1048
by rusty2
Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins had a lot to share this past week on several players in the Indians farm system:
Zach McAllister
On integrating players from the 2011 Draft: “Brad and Paul Gillespie do such a good job of getting all of the players that are recently signed integrated into our system. They do a great job of getting all of the information to them of what they can expect. Part of our job is to make sure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible and that they feel not only comfortable with coming into professional baseball but start to learn what separates the Cleveland Indians from other organizations and to identify with our organization. That process begins now. A lot of it for these young players is getting to know us, getting to know the professional baseball environment, and the culture of the Cleveland Indians and our expectations for them. It is a lot for a young player to go through. They have these great visions of all of a sudden I am playing baseball under the lights, and the next things they know they look up and they are one of 155 players and there are 55 staff members they will get to know, so it can be very overwhelming. The more we can organize the information and prepare them for what they are going to experience and manage their expectations, the better off they will be. Secondarily, I think it is important for us to really make an effort to get to know them as individuals and not just as a player. That process starts now. Francisco Lindor is going to go to Mahoning Valley even though he is a younger player. He is advanced as a defender and we feel his approach is advanced enough so we will get him built up and hopefully in some games by the end of the season and then he will transition into Instructional League. We have a similar plan for Dillon Howard. But there are always different variables. Where they were playing, where they weren’t playing, and what their personal needs are at this point. So each plan is individual. We are excited to have them in and have spent some time with them already and I have been very impressed and encouraged.”
On Zach McAllister: “Zach really has been the most dominant pitcher we have had at that level statistically, and one of the most dominant pitchers in that league. I think he is in the 90th percentile range of fielding independent pitching (FIP), which is just eliminating defense and things he can’t control. The things he can control he does a great job with. The thing that has been most encouraging for Zach at 23-years old is how well he has handled the expectations, the competiveness, the big games, and all of those things in and around the trade and coming into this organization. It all bodes well for him as someone who can certainly handle the Major League environment. He has made some subtle delivery adjustments that have helped him, he has gotten more aggressive with his fastball to both halves of the plate, he is pitching inside better and really has a good four pitch mix. The secondary weapons are still developing, but there are not many 23-year olds that their secondary weapons are not developing. The baseball pedigree smart driven players really benefit from the professional environment and he is one of them who has.”
T.J. McFarland
On T.J. McFarland: “He puts the ball on the ground and is really aggressive with a hard sinking fastball. He is athletic, he is young, and the slider is a decent weapon. If the changeup comes he has a chance to be a starter. As far as starting pitchers go I don’t think anyone in that league puts the ball on the ground at a higher percentage. That is obviously something that has value in the Major League game. As defenses get better and infields get more consistent, if you put the ball on the ground you have a better chance of having success. He is very similar to [Aaron Laffey]. The thing about Aaron Laffey was his toughness and confidence. If that comes with T.J. – and he shows all the signs that he has those things in him – they just have to continue to progress as well as his slider and changeup. Aaron’s competitiveness was so elite, so we are hopeful T.J. has that in him too and we think he does.”
On Giovanni Soto: “Ever since he came here and he pitched in the playoff game in Lake County he just really has not had much struggles at all in the minor leagues. The only thing that has held him back have been injuries, and they have been small and fortunately nothing significant. I think that is mostly youth and him still growing into his overall physical size and what he is ultimately going to be. Our player development guys love him. They talk about his intelligence. They talk about his confidence and his savvy, the things that it takes to be a Major League pitcher. Whether or not he is a Major League reliever or he can stay in the rotation will be the question, but he is a Major League pitcher.”
Mike Rayl
On Mike Rayl: “He is at the Kinston level now. His delivery is so clean and his pitches are so refined he could probably be at a higher level and have success. What you want to balance is giving him the opportunity to try new things to be more aggressive with the fastball on the plate, be more aggressive with his secondary weapons on the plate, realize when he is benefitting from a little bit bigger zone and challenge himself to do that. If he continues to dominate we will have to push him quick. He has certainly warranted that move to Kinston and really he is ready for a challenge already. We are excited about the prospect he has become.”
On Michael Goodnight: “He has a delivery and aptitude. Those are two things you really can’t add to a player so to speak. Especially once they are 21-22 as their delivery really is pretty much their delivery. There are subtleties you can offer but he has a great one. He uses his lower half and gets out over his front side well. He has aptitude as he is aware of his delivery and aware of what it is going to take. Sometimes as a younger player your aptitude or awareness can work against you as you are aware of everything going on. Now it is going to be a matter of him simplifying things for himself.”
Hector Rondon
On Hector Rondon: “We are hopefully at the end of the rainbow with him after going through that process [with Tommy John surgery]. It has been lengthy and he has had a couple of minor setbacks in the process, which is normal. He is in the mid-90s consistently almost every time he pitches. He is pitching in sim-games in Arizona right now.”
On Jason Knapp: “Unfortunately he had another setback with his shoulder [earlier this year]. The thing we know is how well he handles going through the process of rehab and the process of setbacks and handling and controlling the things he can control to get stronger with his lower half and with his core. To work on things off the field so that when he does get the opportunity again he is prepared. He is focused on that and is actually home right now and we will get him back out to Arizona and get him ready for spring training.”
On Tony Wolters: “He has been incredible he really has, especially for a high school player to be at that level right now. He missed some time because of a hamate procedure he had on his hand [this spring]. Has really handled himself well. He has made himself a better defender and his approach is more consistent. You can envision a Major League stadium around him as you watch him play. He has the strength, the confidence, the hands and the athleticism. He has really had a productive year even after the staggered start because of the injury. Tony is very much into the fold and has made himself into a solid Major League prospect for us.”
Jake Lowery
On Jake Lowery: “[Catcher] is an area that we feel like we have a nice number with Alex Monsalve, Alex Lavisky, Roberto Perez, Chun Chen and add Jake Lowery to that mix. He is just coming into the fold and as a college player he is still only 20 years old. He has the leadership, he has the toughness, and the bat seems to be something that is not going to be a limitation and something that might be a strength. It is really encouraging to think that we have gotten that out of the 4th round. He is by all means a solid catching prospect for us. Our staff speaks of him in the same light as Jason Kipnis when he first came into Mahoning Valley. That same swagger, toughness and a guy who wants to be in the lineup and the manager wants to put into the 3-hole every night. Those are intangibles that can sometimes be dismissed easily, but really end up having some [value] when those things are being said about a player.”
On Bryson Myles: “He is a really impressive athlete and may have the highest ceiling of all of those guys [in the 2011 Draft]. Now, the chance of him realizing that ceiling is another story for him as there is a lot more baseball acumen and intelligence and execution to come just from experience and overall exposure to a higher caliber of player. But his athleticism as a former football player is elite. He is powerful, he is quick, and he has some feel for the bat too. Our player development staff loves getting a player like this. They can really see immediate results and tangible progress that occurs with the impact that they have on a player. Thinking about the ceiling being as high as it could be, Myles is very exciting for our player development staff.”