be subverting the system. We all think that Frazier will be a great prospect, and then hopefully a great major-league player, but there's still a long way to go in his development. If everything goes right (no injuries, no struggles), he'll debut with the Indians in 2017. If things go really well, he might get to Cleveland in 2016. In either scenario, he'll be added to the PTM by the middle of next season, as a 19-year-old, and the system is set up so that teenagers have a tough time making the list.
"But Frazier was a 1st Round pick." Well, yes, but again, the system is based foremost on professional performance, not scouting or where a player was drafted. Although good scouting reports will tip the scales on a player that's putting up decent numbers, it can't be the entire justification, or else this system becomes Ryan's Gut Feelling Based on Other's Scouting Reports, which will be entirely useless if you know how my gut feelings usually turn out. In Frazier's case, just be patient. It's not he's going to be ignored in the updates, as plenty of players who aren't part of the list yet are highlighted every week.
A good point was made about Mitch Brown in regards to this question. The question was: "why include Mitch Brown in the PTM after his Age 18 season when you won't include Clint Frazier?" And as I really have no answer to that question other than expediency (I put together the first one in April, well after it normally should have been done), I am going to remove Brown from the PTM, as I didn't follow the rules. The April inclusion was wrong even if Brown would have taken off in Lake County, as he hadn't met any of the age/level criteria as of April.
Tyler Naquin - I think most people were ok with Frazier being excluded, but Naquin was another matter. Here is a player that not only was a first round pick, but is in Advanced A a year later and performing about as well as you could hope. He seems like a player that should be a shoo-in for inclusion by a lot of criteria, especially since that it seems like he can stick in center field.
So why exclude him? The reason is that he doesn't meet the age/level criteria. And as unfair as that might sound, the age/level criteria is there for a reason. The goal of the system is to predict which players will become major-league players, major-league contributors, and major-league stars, and if every 22-year old that dominated the Carolina League, the system would quickly lose its usefulness. In 2008, there were three 22-year-olds that had very nice seasons in the Carolina League: Josh Rodriguez, Wes Hodges, and Jared Goedert, with two of the three players being high draft picks. The three players totaled 15 Plate Appearances between them (all by Rodriguez). Yes, these are anecdotes, and I'm sure counter-anecdotes can be found, but there were enough of those flameouts to justify this rule. In fact, it's the reason this system was created in the first place.
So if you're rooting for Naquin to appear on this list, you need to be rooting for a promotion to Akron. A 22-year-old dominating AA seems to have a much higher correlation with a future major leaguer than a 22-year-old dominating the Carolina League. So just be patient, and we'll see whether the system worked soon enough.
The Current Crop of Prospects That Matter
In this section I'm going to break down the current members of PTM into further sections:
- Prospects That Really, Really Matter - players who've met PTM criteria at an excessively young age.
- Prospects That Really Matter - those who beat the PTM criteria with room to spare.
- Prospects That Matter - others who've cleared the bar.
- Too Accomplished to be Prospects - graduates to the majors who are still of "prospect age"
- Too Old to Matter - players who are still in the minor-league system but are too old to make the PTM list.
- Prospects That Might Matter at Some Point - notable players who still have age on their side; could make future PTM lists.
Prospects That Really, Really Matter
- SS Francisco Lindor (Age 19, A+) - At this point he's one of the best prospects in baseball, never mind the Indians system. Considered the best defender in the minors, he's started to hit for average, get on base, and hit for gap power. There's no real reason to rush him unless you want to consider major-league contracts (Asdrubal Cabrera is a free agent after the 2014 season), and I've come around to being all right with Lindor remaining in Carolina the rest of the season. You have to go back to Victor Martinez to find as exciting a homegrown position player prospect, and Lindor is about three years ahead of Martinez as far as making the majors.
- RHP Trevor Bauer (Age 22, AAA) - It's important to note that despite all Bauer's rather public struggles at the major league level, he's still a very young player with very little professional experience. After this past week's performance, he may not get another spot start with the Indians this year (at least until the games don't matter), but that doesn't diminish his potential.
Prospects That Really Matter (in no particular order)
- 2B Jose Ramirez (Age 20, AA) - Pushed to AA, Ramirez has done held his own, so don't look at that .646 OPS and see a player that's struggled. He's walked (30) more than he's struck out (26), which shows a player that has an exceptionally good eye at the plate and the ability to make contact. Because of his size (5'9", 165 lbs), it's doubtful that he'll ever hit for much power, which limits his ceiling somewhat. But he certainly hasn't hurt his status this year.
- SS Ronny Rodriguez (Age 21, AA) - Another player who has been aggresively promoted, Rodriguez initially struggled but has had a Kipnis-like June (.392/.405/.532) after looking awful in April. Unlike his keystone partner Jose Ramirez, Rodriguez is a free-swinger, but Ronny has the upside of a starting MLB shortstop or second baseman. Given the current organizational depth, I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez is included in a deadline deal this month.
- RHSP Danny Salazar (Age 23, AAA) - promoted to AAA a month into the season, Salazar has returned to his former prominence after having Tommy Surgery a couple of years ago. His stuff is not in doubt, but he'll need to show whether he has the durability to remain in the rotation. Even if that doesn't work in, he'll be a quality back-end reliever.
- OF Luigi Rodriguez (Age 20, A+) - promoted to Carolina after starting in Lake County, Rodriguez has played mostly left field because of Naquin. The speedy switch-hitter has done very well in his first taste of the Carolina League (.283/.383/.398) combining decent power with a good batting eye.
- 3B Giovanny Urshela (Age 21, AA) - he hasn't been spectacular in his AA debut, but that's ok, as he's still very young. Urshela uses the Gandalf method of hitting, swinging at just about everything in the strike zone, but to this point it hasn't resulted in an excessive amount of strikeouts. Considered a very good defender, Urshela should be on your radar as the next third baseman in the system after Lonnie Chisenhall.
- LHSP Shawn Morimando (Age 20, A+) - In an organization rife with disappointing pitchers, Morimando has exceeded all expectations. A 19th Round selection in 2011, Shawn has blown past other more celebrated high school arms to excel at Advanced A. He has a four-pitch mix, and is very polished for someone his age. His stuff isn't exceptional, and that worries me, but he's more than fulfilled the criteria for inclusion here.
- C Jake Lowery (Age 22, AA) - The Indians for most of the season have been shuffling their catching prospects up and down their full-season leagues, but I think now they have everyone where they should be. For the first half of the season, Lowery and Roberto Perez shared playing-time, mostly because the Indians had an organizational hole because of injuries and promoted everyone up a level. Lowery probably should have started the season in Carolina again, but he had no problems offensively in a tough hitter's league. A 4th Round pick in 2011, Lowery's upside was as a starting catcher, and it looks like he's back on that path.
Prospect That Matter (in no particular order)
- LHRP Giovanni Soto (Age 22, AA) - has been hurt most of the season.
- C Tony Wolters (Age 21, A+) - has transitioned to catcher with no apparent setbacks. Has really started to hit (.318/.400/.439 in June) after a slow start, which was probably caused by the defensive change.
- LHSP T.J. House (Age 23, AAA) - like with Salazar, House was promoted to AAA early this season, and even got to put on a major-league uniform for a couple days (though he didn't get into a game). Not ready for a big league rotation, so don't expect him to help this season, but he could be in the conversation next year.
- SS Dorssys Paulino (Age 18, A-) - has struggled in his first full-season experience, but time is on his side. If Paulino develops, he probably won't stick at shortstop, with third base or second a possibility.
- RHRP Trey Haley (Age 23, AA) - one of the biggest disappointments this season, Haley has walked an incredible 21 in only 17 AA innings.
- RHSP Preston Guilmet (Age 25, AAA) - even though he doesn't get rave reviews for his stuff, you can't argue with what he's done at every level of the organization. A 9th Round selection in 2009, Guilmet's rates have uniformly excellent (career 7.2 H/9, 9.8 SO/9, 2.0 BB/9). Yeah, his upside is a 7th-inning, possibly 8th-inning guy, but there's little risk here.
- SS Juan Diaz (Age 24, AAA) - has really struggled in his first full season in AAA, Diaz is in danger of being passed by players currently behind him in the organization.
- LHRP Scott Barnes (Age 25, AAA) - Scott has had several opportunities to stick in the majors, but hasn't taken advantage of them. Now that's carrying over to AAA.
- 1B Jesus Aguilar (Age 23, AA) - plugging along in AA, though time is not on his side.
- RHRP Shawn Armstrong (Age 22, AA) - has just recently started to pitch again after missing most of the first half of the season due to injury.
Too Accomplished to be Prospects
- 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (Age 24, MLB) - still finding his way in the majors, but the talent is definitely there.
- C Yan Gomes (Age 25, MLB) - one of the biggest surprises of the season, Gomes has become a key member of the team. More than just a normal backup catcher, Terry Francona has tried to find ways to get him into the lineup despite having one of the league's best offensive catchers on the roster.
- LHP TJ McFarland (Age 24, MLB/Baltimore) - still is considered part of the organization because all the Rule 5 requirements haven't yet been satisfied, but with only two months more to go, the chances of McFarland returning to the Cleveland organization are remote.
- RHP Hector Rondon (Age 25, MLB/Chicago Cubs) - like McFarland, Rondon is all but guaranteed to remain with the Cubs now that we're three months into the season. Unlike McFarland, I think Rondon can become a major league starter, which is why his selection stings. He had missed several years due to multiple arm surgeries, and was on the cusp of returning to full-time pitching when he was nabbed in the Rule 5 Draft.
- RHRP Cody Allen (Age 24, MLB) - an integral part of the Cleveland bullpen, and after this season, likely to move up to 8th inning duties.
Prospects That Might Matter At Some Point (not a comprehensive list)
(comments to be added later)
- CF Tyler Naquin (Age 22, A+)
- CF Clint Frazier (Age 18, A-)
- 1B/DH Chun-Hsiu Chen (Age 24, AAA)
- RHP Cody Anderson (Age 22, A+)
- C Francisco Mejia (Age 17, R-)
- LHSP Luis Lugo (Age 19, SSA)
- OF Carlos Moncrief (Age 24, AA) - Just so it doesn't get lost, here's a comment that Adam had on Moncrief in the last Minor League Update thread:
I wonder if it is getting to the point that we can consider Moncrief a legitimate prospect. At the moment, he is hitting .288/.364/.463 for Akron, with 12 assists from right field.
The issue with Moncrief is that he is old (he’ll turn 25 this November). But Moncrief is old, in part, because he spent his first two pro season pitching. Thinking more broadly about the issue of age and development, one of the reasons we prioritize youth is the added future physical development and improvement to a player’s raw toolset. Moncrief’s criticisms have nothing to do with his physical tools, though (he has plus natural power, a plus-plus arm, and average to above average speed), they have everything to do with his baseball skills. Baseball skills, unlike physical skills, can get better with age. Most importantly, Moncrief’s skills have gotten better. This past off-season I finally saw Moncrief mentioned on a couple of prospect lists, but I distinctly remember the prediction that he was going to get exposed by the improved breaking pitches at the AA level (the same was said about Giovanny Urshela, by the way). That has not happened at all. Here is Moncrief’s development from A-ball, to high-A, to AA this year over the past three years:
BB%: 13.8>11.3>10.8
K%: 39.6>31.0>20.0
ISO: .190>.215>.175
BABIP: .314>.341>.338 (for context)I have highlighted the massive drop in K% because of its obvious importance. Even with these massive chances in bat to ball ability, Moncrief has maintained decent power and has not been particularly luck-aided.
Given his age, Moncrief is just an extended bad stretch from not being anything. I would argue that at this point, Moncrief’s prospect status has less to do with developing his skills than simply maintaining the development he has achieved. From Cleveland’s perspective, Moncrief possesses a skill-set (true corner OF) that they lack in the full-season system.
- OF Anthony Santander (Age 18, A-)
- RHSP Jake Sisco (Age 21, A-)
- RHSP Caleb Hamrick (Age 19, SSA)
- CF Tyler Holt (Age 24, AA)
- CF LeVon Washington (Age 21, A-) - Disabled List
- C Roberto Perez (Age 24, AAA)
- RHSP Michael Peoples (Age 21)
- RHRP Jose Flores (Age 24, AA)
- C Eric Haase (Age 20, A-)
- RHSP Mitch Brown (Age 19, R-)
- 2B Joseph Wendle (Age 23, A+)
- 1B Jerrud Sabourin (Age 23, A+)
- RHSP Dylan Baker (Age 21, A-)
- RHRP Enosil Tejeda (Age 24, AA)
- RHSP Kieran Lovegrove (Age 18, R-)
- LHSP Matt Packer (Age 25, AA)
- 3B Erik Gonzalez (Age 21, A-)
- RHSP Jordan Cooper (Age 24, AA)
- RHRP Jeff Johnson (Age 23, A+)
- LHSP Elvis Araujo (Age 21, A+) - Disabled List
Too Old to Matter but Possible Contributors
- RHRP Chen-Chang Lee (Age 26, AAA)
- RHRP Austin Adams (Age 26, AA)
- UT Cord Phelps (Age 26, AAA)
- RHRP Bryce Stowell (Age 26, AAA)
- OF Tim Fedroff (Age 26, AAA)
April 27, 2013
In previous installments of these minor league updates, several of you either directly or indirectly asked which of the myriad of names included in these reports were really worth following. In other words, where was the latest Prospects That Matter?
There's roughly 85-95 players at any one time on full-season rosters, and only perhaps 10% of those players end up having major-league careers of any consequence. Look around at the prospects sites and read prospects guides and you'll see up to 30 or even more players per organization profiled as major-league prospects. Well, as mentioned above, only a very small portion of minor-league players end up having a major-league career, so unless you're a die-hard prospect hound, following that many players isn't worth your time.
That's where Prospects That Matter come in. This concept was Jay's brainchild in 2008; he got tired of putting time and effort into following marginal players that would make it to AA or AAA but no higher, or having just a small cup of coffee in the majors. What he was trying to distill from those big lists of "prospects" was a list of players with a legitimate chance of becoming a major-league player. The rest the casual minor-league follower could ignore for now, or ignore forever; I'm sure there will be players that won't meet these criteria that eventually blossom into major-league players, but those should be the odd exceptions, not the rules.
So what were the criteria that Jay set down?
- In Triple-A: succeeding at age 25, solid at 24, or younger.
- In Double-A: succeeding at age 23, solid at 22, or younger.
- In High-A: succeeding at age 21, solid at 20, or younger.
- In Low-A: succeeding at age 19, solid at 18, or younger.
- In short-season leagues: solid at age 17 or younger.
In other words, it's a combination of age and results. In some cases there might not be one player in a level that meets these criteria, but you know what? Maybe no one from Lake County (to take an example) will ever become a regular major-leaguer. One only has to look at the Indians' recent (as in since the late 90s) track record to know that not many minor-leaguers have developed into major-league players.With minor-league players we tend to wishcast quite a bit, seeing only the upside without the flaws, and this system helps to curb our enthusiasm down to a more rational level.
Because normally this list should be done either after the minor-league season or until well into the minor-league season (so that the statistics have a large enough sample), I'm going to cheat a little to do this now. I'm going to ignore this year's stats (which are very SSS) but count the level the player is currently in.
Jay further divided the PTM (and non-PTM) into smaller groups:
- Prospects That Really, Really Matter - players who've met PTM criteria at an excessively young age.
- Prospects That Really Matter - those who beat the PTM criteria with room to spare.
- Prospects That Matter - others who've cleared the bar.
- Too Accomplished to be Prospects - graduates to the majors who are still of "prospect age"
- Too Old to Matter - players who are still in the minor-league system but are too old to make the PTM list.
- Prospects That Might Matter at Some Point - notable players who still have age on their side; could make future PTM lists.
So I'm going to take a stab at sorting the current crop of Indians prospects into these categories. Again, I'm using stats up to 2012 along with 2013 assignments. Ages listed are the player's "baseball ages" for 2013. This is why a guy like Yan Gomes is rated in the PTRM category; he's being judged on what he did as a 24-year-old.
Prospects That Really, Really Matter
- RHSP Trevor Bauer (Age 22, AAA/MLB) - the only prospect in the organization who meets the very strict guidelines for inclusion here, Bauer dominated AA and AAA as a 21-year-old, and pitched in the majors to boot. Even if he spends the rest of 2013 in AAA (doubtful), he'll remain at least in one of the two highest PTM categories.
Prospects That Really Matter (in no particular order)
- SS Francisco Lindor (Age 19, A+) - I really, really wanted to place Lindor in the top category, but he hasn't had that breakout offensive season yet, so he'll stay here for now. One of the best defensive players in the minors, he could probably play shortstop at the major-league level now. Should his offensive game catch up with the defense in Carolina, he'll make the jump to the top category at the end of the season.
- SS Dorssys Paulino (Age 18, A-) - Like with Lindor, I agonized over whether to place Paulino in the top category, but he's not quite young enough to rank any higher; the standards understandably set the bar high for players in lower levels. Should he move to Carolina at some point this season and play well, he'll jump to the next level this season.
- RHRP Cody Allen (Age 24, MLB) - has dominated at every level, and is in the majors, perhaps to stay.
- SS Ronny Rodriguez (Age 21, AA) - He's in Akron because the of the two shortstops behind him in the organization. Listed here because of his age, he'll need to hit to avoid being sent down to the lower PTM ranking.
- C/IF Yan Gomes (Age 25 AAA/MLB) - played very well in the PCL last season and has made a good impression in the majors so far this year. He's going back to AAA soon, and could eventually be a quality starting catcher in the majors.
- 3B Giovanny Urshela (Age 21, AA) - Excellent defender, and he's been promoted quickly because of it. His offense has yet to catch up with his glove, though.
- LHRP Scott Barnes (Age 25, AAA) - Converted to a reliever now, and starting his third season in Columbus, but I still like his future. If he cuts down his walks a bit he very easily could be a good setup man in the majors.
- 2B Jose Ramirez (Age 20, AA) - Has been aggressively promoted to Akron because of all the middle infield depth in the system. Has been knocked because of his size (and the low power projection that goes with it), but is a good defender and has a very good eye at the plate.
- RHRP Shawn Armstrong (Age 22, AA) - Doesn't quite have the stuff Cody Allen has, but should move through the system similarly. A college starter who was converted to relief, he could help the Indians next year if he cleans up his control.
Prospects That Matter (in no particular order)
- RHSP Mitch Brown (Age 19, A-) - Had a successful short-season debut, so I'm placing him here. Brown is several years away from contributing at the major-league level, but I think he's the most likely pitcher currently in the system (once you get past Bauer) to become a good starting pitcher.
- RHSP Danny Salazar (Age 23, AA) - After Bauer, Salazar is the next high-level pitching prospect in the organization. He now has a mid-90s fastball, but he needs to prove that his breaking pitches are good enough to get outs, as well as put together a full season.
- CF Luigi Rodriguez (Age 19, A-) - He's repeating Low-A again, which hurts him in the PTM rankings. One of the fastest players in the organization, he could profile as a fourth outfielder even if his bat doesn't develop.
- LHRP Giovanni Soto (Age 22, AA) - It looks like the Indians are turning Soto into a reliever. He's ranked here because of his previous success as a starter, even though his stuff hasn't wowed scouts.
- C/2B Tony Wolters (Age 20, A+) - Probably was going to profile as a utility infielder because of his marginal defense at second, but this spring the Indians made the decision to convert him to catcher. If he can learn the position, his bat will make him a fine catching prospect.
- LHSP T.J. House (Age 23, AA) - Didn't have a great season in Carolina, but good enough to keep him on this list with his promotion to Akron. The Indians added him to the 40-man roster this winter rather than TJ McFarland, and we should know fairly quickly whether that was the correct decision.
- RHRP Trey Haley (Age 23, AA) - Hurt most of the spring, he's recently returned to action with Akron. Should be in Columbus by the end of the season.
- SS Juan Diaz (Age 24, AAA) - With legitimate prospects at the three lower full-season levels and Asdrubal Cabrera in Cleveland, it's going to be tough for Diaz to stick around in this organization long. He's a big guy, but still a decent to good defender at shortstop. His bat has been what's holding him back, but he's always been young for his level.
- LHP TJ McFarland (Age 24, MLB/Baltimore) - Profiled as a fringy starter, but the Orioles selected him in the Rule 5 Draft to use him out of the bullpen. The early returns have been very good, and it looks like he's in Baltimore to stay.
- RHP Hector Rondon (Age 25, MLB/Chicago Cubs) - Finally pitched late last season after several years of injuries, only to be selected by the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft. His upside is still high, though he'll need to build back his arm to remain a starter. I'm guessing that's what the Cubs are planning to do, for he'll spend the season in the bullpen.
- 1B Jesus Aguilar (Age 23, AA) - Has been a marginal prospect for a while because of his power potential, but last season improved his plate discipline. His bat will either carry him to the majors or relegate him to a career in the minors.
Too Accomplished to be Prospects - comments to be added later
- 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (Age 24) - Now the team's starting third baseman. Has shown occasional signs of power, but he's still an unfinished product.
- RHSP Zach McAllister (Age 25) - Somehow the Indians got him for Austin Kearns, though the Indians have a knack for getting great value out of minor trades. He's in the rotation to stay.
- RHRP Brian Shaw (Age 25) - One of the many players that came to the Indians in the Choo-Bauer-Gregorius deal, Shaw has been impressive so far this season, with 13 strikes and no walks in 9.2 innings pitched. He has just over 1 season of MLB service time.
Too Old to Matter (in no particular order) - full comments to be added later
- RHRP Bryce Stowell (26, AAA) -
- OF Tim Fedroff (26, AAA) - Has done pretty much everything he can in the minors, and has a future in the majors as a fourth outfielder.
- IF Cord Phelps (26, AAA) - Probably not a major-league starter at second or shortstop, but could make a career for himself as a utility player.
- RHRP Bryan Price (26, AA)
- IF Adam Abraham (26, AAA)
- RHRP C.C. Lee (26, DL) - if not for Tommy John surgery, he'd probably he pitching in Cleveland now. Not eligible for the PTM list, but should still be considered a future major-leaguer.
- IF Matt Lawson (27, AA)
- RHRP Matt Langwell (27, AAA)
- RHRP Kyle Landis (27, AA)
- RHRP Austin Adams (26, AA)
- RHSP Toru Murata (28, AA)
Prospects that Might Matter at some point (a partial list) - presented without comment at this point because of time considerations. I will say this, though; there are several players here that I fully expect to make to the jump to the PTM list by the middle of the season. When in doubt, I've kept a player from PTM status; this includes top-rated prospects like Tyler Naquin and Anthony Santander,
- 3B Jorge Martinez (20, A-)
- RHP Luis Lugo (19, TBD)
- C Eric Haase (20, A+)
- LHSP Shawn Morimando (20, A+)
- 1B Nelson Rodriguez (19, A-)
- RHSP Dillon Howard (20, TBD)
- RHRP Preston Guilmet (25, AAA)
- RHSP Jake Sisco (21, A-)
- 2B Robel Garcia (20, A-)
- RHRP Luis DeJesus (21, A-)
- OF Anthony Santander (Age 18, TBD)
- OF LeVon Washington (21, A-)
- RHSP Dylan Baker (21, A-)
- CF Tyler Naquin (22, A+)
- RHRP Nicholas Pasquale (22, A-)
- OF Delvi Cid (23, AA) - No longer in organization - released from Akron 4-25-2013
- RHSP Clayton Cook (22, TBD)
- RHSP Cody Anderson (22, A+)
- 2B Joseph Wendle (23, A+)
- 1B Jerrud Sabourin (23, A+)
- RHRP Rob Bryson (25, AAA)
- LF Bryson Myles (23, A+)
- C Roberto Perez (24, AA) - demoted to Akron on 4-25-2013
- RF Carlos Moncrief (24,AA)
- RF Bo Greenwell (24, TBD)
- 1B Mike McDade (24, AAA)
- LF Logan Vick (22, A-)
Overall Thoughts
Once you get past Bauer and the middle infielders, this is system thin in top-flight talent, especially in starting pitching. Which is one of the main reasons why the Indians got Bauer this winter. The two Rule 5 picks (McFarland and Rondon) could really hurt them, leaving a sizable gap between Bauer/Carrasco and Mitch Brown, especially if Salazar doesn't develop. As OhioTommy eloquently put it in a post this past week, the Indians may be drafting talented starting pitchers, but they aren't developing them into viable major-league starters, and that's a big problem.
The Indians do seem better at developing relief pitching with CC Lee, Scott Barnes, Trey Haley, and Shawn Armstrong (among others) as the next group after Allen/Hagadone. And I do like the crop of position players they're developing; even the less ballyhooed infield group in Akron (Urshela/R. Rodriguez/Ramirez/Aguilar) all have decent chances of becoming major-league players. I'm still skeptical on Tyler Naquin, though early returns in Carolina have been promising.
Over the next couple days I'll finish up the comments and add B-Ref links to all the players on the lists. I'll also replace the current Prospect Tracker in the Library with this post; it should make it easier to sift through the minor-league updates. I'll also update this list a couple times during the season as events cause me to revisit earlier rankings.