8th Overall: Indians Select SS Francisco Lindor
With the 8th pick in the MLB first year player draft the Cleveland Indians selected Francisco Lindor. 2011 has been seen as a thin class for middle infielders and Lindor is the head of this class by far. He has always been for his defense but it he showed off a little power by winning the 2010 Aflac All-American Home Derby at Petco Park. This only helped hype up the player who already had top 10 hype.
This might have been somewhat of a need pick for the Indians as they will need help in the middle infield defensively. He seems to be a safe pick with projectable talent but nothing that would appear to be elite in the future from a tools perspective. While he won the homerun derby, he doesn’t project as a power hitter at the next level but has good contact tools and won’t be overmatched.
The Stuff:
Lindor’s best asset is his strong arm which can hit the mid 80’s on his normal throws. Pair this with a solid glove and Lindor has a very impressive toolset for a middle infielder. Some people aren’t in love with Lindor overall but his defense can’t be argued. As a hitter he has quick hands, a quick swing, and makes solid contact. He is a true switch hitter with equal power and gap potential from both sides of the plate. As aforementioned, don’t expect much in the way of power at the next level, but he could have some pop and will be a solid contact hitter.
The biggest detraction for Lindor would be what was mentioned above and that is that he doesn’t project with many elite level tools. However, he still has a ceiling of gold glove potential in the infield. There is also concern that his size, at 5’11” 175 lbs, may be an issue. His footwork is fine now but if he adds some weight and bulk it might be affected. This is a small concern but something that could be an issue in the future, especially at SS where losing a step can make a huge difference.
Projection:
Lindor with his solid makeup, excellent glove work and his ability to be a solid hitter projects to move through the minors at a fairly decent clip. He could get held up if his hitting tools don’t translate but it seems as though he has the ability to make solid adjustments and should be a solid to very good player for the Indians in the future.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more on the Cleveland Indians and their day-to-day goings on, check out Deep Left Field.