Sicnarf Loopstok wins Moniker title

Indians prospect edges Stryker Trahan to claim 2013 crown

By Danny Wild / MiLB.com

08/29/2013 6:31 PM ET

Sicnarf Loopstok grew up hearing remarks and questions about his name, but when a teammate told him he'd been selected to Moniker Madness, the Aruban catcher instantly embraced the moment.

"I thought, this is a great thing," said Loopstok, a backstop drafted by the Indians in the 13th round of this year's Draft. "My family noticed and they supported and voted for me -- they were great."

Loopstok's unique name and growing fan support officially earned him the 2013 Moniker Madness crown on Thursday when he edged Missoula catcher Stryker Trahan to finish No. 1 when voting ended at noon ET.

"I was pretty excited, I didn't think I would win it, but today [seeing the leaderboard], I knew I'd win," he said. "I'm just going to say thanks to the fans for all their support of me."

Moniker Madness Top 10

Rank Name

1 Sicnarf Loopstok
2 Stryker Trahan
3 Giuseppe Papaccio
4 Forrest Snow
5 Storm Throne
6 Jose Jose
7 Damien Magnifico
8 Stone Speer
9 Zelous Wheeler
10 Mikie Mahtook

Loopstok owns one of the unique and unusual names in sports, making him an early favorite when Moniker Madness began its seventh annual voting contest earlier this month. A native of Oranjestad, Aruba, Loopstok moved to the U.S. and attended Penn Foster High School in Scranton, Pa. before joining Western Oklahoma State College, where he saw time at second, third and catcher.

His name? It's his father's name, Francis, spelled backwards.

"That's pretty much it," he said. "Everyone would ask, they'd say, 'Who the heck is that?' For me, I heard all the comments, but it's OK."

At the ballpark, Loopstok has earned a few nicknames, including Loopy, Loop and "Stick With It."

"I think it's a strange name for the United States," he said. "No one would think that's a person."

Loopstok said his family took to social media to help him win votes.

"They campaigned a lot for me, I got support on Facebook -- people would message me and tell me they'd vote for me until the last day," he said. "I was following it, and at the end, I thought [Trahan] might win, but it was a great competition. It was a good battle."

Loopstok beat out contenders like Giuseppe Papaccio, 2012 contender Forrest Snow, Game of Thrones-esque pitcher Storm Throne and the fabled Jose Jose. Damien Magnifico, Stone Speer, Zelous Wheeler and Mikie Mahtook rounded out the top 10.

Last year's champion, Rock Shoulders, was not eligible for the 2013 contest. Moniker Madness has previously been won by Seth Schwindenhammer (2011), Rowdy Hardy (2010), Dusty Napoleon (2009), Will Startup (2008) and Houston Summers (2007).

The 20-year-old Loopstok may have had an edge in campaigning globally for himself -- he speaks five languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, French and Papiamento, the latter being the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean islands.

On the field, Loopstok has appeared in 20 games for the Scrappers, batting .217 with two RBIs and a pair of extra-base hits in the New York-Penn League. The right-handed backstop is hitting .333 against lefties and has recorded multi-hit efforts in three of his last four games.

"It's pretty cool, it's been a good experience," he said. "I've learned a lot of things, so it's been a good experience for me."

Tony's gun tends to run high, but if he's right about Dylan Baker that 97 is impressive; Baker was a pretty effective pitcher for Lake County. Sorry that even Tony registers sub90 for Enosil Tejada, since that sub 1.00 ERA jumps out. Doubt his measurement for Will Roberts. Agree that Haley and Morimando need to throw the ball over the plate much more often to be useful.

Scouting the Indians 2013 Draft: Part 1

By Tony Lastoria

September 11, 2013

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Over the course of the next few weeks I am going to be posting post-draft pieces like this on all of the players that the Indians drafted and signed from the 2013 Draft. The Indians signed 25 players in total and also signed two undrafted free agents, and I have comments on each and every player from Indians Amateur Scouting Director Brad Grant. I will be including comments from Grant and a quick summary on each player as well as any stats from the 2013 season.

Rather than just roll down the list of players in order of when they were picked, I am going to put these up at random and mix the higher and lower profile prospects together. Five players will be featured each article for a total of five post-draft capsules:

Clint Frazier (Outfielder): 1st round, Loganville High School (GA)

2013 stats: 44 G, .297 AVG, 32 R, 11 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 17 BB, 61 K, 3 SB, .868 OPS

Quick summary: Frazier is a premium bat with amazing bat speed and showed off some big time power in private workouts for the Indians and other clubs over the past year. Even though he is only a high school player, his future potential is that of a franchise player because of his incredible makeup and good skills all across the board. His all-out play style should be familiar to Indians fans as it is a lot like Grady Sizemore. He is only average sized, but because of some very good strength in his arms, hand and wrists he really showcases some raw power. He has an aggressive approach so may be prone to high strikeout totals, so discipline could be an ongoing issue for him. He is raw in center field but athletic and has above average arm strength, but the Indians believe he can stay there.

Brad Grant: “Going into the draft he was definitely a guy we targeted. I saw him time to time the summer before and actually got to know him extremely well the summer before. We actually did a workout in Atlanta in October right around Halloween and it was at that workout where he really separated himself for us just with his power, his makeup and his leadership ability. It all came together during that workout. Obviously it put him under the microscope even further in the spring and he was definitely the guy we hoped to get at five. It is more than just the bat speed and power as there is a wide base of tools with him that makes him really intriguing. Obviously the bat speed is there to be able to hit and hit for power, but the secondary tools you usually don’t find with the type of power hitter he is. To have the plus run and plus throw and him making a lot of progress in center field and being able to stay in center field long term, those tools don’t come around very often.”

Thomas Pannone (Left-handed pitcher): 9th round, College of Southern Nevada

2013 stats: 14 G, 1-0, 9.00 ERA, 16.0 IP, 23 H, 19 R (16 ER), 0 HR, 10 BB, 20 K, .338 BAA

Quick summary: Pannone has some considerable upside from the left-side. He originally went to play baseball at Miami, but transferred to Nevada after some uncertainties came about with his playing time. He is a former two-way player as he was also recruited and scouted as an outfielder, but his future with the Indians is on the mound thanks to a low 90s fastball that has been up to 94 MPH and has good life through the zone. He has a solid delivery, lots of athleticism and was one of the better available junior college prospects.

Brad Grant: “He is a guy who we saw early. He was a two-way player. He had been a position player almost his entire career and he just recently got up on the mound. What we saw was the athleticism. He still has to learn how to pitch, he is still very raw, and he is still working through some mechanical adjustments he needs to make to be consistent with his delivery, but he has a fastball that sits 91-93 MPH, a power breaking ball that is not always consistent but is getting better, and he has a changeup too. He is a guy that we knew was going to be a little more of a project, but there is a lot of upside to him at the same time. It is a really fresh arm, an athletic two-way guy that is just getting up on the mound now. He is someone that crosschecker Paul Cogan and our area scout John Heuerman spent a lot of time watching him pitch and liked a lot. Even though he played at Southern Nevada he grew up in the northeast in Rhode Island so he has not played a whole lot of baseball. He has been selected in the past as a position player, but we think he has upside on the mound.”

Silento Sayles (Outfielder): 14th round, Port Gibson High School (MS)

2013 stats: 31 G, .181 AVG, 13 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 19 BB, 32 K, 5 SB, .576 OPS

Quick summary: Speed is the name of Sayles' game as it is his highest graded tool. He stole 103 bases in high school this season and was caught only once all year. The Indians like his athleticism and speed and believe there is a lot of upside in him, but he also raw and will need a lot of work with the player development staff to get stronger and also improve his swing and defensive abilities. If he can find a way to get on base, he could be a Billy Hamilton-type in the minors that racks up big time stolen base totals.

Brad Grant: “We liked his speed. He is an 8-runner with huge upside. He is a guy that has very good instincts on the bases, and he set the record with 103 stolen bases in 104 attempts in Mississippi. It is a guy where the main tool is his speed, but at the same time he held his own with the bat this year and was able to get on base and hit a little bit. As he continues to learn pitch recognition and take a walk he has the chance to be something special, especially given that speed and the ability for it to play out on the bases. He is a guy that is going to take a little bit to learn how to handle the pitching he is going to see every day, but he shows the ability to go out and compete. He was not overmatched. He does need to get a little stronger and continue to learn, but he is a guy we need to be patient with and give time as there is definitely some upside there with that athleticism and that run tool.”

Matt Whitehouse (Left-handed pitcher): 19th round, UC Irvine

2013 stats: 14 G, 4-2, 0.72 ERA, 37.1 IP, 22 H, 9 R (3 ER), 1 HR, 4 BB, 29 K, .165 BAA

Quick summary: Whitehouse was the ace for UC Irvine in 2012 then he got hurt and missed almost the entire year and when he came back he had been usurped by Andrew Thurman who was a second round pick this year. He is a soft tossing lefty who shows good control walking few players during his college career and so far in his pro career. His fastball sits in the high 80's but he sports a good cutter and an emerging changeup. Thanks to his command he could at worst be a major league lefty reliever.

Brad Grant: “He is a strike thrower with a really good feel for pitching. That is what he did as an amateur as well. He pitches at 85-88 MPH and will touch 90 MPH at times, but every time we have seen him he always throws strikes and he does not walk anyone and really competes. He has an average slider and an average changeup as well, but he is a guy that can really control his pitches as a command and control specialist. He is a guy that we kept our eye on and these guys just have a way of getting there. He has a chance just with the secondary offerings that are going to allow him to pitch with the fastball that he has and get hitters out.”

Shane Rowland (Catcher): 20th round, University of Tampa

2013 stats: 27 G, .218 AVG, 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 21 BB, 20 K, 0 SB, .685 OPS

Quick summary: Rowland is a small, athletic player who has an advanced feel for the catching position. He is a solid defender, but the bat is the question mark. After one year at Miami he transferred out to the University of Tampa. He struggled to hit at Tampa and lost some playing time there this year. His glove is his most valuable tool and he could quickly establish himself as the best defensive catcher in the system. He has gold glove upside with limited upside offensively, but the defense could be enough to get him to the majors if he can find any consistency with the bat.

Brad Grant: “The bat has to come, but he comes from a baseball family as his dad is the International Scouting Director for the Yankees. He has been around the game for a long time and has a good understanding for it. He can catch and throw; that has always been his calling since he was in high school in Tampa. He has been a guy that we scouted a lot. He has always had that plus arm strength and that ability to catch. He has leadership intangibles and he knows the game and has a good baseball IQ. Those are all there; he just needs experience with the bat and needs to play every day and see how it comes. He knows the strike zone and does not give away at bats and there is a little bit of raw power in there. He has always been able to showcase his catching ability, just now it is about getting more experience and consistency with the bat.”

Game starts at 2 PM today.

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Minor Happenings: Yes way, Jose!
Jose Ramirez (Photo: Lianna Holub)

By Tony Lastoria

September 13, 2013

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"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.

The minor league regular season is over, but Instructional League is here. Then the Arizona Fall League. Then winter ball. Then the 40-man roster decisions. Then the Rule 5 Draft. Then the Winter Development Program. Then spring training. So, as you can see, the season never really ends, and as always, the IBI will be here year-round providing coverage on the Cleveland Indians prospects.

In today’s Minor Happenings piece, I take a look at the impressive 15-month run that infielder Jose Ramirez has had going from an unknown player stuck in extended spring training to a player that skipped levels, has been impressive in many facets of the game, and is currently in the big leagues helping the Indians playoff push. I also provides tons of comments from the front office on players like Francisco Lindor, Clint Frazier, Jesus Aguilar and others, look into what Nellie Rodriguez needs to improve most, provide details on what is the number one goal in Giovanni Urshella’s development plan, look at Matt Packer’s bounce back season and future, and provide insight and information on Brett Brach, Richard Stock and others.

Onto the Happenings...

Yes way, Jose

Double-A Akron infielder Jose Ramirez got the well-deserved callup to Cleveland this September. As a new member of the 40-man roster and an extra utility player for the Indians for the remainder of the season, his time has come and he is an immediate major league option going forward.

Ramirez, 20, had a very good season at Akron this year hitting .272 with 3 HR, 38 RBI, 38 stolen bases, and .674 OPS. He also shined defensively splitting most of the season at shortstop and second base, though did play eight games at third base down the stretch – the first of his career – in order to prepare him for a utility role in Cleveland. He effectively replaced Juan Diaz on the 40-man roster as a secondary utility option and brings just as much as Diaz and then some as he hits for more average, works more counts, strikes out much less, is a much faster runner, and probably a more versatile defender.

If you think for a moment how fast Ramirez has sped through the system it will amaze you. Last June – barely 15 months ago - he was coming out of extended spring training and was assigned to short season Single-A Mahoning Valley where he played in just three games before moving up to Low-A Lake County. He made an immediate impact at Lake County (.354 AVG, .865 OPS) and carried that into an offseason in winter ball in the Dominican Winter League where he hit .303 with a .765 OPS in 60 games. It was in that winter league showing where Ramirez really caught the Indians attention, and as a result he flat out skipped High-A Carolina and was assigned to Akron to start this season and then finished the year in Cleveland.

Ramirez is not an imposing figure as he is undersized at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, but he gets every ounce of ability out of his small frame. He uses his quickness and athleticism very well as a runner, and defensively it not only helps him get good jumps and range to balls well but also helps him make quick adjustments. That athleticism will also help him as the Indians experiment with him at other positions as he is already playing some third base now and may in the future play some outfield to add to his versatility.

At the plate, what Ramirez lacks in power with his bat he more than makes up for with his patience and exceptional bat-to-ball ability. He has such a good approach at the plate where he waits for good pitches to hit that he can put a good swing on. He is not afraid to hit behind in the count and stays within himself well by not trying to do too much at the plate. Even skipping a league and going up to Double-A for the first time he adapted quickly and very well as he maintained a 39 walk to 41 strikeout ratio – which is exceptional.

It was a remarkable first full season for Ramirez as he more than held his own as a very young 20-year old in a league dominated by guys two to three years older than him. He just has no fear and nothing fazes him, which is the biggest reason the Indians felt he was ready to skip High-A at the start of the season and why they felt he was ready to go to Cleveland at the end of the season. His mature approach, his ability to get on base and be a nuisance on the bases, and his good defense at several positions where he shows good range and arm strength makes him an asset, and he looks to be in line for a utility job in Cleveland next season.

Beyond that, it is looking like the plan is to have him in a utility role in the future with Francisco Lindor at shortstop and Jason Kipnis at second base, although Ramirez might end up a good handcuff to Lindor if he struggles with injuries or does not meet expectations at the major league level. He could see some time at third base, but that should be limited as he is only viewed as a starter at shortstop and second base.

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins recently shared some comments about some players in the system:
On Francisco Lindor’s back injury: “You know it is interesting, I think this will be great for Francisco. He is our most talented player and the hardest working one. It really was a workload issue. Back issues are common for switch hitters because in some cases you are doing double the work on your back. It is something the player has to learn to monitor. We can try to curtail how much they are swinging, but with someone with his drive and desire to speed his timeframe up it has been a work in progress to get him to work less. I think it really is just a little bit of wear and tear that he will be able to get over with rest. He is a driven, strong and extremely intelligent young professional so he is going to make the most of it and potentially make some adjustments to his routine so this doesn’t happen again. Players like Francisco, they really do benefit from these times because he will shift his focus to making the right adjustments and watching the game a different way and only increasing his respect for the game and desire to stay healthy. This will be a maturation he didn’t necessarily need, but one he can benefit from.”

On Lindor possibly playing winter ball this offseason: “We always keep the player involved in the process and we only talked briefly about it, but I think it is unlikely that we would want him to play. He has had plenty of time in his career to this point to get experience and get at bats, and we don’t feel that a month of winter ball is something that would put him over the top. He is better every day he plays and he has not shown he needs that exposure.”

On Jesus Aguilar’s season: “It [was] great to watch. You can see when a player is all of a sudden having professional at bats. The difference from a professional at bat and looking like a major league hitter looking like a major league prospect and the difference from someone that just has power and a good swing is relatively easy to see and a great sight in the minor leagues. He was by far, in our minds, the most intimating bat in that league. He has been consistent all year and only [finished] stronger. He had about a 1.000 OPS in August and he just really scared guys out of the strike zone and was driving it into gaps and over fences when they came into it. It was a great year for Jesus. The production is certainly great to see, but just to go watch him play and see the consistency of him having quality at bats, getting good pitches to hit and driving them when he gets them has been fantastic. He is someone we will be considering as somebody that can help our major league team, that’s how consistent he has been.”

On Clint Frazier: “This has been a great introduction to professional baseball for him. He has had success and has also had growth in a short period of time. He got off to a flaming hot start and then slowed down a little bit. He did have some growth as a defender as well where he was already showing very good signs as a defender and has taken them to another level by increasing his ability to get to the ball a little bit quicker with better jumps and angles and just a little bit better pre-pitch setup that allowed him to have a more aggressive approach to being a defender. He was diving and making consistent highlight reel plays as he has never been someone who dove in the past as a high school player. He is learning to be a better base runner. [It was] a very productive two months for him. I know he feels that way and we feel that way. We really couldn’t be more pleased with the start of his career.”

On Francisco Mejia: “He is, as we say in many sports, a freak. He is just an unbelievably strong individual and has one of the strongest throwing arms I have ever seen and has unbelievable raw power. All of those raw intangibles are things that excite people in baseball. I remember last year when he was here after he signed for a physical and he went through a workout on the field he lit up Sandy Alomar. I think even more encouraging than his raw ability was his near .900 OPS in the Arizona Summer League. That is a tough environment and a tough place to maintain your consistency as a performer. He has done that. He is a switch hitter that shows power from both sides, uses the whole field and has bat to ball. If he can stay behind the plate he has a chance to be really special. He certainly has the raw ability to do it and now it will be determined by durability and desirability to be a catcher. A great start again for another young prospect.”
N-Rod looking for consistency

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley first baseman Nellie Rodriguez had a roller coaster season. He was one of the most impressive players in spring training hitting .333 with 3 HR and 9 RBI in 13 games, and it was that strong showing to go along with his nice approach that convinced the Indians to have him start the season at Low-A Lake County even though he was only 18 years old at the time.

Rodriguez struggled to make much contact and hit for any power as he hit .190 with a .613 OPS in 24 games in April, but that approach the Indians liked showed in the early going at Lake County as he drew 19 walks to 29 strikeouts that month. But his approach and performance eventually declined in May and all but evaporated as he compromised it in order to try and make more contact and hit for power. It resulted in another poor month as he hit .198 with a .505 OPS along with a 7-24 walk to strikeout ratio and his eventual reassignment to Arizona to await short season action to kick up.

It was out in Arizona where Rodriguez turned his season around. He made some adjustments and more importantly got back to his approach that was working so well a few months earlier in spring training. He was assigned to Mahoning Valley for the start of their season and the struggles initially showed in June as he hit just .245 with 0 HR, 8 RBI and .625 OPS in 13 games. He followed that up with an exceptional month of July where he hit .383 with 7 HR, 21 RBI and 1.104 OPS in 29 games and then stepped back with another subpar month in August hitting .202 with 2 HR, 8 RBI and .607 OPS in 27 games.

So the question at this point is which player is Rodriguez? The one that destroyed NY-Penn League pitching in July? Or, the one who struggled every other month of the season?

I think Rodriguez is somewhere in the middle of the two. He is not as good as he was in July, but also not nearly as bad as he performed in April, May, June and August. He’s simply a raw, inexperienced, young player who is learning to play the game every day, and the biggest obstacle for young players is always the ability to be consistent day in and day out. He will continue to refine his approach, swing and pitch recognition skills, but it is that consistency that will first need to establish itself in order to provide a foundation from which to build on and then improve his other interesting skills.

To Rodriguez’s credit, he showed significant improvement this season with his plan, approach and swing. He’s gotten better at taking what pitchers give him and not trying to do too much by using the entire field and not just trying to pull everything. He also started to unleash some of that raw power that was so tantalizing coming out of the 2012 Draft, and his nine homers at Mahoning Valley were the third most in a season by a player there in franchise history – which coming from a 19-year old is impressive.

It was a learning year for Rodriguez, one where he learned a ton both in games and in all the work he put in with coaches before and sometimes after games. He has the physical gifts with his power and some defensive skills to be a legit power hitting first baseman, and while his 2013 season lacked consistency, it definitely served as a great foundation to possibly a big breakout season in 2014 – likely with a return to Lake County to start.
Pack Attack

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Matt Packer finished off quite an impressive rebound season this year in the minors. After missing half of last season with a shoulder injury and pitching less than 100% the other half of it, he came back this season and went 12-9 with a 3.27 ERA in 28 appearances (25 starts).

Packer, 26, finished 3rd in the Eastern League in ERA (3.26) – just one point off the lead – and also ranked 1st in wins (12), 4th in innings pitched (154.0), and 13th in strikeouts (119). He still only throws in the upper 80s and his velocity comes and goes, so he has success because of the way he commands his fastball and the confidence he has in his offspeed pitches. The key to his success this season was his changeup, slider and curveball as he consistently commanded them well down in the zone. He used them at any time and in any count to get a good amount of swing and miss, changed speeds well, and got a good amount of groundballs.

Even with the impressive season, Packer still has some work to do. He struggled a lot in the first inning of his starts this season as he allowed the most runs in the first inning of any inning and put up a 5.04 ERA for the inning on the season. Coaches have noted that he struggles with finding a consistent release point which affects his command and that he doesn’t really settle in until he gets to about 20 or 25 pitches. Obviously, this is something he needs to hone in on and improve to get him into a much quicker rhythm when he first hits the mound in his starts so he can limit the damage early.

In the end, the Indians couldn’t be any happier with the showing Packer had and after a slight step back last season he rebounded in a big way and has re-established himself as a legit major league depth starting prospect for the Indians. His future lies as a fourth or fifth starter, or as a swing/long man in the bullpen a la Aaron Laffey. He has a chance to pitch in Cleveland next season, and his versatility and ability from the left side create value for him.
Walk this way

Double-A Akron third baseman Giovanni Urshela had another solid season hitting .270 with 8 HR, 43 RBI and .676 OPS in 116 games. Only 21-years old all year, he held his own and of course played near flawless Gold Glove caliber defense.

But the one area that Urshela struggled was with his plate discipline. It is a part of his game that has been a focus now for the past few seasons, not because he strikes out a lot (he doesn’t) but because he hardly walks. He only struck out 48 times in 445 at bats this past season (10.3%) which is exceptional and shows his very good hand-eye coordination and his plus ability to make contact. But he also walked just 14 times (3.0%), which shows he lacks patience and is swinging at too many pitches out of the zone that he cannot handle and drive – thus resulting in weak contact for easy outs.

When the season began the Indians challenged Urshela to really focus on drawing more walks at the plate, so much so it was the number one goal in his development plan this season. For that reason alone the non-development of his patience is a bit if a disappointment, but then again, this is a fundamental issue at the foundation of his approach that may take a few years to fix. It is not something that is fixed overnight as it has to be continually chipped away until he can break out of his longstanding habit of being super-aggressive at the plate.

The need for more patience is two-fold for Urshela. Obviously, if he draws more walks, his on-base percentage would improve from the poor .292 mark he put up this season. But where the patience really comes into play is avoiding early outs on weak contact and to use counts in his favor so that he can be selective to find pitches he can drive. The result would not only be a bump in his on-base percentage, but his hard hit percentage, batting average, and power numbers as well. By working deeper into his at bats and staying within the strike zone it will help him cut down on some of that over-aggressiveness he has at the plate and avoid him getting himself out so much.

Sometimes guys are just natural hitters, and that is what Urshela is as he just has a very good feel for the bat. He is not just a fastball hitter as he is good at making contact on breaking balls, which is a rare skill for someone his age. He just needs to develop a little better knowledge of the strike zone to know his limits as a hitter so he can put himself in better counts and do more damage offensively. That is really the last missing piece to making him a sure-fire major league player as his defense could play there right now.
Random Notes

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Brett Brach had another solid season going 10-9 with a 4.56 ERA in 29 games (22 starts), and in 142.0 innings he allowed 145 hits, 14 homers, 37 walks, and had 83 strikeouts. With the expected departure of right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino this offseason to minor league free agency, Brach will probably take over Espino’s role as a swing starter for either Akron or Triple-A Columbus next season. His versatility and durability is exactly what the Indians need in the upper levels to fill needed innings, and he has proven to be a consistent, reliable performer throughout his career. He doesn’t throw very hard but he has an interesting mix of pitches and competes well. One area in need of improvement is when he pitches out of the stretch he has had some struggles, so he needs to get a little better at focusing and not letting the game speed up on him when men are on base. His prospect value is not very high but as long as he continues to get opportunities he always has a chance to make improvements and get a major league chance. He is expected to pitch winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley infielder Claudio Bautista had a good showing this year hitting .272 with 4 HR, 24 RBI and .742 OPS in 65 games. It was a much improved showing over his rough 16 game showing at Low-A Lake County earlier in the year when he hit .157 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and .459 OPS. He is more of an offensive player as he has some power, can really get the bat head out, and has good hands. That intriguing bat to go along with some athleticism and a lot of versatility in the field where he can play second base, third base and some shortstop creates some value for him and will afford him more opportunities in the future. He is yet another interesting middle infield prospect for the Indians in the lower levels and should get an opportunity to play second base and third base at Lake County next season.

Low-A Lake County catcher/first baseman Richard Stock made the most of his opportunities this season as he played in just 55 games and had 205 plate appearances as a part-time player – yet even in the limited amount of playing time he hit .280 with 8 HR, 31 RBI and .773 OPS. There is no doubt that he is an offensive oriented player as he has some power and has really worked on his approach to put himself in good hitter’s counts and swing at good pitches. The defense is an area where he is limited and where the Indians have obviously put less priority up to this point as he played in the field in just 14 games this season and was the designated hitter in 39 games. That said, the offense he provides is interesting and one where he will likely be given a chance to move up to High-A Carolina next season and show if the bat is real and at the same time continue to really work on developing as a catcher or as a corner utility defender.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

To show how much attention I have paid to the minor leagues, I have to ask:
How did the Indians farm teams finish this season?
I guess none of the made the playoffs?

I found this, which I guess are the final standings:

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/standings

It's all about development Jr

Tribe's miserable minor league season results in winning pct for the 6 teams ranked No. 29 of 30, but best of the 2 teams based in Ohio.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2 ... ue-champs/

Here's the list of all our minor leaguers who were formally "removed from the disabled list" when the season ended. Many of them missed large pieces of the season or the whole year.
Aviles was pitching at the end as far as I noticed.

RHP Robbie Aviles, RHP Kyle Blair, RHP Rob Bryson, RHP Matt Capps, RHP Ping-Hsueh Chen, RHP Clayton Cook, RHP Jordan Cooper, RHP Jacob Lee, RHP Scott Peoples, RHP Mason Radeke, RHP Felix Sterling, RHP Tyler Sturdevant, RHP Walker White, LHP Elvis Araujo, LHP Mike Rayl, LHP J.C. Romero, LHP Giovanni Soto, C Charlie Valerio, 1B Mitch Nilsson, 2B Luis Hernandez, SS Francisco Lindor, OF Anthony Gallas, OF Bo Greenwell, OF Cedric Hunter, OF Luigi Rodriguez, OF Anthony Santander

Stephanie Storm as BA's Indians beat reporter is no minor league expert but picking the best player and the best pitcher in the farm system was not exactly a challenge this year. As for the dark horse candidate, Tejada probably doesn't throw hard enough but he certainly overmatched AA hitters; and since she only sees the Aeros his pick was a no-brainer for her too. More likely candidates as young players moving up fast could be LHP Luis Lugo, 1b Nellie Rodriguez.

Her Report:

Best Player: Shortstop Francisco Lindor enjoyed a standout season before a nagging back injury ended his 2013 campaign a month early following a promotion from high Class A Carolina to Double-A Akron.

Lindor, 19, hit .303/.380/.407 between the two levels while playing defense beyond his years at shortstop.

“To have our best prospect raising the bar for work ethic and routines both on and off the field really makes an impact on everyone in the organization,” assistant farm direcor Carter Hawkins said

Best Pitcher: Righthander Danny Salazar, 23, began the season as the ace of the Akron rotation. After seven starts and a 2.67 ERA, he was quickly promoted to Triple-A, where he posted a 4-2, 2.73 record in 59 innings. His fast track progression continued, as Salazar went on to make his major league debut and and go 1-2, 2.92 with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks in 37 innings. The rise caps Salazar’s comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2010, as does his upper-90s fastball and improved command of his secondary pitches.

“Danny has been a great story for the organization,” Hawkins said.

Keep An Eye On: When righthanded reliever Enosil Tejeda was called up to Double-A in May to join the Akron bullpen, he had pitched well at Carolina. But what really put the Indians’ 2010 signing from the Dominican Republic on the club’s radar was his ensuing work pitching for the first time to Double-A hitters. In 33 appearances with the Aeros, the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder posted an 0.89 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 13 walks in 41 innings.

“Enosil has flown a little under the radar, but in all respects has dominated while he’s moved through our system,” Hawkins said. “He doesn’t have mid-90’s velocity, but he has no fear, goes right after hitters and throws his offspeed over the plate. He’s a guy our managers love to give the ball to.”

With his innings total at 46 2/3, Danny Salazar is quickly approaching the 50-inning mark, which would mean he would lose his designation as a rookie for next season.

Around the Farm: Instructs September 21, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

September 22, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

Game 1 – September 21 vs. White Sox

Indians won, 5-2

•LeVon Washington (LF): 0-for-3, 2 BB, K. Washington shows off the good eye with two walks. He is out in Instructs once again to make up for some lost time due to injuries. He needs a good showing and then another very good offseason because next year is a make or break one for him.

•Erik Gonzalez (SS): 1-for-2, CS. The Indians really like Gonzalez at shortstop and he really impressed with his play there this year that at the moment they plan to have him open as the starting shortstop at High-A Carolina next season.

•Dorsyss Paulino (SS): 1-for-1. Paulino may have a lot to say about Gonzalez starting at shortstop at Carolina, but I think right now it looks like the Indians could have Paulino repeat and open at Low-A Lake County.

•Yu-Chen Chang (SS): 0-for-0, R, BB, SB. Chang is the big money international signing in June ($500K) out of Taiwan. He is very athletic with solid average tools across the board and showcased that well-rounded game in this one.

•Jordan Smith (CF): 0-for-3, K. Yes, Smith is getting some time in center field. He still projects as a corner outfielder, but he is such a good outfielder and ranges well to balls so well and has decent speed and athleticism that a lot of people believe that even though he is so tall he can be a Michael Brantley-type defensive outfielder.

•Clint Frazier (CF): 1-for-2, R, 3B, RBI. Just another day at the office for the Indians 2013 1st round pick. Frazier has shown an uncanny knack for getting extra base hits early in his pro career.

•Jeremy Lucas (1B): 0-for-2. The Indians have a lot of catching depth in the lower levels and some interesting prospects at the position, so a guy like Lucas is getting some work at first base in order to add to his value by being more versatile but to also create some opportunities next year for others at catcher.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B): 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, K. Rodriguez is just out in Arizona to continue to refine and develop the approach that he adopted midseason so that he can hopefully become more consistent with it. He got away from it in April and May and struggled, so he has to learn to be confident in his approach and stick with it.

•Jake Lowery (C): 0-for-0, R, BB. Lowery is out to get some extra work in before the start of the Arizona Fall League season. I have not confirmed as so, but I believe Lowery will be on the taxi-squad.

•Tony Wolters (C): 1-for-2, K. Wolters is another player getting ready for the Arizona Fall League season. He is supposed to get a good amount of time at catcher, but is also expected to get some time at shortstop or second base too so don’t be alarmed if he shows up in the box score at one of those positions.

•Eric Haase (C): 0-for-0. Haase was a late game replacement and did not have a plate appearance. Once Lowery and Wolters are gone, both Haase and Francisco Mejia should get a lot more playing time.

•Giovanny Urshela (3B): 0-for-2. It is interesting to see Urshela out in Instructional League because you just don’t see players from Double-A involved in it unless they missed significant time due to injury. This to me points to the Indians being slightly disappointed with his offensive showing this season and just wanting to give him as many opportunities as possible to develop his bat.

•James Roberts (3B): 0-for-2, K, CS. Roberts will very likely fill some sort of utility role at Low-A Lake County next season, or could even be the starting third baseman or second baseman depending on who is assigned there. If Paulino is pushed to High-A Carolina, then Roberts has a great shot to be the regular shortstop.

•Josh McAdams (RF): 1-for-2, R, K. McAdams really struggled down the stretch at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley and his numbers on the season really crumbled as a result. He needs to develop more consistency with his approach at the plate and the Indians need to find a way to tap into his good raw power which has been non-existent as a pro.

•D’Vone McClure (RF): 0-for-1, BB. McClure is another guy who needs a strong showing in Instructs and then a great offseason to create some momentum going into next spring. He’s extremely athletic and very raw, so it is just finding a way to develop his baseball skills and approach at the plate, and if that happens he could take off.

•Francisco Mejia (DH): 0-for-3, BB. As mentioned with Haase, once some of the other catchers are gone he should get a good amount of time behind the plate. For now, he is just developing his daily routines and also getting a ton of work in each day catching bullpens and taking part in a plethora of catching drills.

•Gerald Bautista (2B): 1-for-2, 3B, 3 RBI. The Indians appear to be experimenting with Bautista in the middle infield as he only played first and third base this season in the Arizona Summer League. They were intrigued with his showing as an undrafted high school player and may be trying to find more at bats for him at other positions.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B): 1-for-2. Keep your eye on Valdez. He’s not very big and the tools don’t pop out at you, but he is a very consistent and well-rounded player and is one of the Indians better up and coming middle infield prospects.

•Elvis Araujo (SP): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Nice to see Araujo back on the mound after he missed so much time this season first with the appendectomy and then the sore left shoulder. He threw first pitch strikes to three of the four hitters he faced and only needed six pitches to get through the inning.

•Shawn Morimando (RP): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Morimando was erratic as he was 2-of-8 on first pitch strikes, but he pitched a strong two innings and 32 pitches.

•Jacob Lee (RP): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 0 K. Lee is another pitcher it is great to see out there. He missed the last three months of the season with an arm injury and it looks like he is being built up. He was removed before the inning ended as he was at 18 pitches and had reached his pitch limit for the day.

•DJ Brown (RP): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K. Brown really had a solid season and is a guy that could get some starting consideration next season at High-A Carolina. He was 5-of-8 on first pitch strikes and needed just 25 pitches to get his seven outs.

•Kieran Lovegrove (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K. Lovegrove labored and needed 23 pitches to get through his one inning of work. He was just 2-of-5 on first pitch strikes.

•Kyle Crockett (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Crockett looked rusty after not pitching in games for almost three weeks as he allowed a run, something he allowed just one time all season. He needed 19 pitches and was 2-of-4 on first pitch strikes.

•Carlos Melo (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. Melo is an older player and is actually a guy they picked up this year after he was let go by the Rangers. He was 1-of-3 on first pitch strikes, but was efficient overall needing just 10 pitches to complete his inning of work.

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Scouting the Indians 2013 Draft: Part 3
Adam Plutko (Photo: AP)

By Tony Lastoria

September 23, 2013

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Over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting post-draft pieces like this on all of the players that the Indians drafted and signed from the 2013 Draft. The Indians signed 24 players in total and also signed two undrafted free agents, and I have comments on each and every player from Indians Amateur Scouting Director Brad Grant. I will be including comments from Grant and a quick summary on each player as well as any stats from the 2013 season.

Rather than just roll down the list of players in order of when they were picked, I am going to put these up at random and mix the higher and lower profile prospects together. Five players will be featured each article for a total of five post-draft capsules.

Here are the pieces that have posted so far:

Part 1: Clint Frazier, Thomas Pannone, Silento Sayles, Matt Whitehouse, Shane Rowland
Part 2: Kyle Crockett, James Roberts, Grant Fink, Cortland Cox, Mike Giuffre

Casey Shane (Right-handed Pitcher): 6th round, Centennial High School (TX)

Quick Summary: Shane is a big, strong righty with a good frame. He sits in the upper 80s to low 90s with his fastball and has been up to 94 MPH in the past. He is a sinker-slider pitcher that piles up lots of groundballs, though there are some concerns with his commitment to conditioning and his work ethic. He was set to attend and play for Texas A&M, but he signed with the Indians quickly and had a so-so pro debut. He is an interesting arm and could be a steal if everything goes well. It should also be pointed out he was one of the youngest guys in the entire draft.

Brad Grant: “He is a big 6’4” right-hander from Texas and a guy that has a whole lot of upside. He really impressed us in the summer last year. He throws with a plus fastball with some really good sink to it. He has a good curveball and a feel for a changeup. He just needs to develop a little bit physically and that is something that he is working on out in Arizona. He is another guy with a good delivery and who throws strikes and has the size and strength to haul innings who we think can be a future starter for us. He did struggle some in his debut, but then again at 17 years old making an adjustment from high school to professional baseball is not an easy thing. I think it is a couple things. He needs to learn to repeat his delivery as he has a very good delivery and everything works well - he just needs to learn to repeat that consistently which he should be able to do. Also, physically just making sure he continues to get stronger and maintains his body so that he can control that delivery.”

Adam Plutko (Right-handed Pitcher): 11th round, UCLA

Quick Summary: Plutko is the biggest name the Indians drafted after first round pick outfielder Clint Frazier. He is a pitcher who is basically defined. He throws strikes but not hard and has solid secondary stuff but nothing that is plus. He signed late and did not pitch this season because of his workload at UCLA this season and also because of a small stress fracture in the back of his shoulder blade. The injury is not serious and no surgery was required. He is a backend starter, but the odds of him getting there are extremely good and he could be a solid three to five starter in the big leagues for years. He is a near ready, safe arm that should finish in Double-A or possibly get to Triple-A or even Cleveland by the end of next season if he stays healthy and performs.

Brad Grant: “He has average stuff across the board, but we were very happy to get him in the 11th round and fortunate to get him there. He is another guy that we were excited about signing. He comes with a big track record and a lot of success. He has an advanced feel to pitch. He has a curveball and slider that at times are plus, and he has a really good changeup that at times is plus. But consistently across the board it is four solid average pitches that he uses really effectively to change speeds, change eye levels and locate. He is a guy that really knows how to pitch and has shown the ability to do it in high pressure situations. He should be able to move through our system pretty quickly.”

Sicnarf Loopstok (Catcher): 13th round, Western Oklahoma State

Quick Summary: If you like your players undefined, raw, and toolsy, then Loopstok is your man. He was a redshirt freshman from Aruba. He needs work in every area, but he has good speed and has plus right-handed power. He has an arm to be a catcher but could also play the infield thanks to his tools. He was listed by his junior college as a catcher, second baseman, and third baseman which shows just how toolsy and raw he is. Western Oklahoma is a growing Juco program and the coach there compared Loopstok's ability to current major leaguer Andrelton Simmons.

Brad Grant: “We like his catch ability. We think he has the ability to stay behind the plate as he has solid average arm strength, he is very intelligence and he has the characteristics and ability to catch. He also has some raw power too. He is another guy that is going to be a little bit of a project just with his background, but a guy who has some upside to be able to stay behind the plate and hopefully hit with some power. With his defensive ability behind the plate, if he can improve his pitch recognition a little bit and get to his power a little bit there is some upside to his right-handed bat.”

Cole Sulser (Right-handed pitcher): 25th round, Dartmouth College

Quick Summary: Susler missed all of 2012 after having Tommy John surgery. He was a fifth year senior this year for Dartmouth and continues the Indians history of drafting pitchers out of the Ivy League. A lot of scouts were up at Dartmouth to scout his teammate Horacek, a big lefty with some velocity who went close to 500 picks earlier. Sulser was one of the top pitchers in the Ivy League his last two years. He is a low projection guy, but is pretty polished, locates his fastball well, has a good mix of secondary offerings, and is throwing a little harder post-surgery.

Brad Grant: “He was a fifth year senior who missed 2012 with an arm injury. He is a guy that is another college senior and 23 years old so he is older, but had a great first season. He really piled up the strikeouts and was able to pick up a little velocity at the end which was surprising. He started off 88-91 MPH at the beginning of Mahoning Valley’s season, but at the end he was sitting 92-93 MPH and able to get swing and miss with it. He has a curveball and a slider and changeup, so he is another guy with a four pitch mix. He really attacked with his fastball, was able to locate it, was able to throw a lot of strikes and get swing and miss.”

Justin Garcia (Right-handed pitcher): 38th round, Weatherford College (TX)

Quick Summary: Garcia is a guy who has been used almost entirely out of the pen in his college career. He doesn't have a lot of velocity sitting in the high 80's to low 90’s which is not a surprise as he is a bit smaller. He was a sophomore and was in consideration for several big name programs to transfer to, but the Indians were able to pry him away from any commitments and sign him. He is a late round gamble that is raw but has some projection and the Indians will see where professional coaching and training takes him.

Brad Grant: “What we did, just because we did not have opportunities for him, is we signed him to a 2014 contract. He is a projection junior college righty and another guy we targeted who has very good pitching mechanics but who still needs to develop some strength so that the stuff continues to increase. He pitches at 88-91 MPH and has a feel for a breaking ball and changeup. He is 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, so there is plenty of room to add some strength.”

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Around the Farm: Instructs September 23, 2013
Francisco Mejia (Photo: IBI)

By Tony Lastoria

September 24, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

Game 2 – September 23 at White Sox

Indians lost, 7-6

Francisco Mejia (C): 2-for-3, R, 2B. Anyone who missed it, Mejia was ranked as the Arizona League’s 7th best prospect this season by Baseball America. That’s some pretty high regard when you consider there are over 600 players that get significant playing time in that league over the course of the season. I’ve been high on him since the first time I saw him in the spring and he arguably is the Indians best catching prospect in the system because of his massive upside still.

•LeVon Washington (LF): 0-for-2. Washington is hitless in his first two games in Instructs (0-for-5) and has split time in left field with Myles.

•Bryson Myles (LF): 1-for-1, 2 R, BB. Myles is getting some additional at bats since he missed some time earlier in the season. He also is still a little rough around the edges and has a lot of upside still, so the organization is just using the additional time to work on smoothing out his overall game.

•Erik Gonzalez (SS): 0-for-1, K. Gonzalez is starting at shortstop simply because the Indians want to give him the opportunities to get more work there. They plan to have him be a regular at shortstop next season.

•Dorsyss Paulino (SS): 0-for-2, K, E. Paulino no doubt is going to remain at shortstop next season, but for now just needs more reps there to refine his defensive abilities at the position.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (SS): 1-for-2, R. This is really the first time the organization is seeing the newly signed Chang in game action. He’s a guy to really watch this fall because of his upside and the money it took to sign him.

•Jordan Smith (CF): 1-for-3. If Smith can handle center field and be at least an average defender there, then his value skyrockets because no longer is power a necessary component like it is in the corner outfield.

•Clint Frazier (CF): 1-for-2, R, 3B, RBI, BB, K. Two games, two triples for Frazier. I can’t wait to get out to Arizona in two weeks to see this kid play.

•Jeremy Lucas (1B): 0-for-1, BB. Lucas has an interesting bat as he has a solid approach and has some raw power. Being able to catch and play first base makes him an asset to the organization no matter what his big league future holds.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B): 1-for-2, R, 2 RBI, BB, K. N-Rod racked up his second and third RBIs in the early going. He’s off to a good start and really needs to carry over the success he had at Mahoning Valley into this offseason as a springboard into a big 2014 season.

•Jake Lowery (C): 0-for-2, K. Lowery was a guy that really bounced back this season. Really, after the hiccup he had in the first half at Carolina last season, he’s been a pretty good hitter everywhere else he has been. It is the catching skills that still need a lot of work to be considered major league average there.

•Giovanny Urshela (3B): 1-for-2, K. Urshela had a somewhat disappointing year with the bat, but his defense continues to shine. I think next season the offense has a chance to break out for him as he has always been a few years younger than the league, but a repeat at Akron might be just what he needs to get him untracked offensively.

•James Roberts (3B): 1-for-3, RBI, E. Roberts is a solid utility player-type in the making. He has nice size and can play almost anywhere in the infield and potentially in the outfield too.

•Josh McAdams (RF): 0-for-1, BB. McAdams is a guy that the Indians are really working with to find a way to tap into his raw skills. He has struggled with the bat in his first two years as a pro, particularly with making hard contact.

•D’Vone McClure (RF): 1-for-2, 2B. I’m still a big time McClure fan simply because I love tools, and he no doubt oozes them. I was always a fan of Carlos Moncrief for that very reason and he finally broke out this season…..so it just may take a few years with McClure because he is so raw.

•Tony Wolters (DH): 0-for-2, 2 K. I really felt Wolters had a good season this year even though he repeated at High-A. To make the transition from middle infielder to catcher in-season and do what he did defensively and also maintain his offense was a testament to his mental toughness and drive.

•Eric Haase (DH): 1-for-2, K. Haase is another very good catching prospect for the Indians, a position that suddenly looks like a promising position in the system. Again, there are lots of tools to love, but the discipline at the plate will determine his fate.

•Gerald Bautista (2B): 0-for-2. He is the son of former major leaguer Danny Bautista and was an undrafted signing out of high school this year. You rarely see a kid fresh out of high school sign as an undrafted free agent as they often go to college to improve their stock, so he must have really wanted to go pro.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B): 0-for-1, RBI, E. Valdez has a very good chance of being the opening day starter at second base for Low-A Lake County or Single-A Mahoning Valley next season; however, there are a lot of middle infield prospects at that level to sort through.

•Luis Lugo (SP): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0, 3 K. This was a near perfect outing for Lugo, who established himself this season as one of the Indians best starting pitcher prospects and maybe their best left-hander. He was efficient needing just 28 pitches to get through his outing.

•Dylan Baker (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0, 1 K. Baker is another guy who solidified himself as one of the Indians best starting pitcher prospects this season. His velocity was better and the Indians raved about him this season. He pitched a clean inning needing just eight pitches to get through it.

•Caleb Hamrick (RP): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Hamrick is another guy whose stock jumped considerably this season. He is compact and powerful and only threw 25 pitches over his two innings.

•Mitch Brown (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 0 K. Brown struggled this season, but as we have seen in the past injuries often are a big reason for struggles and that was his problem for most of the season as he dealt with a bicep injury. He threw 23 pitches and first pitch strikes to three of the six batters he faced.

•Sean Brady (RP): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Brady had a sensational pro debut in the Arizona Summer League, but in his first outing of the fall he struggled. He threw 31 pitches so command was surely a problem and he was unable to finish the inning due to pitch count.

•Kenny Mathews (RP): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Mathews relieved Brady and finished out the inning and then pitched a perfect inning of his own after that. I have yet to see Mathews, but he is part of an interesting group of pitchers from the 2013 Draft who really put up some good numbers this season.

•Carlos Melo (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Melo came in and threw strikes as he struck out two batters and needed 14 pitches to complete the inning.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Anyone who missed it, Mejia was ranked as the Arizona League’s 7th best prospect this season by Baseball America

BA had said good things about Mejia previously, but I missed the posting of the top 20 and that means I've missed the Q&A that I like to participate in.