Junius Worth
David Kerr
Charlie Nehl
gawlowskib
Andrew Martin
Jonathan C. Mitchell
johnczech
Daniel Marino
Michael Schwartze
mlbdirtstaff
Spencer Schneier
William J. Tasker
The Cleveland Indians have vastly improved their system via trade, recent drafts, and international signings. They have legitimate up-the-middle prospects and some strong arms, albeit most of these higher-potential prospects are a few years away.
Below are our top 16 prospects with 2013 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy.
| Player | Comments | |
| 1 | Francisco Lindor (19-SS) | A true shortstop with a plus arm, good hands, and great instincts. He has a nice line-drive stroke that should lead to double-digit homeruns as he matures and he is advanced at the place, evidence by his .352 OBP at age 18 in A-ball. He has above-average speed and should be an asset on the bases and steal 20+ bags annually. Lindor has All-Star written all over him. -Jonathan C. Mitchell |
| 2 | Trevor Bauer (22-RHP) | I had the chance to see Trevor Bauer this summer while he was pitching for AAA Reno and while it was not his best start, it was easy to see his exciting stuff. The Indians really got a great deal in the trade that sent Bauer to Cleveland. Bauer’s fastball sits in the low to mid 90s and is capable of touching the upper 90s. It is an explosive pitch but does not have much movement and he’ll need to command it better. Bauer also features a wide variety of breaking pitches. His curve and slider have plus potential and his change looks like it could become an average to above average pitch. Bauer certainly has the stuff but if he wants to reach his potential as a front of the rotation starter at the next level he’ll have to improve his command and make sure his arm can withstand his intense workouts. -Michael Schwartze Trevor Bauer Scouting Report. Trevor Bauer Video. |
| 3 | Dorssysy Paulino (18-SS) | Paulino is much more raw than Lindor, especially in the field, but he has a strong arm and enough speed to stay at short long enough to learn the position. At the plate he has a line-drive stroke and should be able to hit for average and his approach, like Lindor, is advanced for his age. -JCM |
| 4 | Tyler Naquin (22-OF) |
Considered one of the most polished college players prior to the 2012 MLB draft, the Indians made the Texas A&M outfielder last year’s 15th overall selection. He grew up training on a baseball diamond his father built on the family’s ranch, which helped hone his variety of skills.
The left-handed hitter is considered to have an advanced bat, although he doesn’t hit for much power. Even if he fills out more, 15 homers will probably be his ceiling. However, that can be offset by the fact that some scouts believe he has the talent to contend for batting titles.
A right-handed thrower, he has been moved to center from right field by the Indians. He is a plus defender with an above average arm and should be the Indians’ center fielder of the future. -Andrew Martin
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| 5 | Mitch Brown (19-RHP) | Good work ethic and a four-pitch mix –highlighted by a 90-94 mph fastball– help detract from his small stature. He has the chance to be a solid #3 prospect if he can upgrade his secondary offerings and command. -JCM |
| 6 | Ronny Rodriguez (21-SS) | Profiles to have plus power and a decent glove at short. I don’t like comps but poor man’s J.J. Hardy comes to mind. -Spencer Schneier |
| 7 | Danny Salazar (24-RHP) | Thin frame may land him in bullpen, but he has a live fastball and developing secondary pitches. Could be an effective late-inning reliever or possibly even a back-end starter. -SS |
| 8 | Cody Allen (24RHP) | Plus fastball/curve combo but no third pitch. Command comes and goes. He’s a reliever for me but some think he can start in the Majors. -JCM |
| 9 | Tony Wolters (20-SS) | Profiles as a .280/.290 hitter with a good glove at short. He is a real gamer type and should make an impact at the MLB level for sure. -SS |
| 10 | Luigi Rodriguez (20-OF) | There is a lot of talent and projection here but the things we do know is that he has above-average speed that will likely keep him in center and he strikes out a lot. But he will play his second year in full-season ball at age 20 and has the upside of a potential All-Star. -JCM |
| 11 | Jose Ramirez (20-2B) | Ramirez is small in stature but holds his own at second base and has the chance to be a .300 hitter with gap power and 20+ steals. -JCM |
| 12 | Jesus Aguilar (22-1B) | Big man with a first base profile and the potential to hit for some pop. Could be a good platoon player for them down the line at either 1B or DH. -SS |
| 13 | Elvis Araujo (21-LHP) | His fastball sits low 90s and can touch the mid-90s but his command and control are well below-average and his secondary offerings a ways off. He has the chance to be a very good starter but an equal chance to fade out at higher levels. -JCM |
| 14 | Kieran Lovegrove (18-RHP) | All projection at this point but he has the frame to add to his 90-94 mph and his secondary offerings could be above-average or better. Like most high school kids, he is a long way off, but he was well worth the gamble in the 3rd round. -JCM |
| 15 | Dillon Howard (20-RHP) | Howard has the frame of an innings-eater and a fastball that can reach the mid-90s but secondary offerings and command that are far from polished. He still has upside to be a mid-rotation starter or power reliever. -JCM |
| 16 | Anthony Santander (18-OF) | He played all year at age 17 and hit .305/.381/.494 in 176 plate appearances. He loads of talent but is incredible raw, proven by the 21% K rate. -JCM |
A few more: Chen Lee (RHP), Joseph Wendle Interview (2B), Dylan Baker (RHP)
Be sure to follow @Mike_Schwartze, @FigureFilbert, @HistorianAndrew and @BaseballSpencer on Twitter, all of whom collaborated to put together these rankings.
Filed under: On the Farm - Prospects Tagged: | 2013 Top Prospects, Anthony Santander, Chen Lee, Cleveland Indians, Cody Allen, Danny Salazar, Dillon Howard, Dorsyssy Paulino, Dylan Baker, Elvis Araujo, Francisco Lindor, Jesus Aguilar, Jose Ramirez, Joseph Wendle, Kieran Lovegrove, Luigi Rodriguez, Mitch Brown, Prospects, Ronny Rodriguez, Tony Wolters, Trevor Bauer, Tyler Naquin
Glad to see this series on Top 10 Prospects is continuing.
Thanks for doing this. One of my favorite things for between the New Year and Opening Day is following all such lists as much as I can.
Our pleasure! Tigers goes up tomorrow and the rest will soon follow. =)