Cleveland Sports Forum

After his unimpressive debut full season, Alex Lavisky and his 1.2M signing bonus are now rated our No. 6 catching prospect behind Chen, who can't catch, Lowery who can throw but not catch, Alex Monsalve who beat out Lavisky at Lake County last year and Eric Haase, a 2011 draftee.

My breakout postion player Robel Garcia doesn't get much BA love, either. He's rated our No. 5 3b behind Jordan Smith, Paulino, Urshela (my star of 2011) and can field can't hit Kyle Bellows, a once upon time 4th round draftee.

Our greatest depth is at the least importatnt positon on the diamond, 2nd base, where we have a solid big leaguer ahead of the other 7 rated players: Woltes, Phelps, Jairo Kelly, Jose Ramirez, Tyler Cannon, Zack McPhee and Todd Hankins, the latter two drafted in 2011 when we had no need for more 2nd sackers.

Former highly rated LHPs Kelvin de la Cruz and TJ JHouse fail to make the Top 30. Neither does Danny Salazar the surprise Tribe 40th man on the 40-man roster. He's rated our #11 RH starting pitching prospect behind Howard, McAllister, Adams, Sisco, Sterling, Rondon, Jason DL Knapp, Clayton Cook, Corey Kluber (ugh), Michael Goodnight and Kyle Blair.

Final piece of the CC puzzle, Rob Bryson, had an OK 2011 but he is way way back on the depth chart, rated behind RH Relievers Lee, Putnam (traded), Haley, Judy (released), Stowell, Cody Burns (traded), Paolo Espino, Luis Encarnaciion, Preston Guilmet. With all the tradeds and releaseds, Bryons soars up to No. 7 RH RP prospect.

Surprised not to see Enosil Tejeda anywhere on the depth chart., since 46 pitches are listed. He fanned 57 in 34 innings for the Scrappers, but he's already 22, which couldn't help his ratings.

I could take a flyer on him for breakout pitcher, but may give Kyle Blair a chance after he debuted poorly for the Captains in 2011 and dropped way down the prospect list; he was No. 11 or 12 on the Top 30 last year. Nowhere close this time.

Tony doesn't seem to be doing his usual top 100 Tribe prospects this winter. But he's posting some lists, here's one:

Five Prospects With The Most To Prove in 2012
12:01 AM Jim Piascik No comments

Cord Phelps (Photo: IPI)
Being in the minor leagues is all about proving yourself, but for these five players, 2012 will be even more critical on their quest to proving that they belong in the Cleveland Indians' long-term plans.

Two weeks ago, I listed the five most exciting prospects for 2012 [I didn't see that; I'll look for it and post it] .Continuing on with this theme, now I'll take a look at the five Tribe prospects with the most to prove in 2012. Whether they're on here because of injuries, poor performance or failure to live up to expectations, all five of these players need a big 2012 season to reestablish themselves as marquee, top-shelf prospects.


Cord Phelps, 2B, Columbus
In 163 games at the AAA level, Phelps has flat-out raked and justified his ranking as IPI's ninth best Tribe prospect going into 2011. [That was vastly overrating him IMHO] His .303/.380/.498 slash line, .877 OPS, .381 wOBA (137 wRC+), 20 HR and 94 RBI more than justified his promotion over Jason Kipnis in early June. While those like me were begging for Kipnis at that point, it was hard to argue with promoting Phelps.

Unfortunately for Phelps and Tribe fans, his brief, 35 game major league stint was a disaster. Phelps had terrible offensive stats (.155/.241/.254 slash line, .494 OPS (39 OPS+), .231 wOBA (39 wRC+), -0.9 fWAR in 80 PA) and struggled defensively (five errors in only 75 chances). Phelps ended up back in AAA while Kipnis solidified his hold on the second base job later in the season.

While Phelps won't be able to prove himself at the major league level this year, he will need to impress as the everyday second baseman in Columbus in order to rebuild his stock. If he keeps producing at a high level in AAA, he'll get another shot in the majors. With the lack of middle-infield talent the Indians have in the higher levels of the minors, one injury will give Phelps his chance to prove himself again. He'll need to work hard this year to be prepared for that moment, whenever it comes.

Nick Weglarz, OF/DH, Akron
After top prospects Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall were promoted to the big league club and Alex White and Drew Pomeranz were traded to the Colorado Rockies, it would only make sense for IPI's number five prospect before the 2011 season, Nick Wegalrz, to move right on up to the top spot, right?

After a rough 2011 campaign that had him battling numerous injuries throughout the season, Weglarz will need to impress in 2012 in order to see AAA again, let alone make it to the majors. Weglarz's plate discipline and on-base abilities did not erode in 2011 (2011/pre-2011: 25.0/20.4 K%, 20.9/15.1 BB%, .360/.382 OBP), but his power disappeared. Before 2011, Weglarz owned a .455 SLG and had 23 HR and 87 RBI per 650 PA. In 2011, that dropped to a .306 SLG and 11 HR and 45 RBI per 650 PA.

For a player that does not rate well defensively at all, Weglarz needs to produce at a very high level with his bat in order to have any worth to the Indians. Hopefully Weglarz will be fully healthy in 2012 and get back to hitting for the power we had grown accustomed to seeing out of him.

Jason Knapp, RHP, Carolina (DL)
Considering that the non-Jason Knapp part of the package the Indians got in return for Cliff Lee holds a backup to marginal starting catcher (Lou Marson), a utility infielder (Jason Donald) and a middle of the rotation starter - if he comes back from Tommy John surgery the same guy (Carlos Carrasco), there are still a ton of expectations on Knapp's shoulders to become an ace.

Unfortunately, IPI's pre-2011 sixth best prospect has only logged 156.3 IP in his minor league career. He's been wildly impressive in that brief time (3.63 ERA, 2.60 FIP, 1.196 WHIP, 12.0 SO/9, 4.1 BB/9, 2.93 SO:BB), but it's all for nothing if Knapp can't stay healthy.

The good news is that Knapp is still only 21 years old. It's certainly not a good sign when a player has had as many arm/shoulder/elbow problems as Knapp's had, but he's still got plenty of time to figure things out. [It's not a matter of "figuring things out"!] Though it wouldn't be ideal, if Knapp could stay healthy as a bullpen guy, he has the stuff to be a major force. It's easy to write off Knapp right now, but he's still young and has time on his side. Maybe 2012 will be the year he stays healthy and starts moving up the minor league ladder.

Beau Mills, 1B, Columbus
As if a list like this could exist without Beau Mills on it. The 13th overall pick in the 2007 draft came into 2011 as a major disappointment. Being a first round first baseman and only owning a .267/.332/.434 slash line, .766 OPS, .346 wOBA (108 wRC+) and 18 HR and 100 RBI per 650 PA can do that. The RBI total looks nice, but attached to the rest of that line, there was no denying Mills had become a non-prospect.

While he still counts as a non-prospect going into 2012, in 2011, Mills finally looked like the guy the Indians thought they were getting when they drafted him. Between Akron and Columbus, he posted a .289/.347/.513 slash line, .860 OPS, .377 wOBA (133 wRC+) and 30 HR and 111 RBI per 650 PA in his 391 total PA. There are still holes in his game, but 2011 was certainly a step in the right direction for Mills.

Since this is Mills' age-25 season, it very well could be his make-or-break year. Between Matt LaPorta, Russ Canzler and Mills, the first baseman slot at AAA will be very competitive. Also considering the fluid situation the Tribe has at first base at the big league level, if Mills were to take the final step in his development, the first base job would be his for the taking. The Indians won't just give him the job, though; he'll have to hit out of his mind and force the Tribe's hand. It's unlikely Mills will finally make it to the majors and fulfill the promise he held as a first round pick in 2007, but stranger things have happened. You just never know in baseball.

LeVon Washington, OF, Lake County
LeVon Washington also made my five most exciting prospects in 2012 list because of his athleticism, but he also has a lot to prove in 2012. Headed into the 2011 season, Washington had numerous achievements and accomplishments heaped on him before he'd really played professional ball. He'd been drafted in the first round in 2009 by the Tampa Bay Rays, the second round in 2010 by the Indians, and had been named IPI's seventh best prospect. The sky was the limit for Washington.

Like many before him, however, the harsh reality of baseball sent Washington crashing to the ground. His .218/.331/.315 slash line, .647 OPS, .311 wOBA (93 wRC+), 7 HR, 37 RBI, 28 SB, 65 R per 650 PA at low-A Lake County was hardly cause for celebration. 2012 will likely see Washington repeating Lake County, hoping to reestablish himself as a top prospect.

There were good things that came out of 2011 for Washington. First, his 14.0 BB% is a good sign for someone with that kind of speed. If he could stop striking out so much (25.4 K%), he'd get on-base a lot more and be able to make things happen with his legs. Second, last year was only his age-19 season. If he were to catch fire this year and finish the year at Akron, he'd be well ahead of his development. There is still plenty of time for Washington. Third, 2011 seems to have been a wakeup call for Washington. Anyone following him on Twitter @L_wash can tell that. It seems that Washington now realizes that he can't skate by on raw ability anymore. If he's dedicated himself to working hard, it's possible he'll be bringing #WashTime throughout the Indians' minor league system this year.

Like I said earlier, being in the minor leagues is all about proving yourself at the level you're at so you can continue climbing the ladder toward the major leagues. If a player is in the minors, then they inherently still have something to prove. For Cord Phelps, Nick Weglarz, Jason Knapp, Beau Mills and LeVon Washington, however, there's a little extra they need to do in 2012. If these five prospects don't impress in 2012, they'll be left behind for the next hot wave of young ballplayers. It's on them to make themselves into can't-miss prospects again.

Here are Tony's Exciting Players actually written by one of Tony's pals,

Five exciting prospects to watch in 2012
11:45 AM Jim Piascik 7 comments

Francisco Lindor (Photo: IPI)
Editor's Note: This is the first posting from Jim Piascik here at the IPI. He will be writing about all things Cleveland this season with a special focus on Double-A Akron.


Despite the fact that the Cleveland Indians’ top 4 prospects are either no longer prospects (Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall) or with the Colorado Rockies (Alex White and Drew Pomeranz), there are still plenty of prospects for Tribe fans to be excited about in 2012.

As Baseball America notes in their 2012 Indians prospect rankings, most of “the Indians’ best prospects are years away from contributing” at the big league level. That simply means that if you want to see thrilling players in the Tribe’s minor league system, you should head more toward Lake County than Columbus.

Here are five Indians’ minor leaguers that you should be excited to go see in 2012 and where they should be playing on Opening Day.

Francisco Lindor, SS, Lake County
When the Indians drafted Lindor eighth overall this June, Baseball America threw out these phrases: “tremendous work ethic,” “plays the game with ease and passion,” “scouts haven’t scoffed at Omar Vizquel comparisons” on defense, and that he was a “legitimate candidate for the No. 1 overall pick.” If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is.

Lindor is only 18 and has plenty of growth ahead of him. He’s already been dubbed best hitter for average, best defensive infielder, and top prospect by Baseball America and now will have to go to work proving that on the field. If he’s as good as he’s advertised to be, he could force his way up the minor league ladder very quickly.

Nick Hagadone, LHP, Cleveland
Hagadone could open the season in Cleveland this year and he has the tools to be a high-leverage back-end arm for years to come. After having Tommy John surgery and using 2010 as a year to knock off the rust, Hagadone came out on fire in 2011. Between Akron and Columbus last year, Hagadone posted a 2.79 ERA, 2.87 FIP, 9.8 SO/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Not bad at all.

With the starting rotation unsettled after the Fausto Carmona news, the Indians will need the Bullpen Mafia to have another great year. In order for that to happen, they will need big contributions from Hagadone. He should start out in middle relief, but don’t be surprised if Hagadone forces his way into an 8th inning role sooner rather than later.

Chen-Chang Lee, RHP, Columbus
As much as I like Hagadone for the upcoming season, personally, I’m much more excited for Lee. Like Hagadone, Lee also pitched between Akron and Columbus last year, except he posted better stats (2.40 ERA, 2.24 FIP, 12.5 SO/9, 2.9 BB/9). Lee’s best tool is his slider, which Baseball America rated best in the organization.

In my mind, if you’re looking for someone to be this year’s Vinnie Pestano, I suggest you look at Lee. Pestano’s 2010 stats between Akron and Columbus (1.81 ERA, 1.91 FIP, 11.61 SO/9 and 2.41 BB/9) look very similar to Lee’s. They’re both pitchers who get a ton of strikeouts, don’t walk people and are players you can trust in the late innings. I would love to see Lee make the Opening Day roster, but he’ll likely start the season in Columbus.

Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Carolina
The breakout player in the minors for the Indians last year was definitely Aguilar. Between Lake County and Kinston, he posted a .284/.359/.506 slash line, .865 OPS, .390 wOBA, 23 HR and 82 RBI in 521 PA. Power is obviously his game and he showed that in the Arizona Fall League when he hit a home run over this part of the fence. That’s no small feat.

There’s plenty for Aguilar to work on in 2012 (lowering his 24.2 K% would be a good start), but with that kind of power, Aguilar is a very valuable and exciting player for the Indians. He’s pretty far away from the majors, but if Aguilar continues to mash the ball and make adjustments, the first base job is wide open and his for the taking.

LeVon Washington, OF, Lake County
On the opposite end of Aguilar is Washington, who came into the 2011 with huge expectations and disappointed. The Tribe’s seventh-highest rated prospect according to Baseball America posted a paltry .218/.331/.315 slash line, .647 OPS, 4 HR, 20 RBI and 15 SB in 351 PA. Washington was particularly hurt by striking out in over one-fourth of his plate appearances (25.4%).

That doesn’t change that Washington should be an exciting player in 2012. He drew a ton of walks last year (14.0 BB%) and remains the best athlete in the organization according to Baseball America. As he adjusts to the pro game, the strikeouts should fall and his power should come out. Plus, you don’t want to bet against 2012 being #WASHTIME do you?

Overall, these five players aren't the only exciting prospects the Tribe has, but if you had to pick only five to see all year, they'd be the best choices. So get out and see these potential stars in 2012 so you can say you saw them before they got big.

Elvis Araujo and Felix Sterling are on my "exciting prospects" list. Hope they don't both get arm injuries in 2012.

Looks like Vic Davalillo is ready for Pitchers and Catchers report.

Me too.

Us, too.

It's February. Time for Baseball!

Me three.

So what do you guys think of our new guy, Canzler?

When we first picked him up I kinda joked about it but after looking him up I dunno. He started off slow in his minor league career but last 2 years at AA and AAA he put up very nice numbers. Maybe he can be a late bloomer type that comes out of nowhere to hit, like a Giles or Bay kinda guy.

He's cheap and has no high expectations.

I'll be surprised if he ever accomplishes anything much at the major league level, but it would be ironic if Canzler with zero expectations achieves more than LaPorta the big deal power prospect.