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Cleveland Indians: Top Ten Prospects for 2018

By Benjamin Chase

28 Feb 2002: A picture of the Cleveland Indians logo printed on a bag during the spring training game between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida. The Twins won 6-4. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: M. David Leeds/Getty Images
28 Feb 2002: A picture of the Cleveland Indians logo printed on a bag during the spring training game between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida. The Twins won 6-4. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: M. David Leeds/Getty Images /
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Cleveland Indians
28 Feb 2002: A picture of the Cleveland Indians logo printed on a bag during the spring training game between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida. The Twins won 6-4. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: M. David Leeds/Getty Images /

We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Cleveland Indians!

Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Cleveland Indians.

This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.

The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!

Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.

System overview

Last year’s list

After making the World Series and coming within moments of their first championship since 1948 in the 2016 season, the Indians were understandably slow out of the gate in 2017, just 2 games up in the division on August 1st, 57-48 after losing 3 straight.

The Indians then went on a tear, going 45-13 for the rest of the season, including a 22-game winning streak from August 24th through September 14th, leading to a 102-win season, and the #2 seed in the playoffs.

Through intelligent drafting and quality development, especially in their pitching, the Cleveland Indians have been able to maintain a quality farm system even while utilizing players from that system in trades to supplement their roster during playoff runs and also as those players are brought up to contribute to the major league club.

While not a top 10 system, there is plenty of depth of talent and potential within the system to track for sure.

Let’s take a look at that system….

Next: #9 and #10

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