Cleveland Indians: Top Ten Prospects for 2018

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

10. Willi Castro, SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/24/97 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lynchburg Hillcats
2017 Stats: .290/.337/.424, 510 PA, 11 HR, 19 SB, 28/90 BB/K

Info: Pushed aggressively ever since he signed in 2013 with the Indians, Castro has struggled with the stick until 2017, when he was a teenager on opening day at high-A, but still finished the season with a line that is hard not to be incredibly impressed by.

When he was initially brought into the system, Castro had some worry that he could end up needing to shift off of shortstop due to being 6’1″ and very lean. Instead, he’s maintained that lean build as he’s matured into a lean frame, fitting exceptionally well at short with tremendous range.

Castro’s plus range works with his sure hands and above-average arm to be one of the more fun shortstops to watch on defense in all of minor league baseball.

Castro’s plus range works with his sure hands and above-average arm to be one of the more fun shortstops to watch on defense in all of minor league baseball. His biggest issue on defense is that he sometimes finds himself reaching balls with his exceptional range that really cannot do anything as far as getting a runner out, and he needs to learn when to put those balls into his pocket.

At the plate, Castro has incredibly quick wrists with a short, direct swing through the zone to the ball. He does have an aggressive approach at the plate that can lead to some strikeouts, but even then, he only struck out 17.6% of the time in 2017.

The incredible part of all of this is that Castro is typically one of the youngest players at his level, only having 5 plate appearances in all of 2017 against pitchers who were older than he is. Watching how he adapts to AA in 2018 will be very intriguing and could catapult him up prospect rankings as he gets more exposure to upper level pitching and shows how he can handle it.

9. Greg Allen, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/15/93 (25)
2017 teams/levels played for: Arizona Rookie League Indians, AA Akron RubberDucks, MLB Cleveland Indians
2017 Stats: Minors: .267/.345/.355, 320 PA, 2 HR, 24 SB, 22/56 BB/K; Majors: .229/.282/.343, 39 PA, 1 HR, 1 SB, 2/8 BB/K

Info: An incredibly athletic outfielder, Allen has developed slowly since being a 6th round selection out of San Diego State in 2014. His speed was his primary carrying tool on offense when he was drafted, but the Cleveland Indians have been patient in developing Allen into a feasible leadoff type.

Allen came out of college with elite defensive skills, and those have remained, but what has been impressive has been his development not in tools like power or even his hit tool, but in one of the most difficult things to pick up, his plate discipline.

Allen has been behind uber-talented Bradley Zimmer throughout his minor league career, and that’s hurt him to some degree, and at 25 years old this season without a season above AA, he is getting “old” for a prospect, but Allen is the type of guy who should be an excellent trade target and would be an ideal 4th outfielder or the seemingly ideal leadoff-focused center fielder.

Allen could challenge for a spot at the major league level this year if the team chooses to move a few other pieces, and certainly, he could be a guy who comes up with any injuries to the major league club and surprises with a run of production at the major league level. He’s most likely to open the season at AAA, though.

Next: #7 and #8

8. Shane Bieber, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/31/95 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Lake County Captains, high-A Lynchburg HIllcats, AA Akron RubberDucks
2017 Stats: 28 GS, 173 1/3 IP, 2.86 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 1.4% BB, 23.2% K

Info: Bieber coming out of college was the prototypical college starter that was average in everything he did, but nothing really stood out. Then he got into pro ball and simply did not walk a single hitter. Ever.

Bieber doesn’t work with incredible velocity, bringing his fastball at 90, reaching back for a few more ticks, but that tends to straighten out the pitch, which he seems to be able to manipulate very well. He throws an average breaker and above-average change as well, but the most impressive thing about those pitches is his ability to manipulate the movement on those pitches, not their natural break or velocity.

What Bieber does that is “plus” is control and command the baseball. He may tweak how he is holding a fastball a touch to see a bit different movement, but he knows right where that movement is going to go, spotting it into the catcher’s mitt every pitch, and seemingly avoiding barrels consistently.

Bieber does have the ability to use that varied movement to get some swing and miss, but how well that will carry into the major leagues remains to be seen, but he is built well at 6’3″ and ~200 pounds with repeatable mechanics.

He will open in AAA in 2018, and with the full rotation in Cleveland, a jump into the major league rotation will be tough, but Bieber could be a prime trade target this summer as the Cleveland Indians push for another AL Central title.

7. Yu-Cheng Chang, SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/18/95 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Akron RubberDucks
2017 Stats: .220/.312/.461, 508 PA, 24 HR, 11 SB, 52/134 BB/K

Info: Chang is a guy who was an international signee out of Taiwan, but he was not considered one of the studs from Asia in that year’s class. He has shown himself to be much underrated the entire time as a pro, however, including his first exposure to AA in 2017.

Chang is impressive in his unique blend of tools. He has the ability to stay on the left side of the infield with excellent reactions that would work at shortstop or third base, with his above-average arm playing well at either spot. He has enough instincts to stay at short, though his natural range is not exactly a fit at the position.

(Chang) has surprising power for a guy who has spent most of his career at shortstop

He has surprising power for a guy who has spent most of his career at shortstop, graded as above-average game power and showing plus raw power or even better. Chang can get a bit pull happy in his swing, which can lead to some swing and miss as he pulls off of outside pitches, but when he stays within himself, his power plays very well.

Chang has done nothing but impress every step of the way thus far, and there’s no reason to think he’ll slow down anytime soon. He’ll likely find his way to AAA in 2018, and it will be very interesting to see how he is handled from that point with the glut of young infielders at the major league level for Cleveland.

Next: #5 and #6

6. Quentin Holmes, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/7/99 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: Arizona Rookie League Indians
2017 Stats: .182/.220/.289, 169 PA, 2 HR, 5 SB, 8/61 BB/K

Info: One of the best overall athletes in the entire 2017 draft, Holmes played his high school ball in New York state, which meant he was a bit less polished than many of his high school draft-mates. His speed, however, was considered at the top of the draft class.

His time in rookie ball flashed all of the impressive tools that he does have, with a pure 80-grade on his speed, but he’s not a speed only guy. Holmes can wheel in the outfield, allowing him to cover for a below-average arm with excellent routes and the make up speed to cover any poor initial reads he may have.

Offensively, Holmes is built like a football player, with a 6’3″ frame that holds more than his listed 175 pounds, and the ability to drive the ball is evidence of his overall build. He totaled 10 extra base hits in his 29 total hits on the season.

With his cold weather prep background and growing into his athletic frame recently, Holmes very well could be a guy who moves slowly through the system, akin to the pace that the Indians had with their high school picks from the first round in 2016.

Holmes will likely open 2018 in the New York-Penn League after spending time in extended spring to continue to work on his pitch recognition and zone recognition, which proved to be an issue in rookie ball in 2017.

5. Will Benson, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/16/98 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: short-season A-ball Mahoning Valley Scrappers
2017 Stats: .238/.347/.475, 236 PA, 10 HR, 7 SB, 31/80 BB/K

Info: Considered one of the most physically impressive prep prospects in Georgia since Jason Heyward, Benson stood 6’5″ and over 200 pounds as a high school senior, an imposing presence in the batter’s box. He also flashed incredible athleticism, showing above-average speed and power both in showcases.

The Cleveland Indians grabbed Benson 16th overall in the 2016 draft, and he had an up-and-down rookie league performance, showing power and speed (6 HR, 10 SB), but struggling with contact (.209 average, 32.6% strikeout rate). His time in the New York-Penn League in 2017 was not a ton better, with power and speed, along with contact issues.

an imposing presence in the batter’s box (Benson has) incredible athleticism, showing above-average speed and power

However, not all was negative in Benson’s 2017. He improved his walk rate from 12% to 13.1% and continued very effective work on the bases, stealing 7 bases while only being caught once, giving him 17 steals as a professional with just 3 times being caught.

Benson’s stature is now an impressive 225 pounds, and he will need to work on bringing down the length of his swing, as he brings the bat incredibly fast through the zone once he gets the bat head into the zone, but getting the bat to the zone is slow right now.

The Cleveland Indians will give Benson time to work on his swing, moving one level at a time. That will likely put him at Lake County in the Midwest League in 2018.

Next: #3 and #4

4. Nolan Jones, 3B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/7/98 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: short-season A-ball Mohaning Valley Scrappers
2017 Stats: .317/.430/.482, 265 PA, 5 HR, 1 SB, 43/60 BB/K

Info: The Cleveland Indians selected two high-profile high school picks in the 2016 draft, selecting Benson in the first round and Jones in the second. Jones was highly viewed as a first-round talent that could be a tough sign, which is what led to him falling to the Indians.

Considered to likely have to “project” picks, the Indians quickly found that they had a gem with Jones. He showed tremendous ability to take a walk in rookie ball, though he didn’t provide much in the way of power or speed in that season.

The reports on Jones from scouts absolutely raved on him, suggesting that he could be a guy to hit with average and power

However, that changed in the New York-Penn League in 2017 with Mahoning Valley. The walk rate continued to be impressive, but he dropped almost 15% off of his strikeout rate from his rookie level play to his NYPL play. He also flashed his power, hitting 25 extra base hits in total.

Jones has been moved to third base as he filled into his 6’4″ frame quickly. He has an above-average arm that plays well at the position, but he is still developing natural instincts at the position, which led to high error totals at the position, especially on balls where he was coming toward the plate.

The reports on Jones from scouts absolutely raved on him, suggesting that he could be a guy to hit with average and power both while playing a quality third base. He could move quickly, but he will likely open in low-A Lake County in the Midwest League in 2018.

3. Bobby Bradley, 1B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/29/96 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Akron RubberDucks
2017 Stats: .251/.331/.465, 532 PA, 23 HR, 3 SB, 55/122 BB/K

Info: Many have known of the masher that Bradley has been for a few years now, moving his way up the minor leagues, depositing balls into seats with a fairly low batting average and plenty of strikeouts along the way.

One of the other traits that many have known of Bradley is no longer, however, as he is 6’1″, but he is no longer a pudgy first baseman that likely fits better at DH. Instead, he’s trimmed down quite significantly, showing up to Arizona Fall League work ready to work hard on his glove work, and with the loss of Carlos Santana this winter and “short” contract given to Yonder Alonso, the Cleveland Indians seem to be paving the way for Bradley to take over in 2019/2020 with a major league job.

Bradley has certainly not had any issue putting the ball out of the park, even in his first year in the upper minors in 2017 with Akron, when he had 51 extra base hits, including 23 home runs. He did struggle some with the bat in the Arizona Fall League, especially with his BB/K, posting a 2/32 BB/K in 77 plate appearances, but he did have 5 extra base hits among his 17 hits.

Bradley will likely open 2018 with AAA, and it will be interesting to see how he does in improving his defense at first base as he works toward the major leagues.

Next: #1 and #2

2. Triston McKenzie, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/2/97 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lynchburg Hillcats
2017 Stats: 25 GS, 143 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 7.9% BB, 32.7% K

Info: The player in the Cleveland Indians organization that drew the most attention from prospect hounds this season seemed to be McKenzie, something quite impressive from a guy who didn’t even turn 20 until August this year.

McKenzie was drafted as a long, gangly high schooler with the 42nd overall selection in the 2015 draft. He stands 6’5″, and he’s never really filled into that long, lanky frame, still weighing in around 170ish pounds, though he seems much more comfortable and in control within that frame now than when he was drafted.

McKenzie pitched the entire season with high-A, and his 32.7% strikeout rate was probably lower than what it really deserved as it seemed he missed 2-3 calls per game when I watched.

McKenzie runs with a fastball that works into the mid-90s, but it gets most of its effectiveness from the plane he creates from his long frame and perceived velocity due to striding out and reaching out so close to the plate before he releases the ball. He works that with a tight curve and a change that plays well due to plane as well.

McKenzie has pushed his command/control to a plus grade, giving him two plus pitches and plus control in his profile. That’s certainly the profile of a future frontline starter as long as he can hold up health-wise.

McKenzie will spend most of the 2018 season at 20 years old in AA. He should also be one of the 5-10 top-rated pitchers in the entire game this offseason.

1. Francisco Mejia, C/3B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/27/95 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Akron RubberDucks, MLB Cleveland Indians
2017 Stats: Minors: .297/.346/.490, 383 PA, 14 HR, 7 SB, 24/53 BB/K; Majors: .154/.214/.154, 14 PA, 1/3 BB/K

Info: After a 50-game hit streak in 2016 led to a .342 average in high-A primarily, what would Mejia be able to do for a follow up?

Mejia has one of the best contact tools in the minor leagues from both sides of the plate. The switch-hitting catcher has impressive gap power that he was able to turn into more game power in 2017, getting 14 home runs in 92 games.

Mejia’s ability to make quality contact will play up the line-drive power he has

Mejia behind the plate is still raw in pieces of his game, but he’s arguably got the best arm behind the plate of any catcher in the minor leagues, especially when taking into consideration the ability to throw accurately as well as with strength.

The Cleveland Indians had Mejia try some time at third base toward the end of the season as well as with the Arizona Fall League. While his defense needs polish there as well, he could work on both positions while playing at the major league level if his bat pushed him there ahead of his glove as he’s added that flexibility to his resume.

Mejia’s ability to make quality contact will play up the line-drive power he has for sure, and it could push him ready before his glove truly is ready at catcher or any other position. He’ll open 2018 at AAA, and his bat alone makes him one of the top prospects in the entire game.

Next: Newcomer to watch