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Indians Prospect Insider 2014 IBI Top 50 Prospects: #5 CA Francisco Mejia

By Tony Lastoria

March 14, 2014

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5. Francisco Mejia – Catcher

Born: 10/27/1995 – Height: 5’10” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right

History: Mejia was signed by the Indians as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July of 2012 for $350,000. He did not qualify because he did not have enough at bats, but last year he would have ranked 4th in the Arizona League in OPS (.872) had he qualified.

Strengths: Mejia is a fast rising catching prospect that has the goods with some raw power behind the plate and at it to make him one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire system. He does not have the typical size a team looks for in a catcher, but he is athletic and unbelievably strong for his age and even though he is very young he has made some significant strides in his development. He has an exceptional cannon for a throwing arm with raw arm strength to add even more as he continues to mature. Several scouts in attendance at Instructional League in the fall graded his arm as a “7” on the 2-8 scouting scale and some projected it as an “8” down the road. He shows some good, developing catching skills behind the plate and has already made some significant strides as a defender with his receiving and blocking. He just has all of the raw intangibles with catching that excite people around the game.

Mejia has a lot of upside from both sides of the plate and has a lot of confidence and a no fear attitude. The bat stood out from the day the Indians signed him because of his good hit ability but mostly because of some very good raw power despite his smaller size. The swing is continuing to be refined but he already shows a good feel for the bat head with good plus power from both sides, uses the whole field well and has some bat-to-ball ability. His setup and stride in his swing are very smooth and simple as he is very calm and relaxed in the box and easily brings his hands back in a calm motion and just explodes through the ball when he swings. It is a long projection at this point, but he is very similar to a young Carlos Santana with his body type, switch-hitting ability, approach, power, and strong arm. He obviously has to come a long way to get to that point, but he has the makings of an elite catching prospect if he stays healthy, works hard, and develops as hoped.

Opportunities: Mejia has years to go in terms of his development path to totally tap into the raw skills that he has behind the plate. On a basic scale, he is learning about preparation, the pro environment, and how to get through nine innings behind the plate in a pro game. More specifically he is learning to pick up a lot of little things such as how to handle a staff, the communication aspect, understanding what it means to be a leader, and learning English which is going to be huge for him. If he is going to be a Major League catcher he can’t just be a guy with tools, he has to be a guy that leads the entire field and understands what the other seven guys are doing and understand how the pitcher is trying to attack the hitter and work through that seamlessly throughout a game. He is working on adding strength and developing his raw receiving and blocking skills behind the plate. At the plate he shows remarkable consistency day in and day out with his at bats for such a young and inexperienced player even though he has a little bit of an unorthodox approach, so the key will be to continue to improve and maintain consistency with his at bats and approach. He shows a good ability to make contact, but his plate discipline and pitch recognition skills are raw and need refining.

Outlook: Expectations or not, as a high profile Latin American signing, Mejia proved to be the real deal last season. Even after an aggressive push stateside to the Arizona League in his first pro season, he lived up to the hype and showcased a bat and arm combination that have the potential to be special. Maybe most impressive with him was his consistency over a seven month span where he was out in Arizona the whole time. Players often have a tough time in the complex environment not just with the heat in the summer, but the isolation they feel at the complex, but he put his work in day in and day out and performed. His presence and characteristics as a 17-18 year old are exciting and make you salivate when you watch him play. To think that he was the equivalent of a junior in high school and competing as he did in the Arizona League makes his showing even more impressive. It was a great learning experience for him and he made a lot of positive strides over the year and has the building blocks in place to get even better this season. Bottom line, he certainly has the raw ability to catch, so now it will be determined by durability and desirability to be a catcher and if he shows that he is able to stay behind the plate he has a chance to be special. The Indians will probably continue to be aggressive with him and assign him to Low-A Lake County to start the season, though it is possible they hold him back in extended spring training and then send him to short season Single-A Mahoning Valley in June.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

Mejia seems to be one of the most exciting young players we've picked up in recent years, along with Dorsyss Paulino and Lindor. He seems to offer a very high "ceiling" which he is a long way from reaching.

In other words he needs to learn how to grind and play the game the right way.

2014 IBI Top 50 Prospects: #4 RHP Cody Anderson

By Tony Lastoria

March 15, 2014

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4. Cody Anderson – Right-handed Pitcher

Born: 09/14/1990 - Height: 6’4” - Weight: 220 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

History: Anderson was selected in the 14th round of the 2011 Draft out of Feather River College (CA). He was drafted by the Rays in the 17th round in 2010 and was set to attend TCU for his junior season if he did not sign with the Indians, but was signed to a six figure bonus. He is a former three-sport star in high school that was an all-league player in both baseball and basketball, and had dreams of playing professional football at one time though battled with some concussion issues. Last season he finished 7th in the Carolina League in wins (9), 1st in ERA (2.34), 10th in games started (23), 11th in innings pitched (123.1), 8th in strikeouts (112), 2nd in WHIP (1.10), 4th in batting average against (.236), 3rd in K/9 (8.17) and 3rd in BB/9 (2.26). He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, and those rankings would have been higher had he not made his final three starts of the season at Double-A Akron.

Strengths: Anderson is a projectable starting pitching prospect who has all of the ingredients to be a Major League starting pitcher. He has durability and the ability to haul innings thanks to a good, low maintenance delivery, athleticism and a big, strong, physical frame. He has a lot of brute strength with a power arsenal that can overpower hitters, and combined with his ability to be durable and log innings it makes him very valuable. He has very good strength with a plus fastball that comes in at 91-94 MPH and flashes 96 MPH. He does a good job of getting on top of it and on a downward angle, and it has some good sink and late life through the zone. His go-to offering and best pitch in his arsenal is a modified slider that was converted into a cutter in his pro debut, and has become a legit Major League weapon that has good late movement and gets a good amount of swing and miss. His fringy curveball has potential and is used to change eye levels and give hitters a different look and has the potential to be a solid average offering for him. He made some strides with the development of his below average changeup last season and is a pitch more to attack left-handers, though it is still a work in progress. He also has a splitter but has not thrown it the past two seasons as it was tabled to concentrate on the development of his other secondary offerings – though might be a pitch that enters back into his pitch mix down the road.

Anderson looks the part of a strong starting pitcher who competes and has a fearless approach where he attacks hitters on the plate with his fastball. That lack of fear early in counts to get hitters to put the ball in play and rely on his defense is a trait which helps pitchers be more efficient with their pitch counts and pitch deeper into games. His ability to learn and apply adjustments and really improve in a short period of time has been interesting to the Indians because he did not pitch much as an amateur and he is a converted player. He has the makeup along the lines of a Josh Tomlin where he is extremely tough, extremely committed, and really wants to be in baseball. He has a tremendous work ethic, a ton of aptitude, and is always willing to learn and receive instruction.

The Indians carefully monitored his workload in 2012 because of his inexperience and lack of innings as a pitcher coming out of college, but last season they took the kid gloves off a little and allowed him to pitch deeper into games and the results were impressive. He made some impressive strides from the start of last season to the end of it showing a marked improvement with his fastball command and he showed some significant development both mentally and physically. A lot of that improvement came from him gaining more experience on the mound which led to a giant leap with the overall quality of his stuff and refined abilities on the mound. He is really beginning to learn how his delivery works, is trusting his stuff more, is developing the command and location of his pitches, and his secondary stuff has improved. In their casual conversations with him between starts he showed that he is starting to develop into more of a pitcher than just a thrower by understanding how to attack the hitters and knowing who he is as a pitcher more and more. He is starting to get more swing and miss with it as evidenced by his overall strikeout rate taking a step forward going from a 6.6 K/9 in 2012 to an 8.1 K/9 last season, and that surge occurred even with him throwing his excellent cutter less in order to throw his curveball and changeup more to develop them. He consistently put up good starts each time he stepped on the mound as in 23 of his 26 starts he allowed 3 runs or less and in 21 of his 26 outings allowed two runs or less.

Opportunities: As with last season, Anderson’s focus will just continue to be on developing his game experience since he has only been pitching for a short period of time. Having a deeper pitch mix is something that is going to translate to more Major League success for him down the road, so the Indians have challenged him to find consistency and fine tune his changeup or curveball to be an average offering and third pitch in his arsenal. The addition of a curveball and/or changeup will help get hitters off his fastball a little bit and be another weapon to attack hitters to play up the effectiveness of his fastball-cutter combo. Fastball location is a big key as he commands his fastball well, but he needs to locate it off the plate better as it catches a little too much of the plate. While he has made strides, he still needs to learn how to pitch deeper into games by balancing getting earlier outs by pitching to contact or reaching back and going after a guy to blow them away for a strikeout.

Anderson is still working to develop a better feel for pitching by becoming more a pitcher and less a thrower by thinking a little more on the mound and pitching on a five day routine. He needs to have a plan on how to attack each and get better at reading swings by knowing when they are being overaggressive and will expand the zone to get themselves out and when he has to be more aggressive in the zone to get earlier outs so he can pitch deeper into games. He needs to continue to work on controlling the running game, backing up bases, and his position.

Outlook: After a good showing at Low-A Lake County in 2012, Anderson used last season as a springboard to establish himself as a high level pitching prospect for the Indians. He was ranked a lot lower going into last season because of how raw he is and his low swing and miss rates in his first year-plus in the system, but last season was just an avalanche of consistency from him and hence his stock has went up considerably. He is still raw on the mound, but is making significant strides in his development and has the complete package with the stuff, arm, body, and frame to be a good middle of the rotation Major League starting pitcher – maybe more. Beyond shortstop Francisco Lindor and right-handed starting pitcher Danny Salazar, no one else shined brighter in the system than him. The strides he has made the last two years have been very impressive and really a testament to his work and the coaches who have spent a lot of time to work him toward the goals he has already achieved. He should open the season in the starting rotation at Double-A Akron.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

2014 IBI Top 50 Prospects: #3 RHP Trevor Bauer

By Tony Lastoria

March 16, 2014

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3. Trevor Bauer – Right-handed Pitcher

Born: 01/17/1991 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

History: Bauer was acquired by the Indians in a nine-player trade with the Diamondbacks in December of 2012. The Diamondbacks originally selected him in the 1st round of the 2011 Draft out of UCLA, and signed him to a $3.4 million signing bonus and gave him a four year $4.5 million Major League contract. He is from the same high school as James Shields and graduated from high school in December of his senior year, which allowed him to enroll in and attend UCLA early and play baseball for them that spring. He was named a freshman All-American at UCLA even though it was technically his senior year in high school, and finished up his three-year UCLA career as the all-time school leader in wins (34), strikeouts (460), and innings (373.1) eclipsing former Bruin Alex Sanchez in all three categories. He led all of Division-I in strikeouts in 2010 and 2011, and set the Pac-10 Conference record for strikeouts in a season with 203 strikeouts in 2011 (Mark Prior had 202 with USC in 2001). He was named the 2011 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and won college baseball’s most prestigious award when he won the Golden Spikes Award in 2011, which is an annual award given to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.

Strengths: Bauer is a smaller framed pitcher with a slight build who has all of the ingredients to be a top of the rotation starter in the big leagues. He has a great feel for his pitches, has great athleticism and he really gets a lot out of power out of his delivery. He has a deep arsenal of pitches led by a 91-95 MPH fastball that has been up to 98 MPH, though last season it was a few ticks below his normal velocity. His command of his fastball is only average, but he has shown that he can maintain his velocity late in games, gets some good movement with it, and swing and miss. His plus-plus 12-6 curveball is a devastating pitch and the best pitch in his arsenal thanks to the good two plane action he gets with it. It is his go-to pitch and one he uses to put hitters away with two strikes. His second breaking ball is an above average slider and a pitch he likes to throw to right-handers because of how tough it is on them with the true wipeout two-plane break it gets. He has a good feel for an average changeup that has good fade through the zone and he uses it to attack lefties, and he also has a splitter that he mixes in though is inconsistent and the least effective pitch in his arsenal. He likes to experiment with his pitches and come up with different variations of them by changing the grips in order to give them different looks. One pitch is a “reverse slider” that breaks in on right-handers, and another is a version of his curveball called “The Bird” which he throws with his middle finger raised in order to get more side to side action to it - and the middle finger is the last thing a batter sees as it leaves his hand.

Bauer will probably never be mistaken as a command-control pitcher as his command is only slightly above average, so he is going to have to benefit from having above average secondary weapons and an above average fastball to beat hitters. He has a high effort delivery with exaggerated mechanics and a loose arm where he generates a lot of torque and a ton of momentum with his entire body to bring power to his stuff. He knows his delivery very well and what he needs to do to with it in order to maximize the quality of his stuff. He is a religious follower of biomechanics in order to gain a better understanding of the muscular, joint, and skeletal actions in his body in order to improve performance, prevent injury, and master the art of pitching. He has a quirky personality and a unique approach to his warmups which has drawn the ire of some coaches in the past. In his pre-game he has a very unique long-toss regimen where he throws the ball almost 400 feet from foul line to foul line, and on his final warmup toss on the mound each inning he takes the ball from the back of the mound and just fires it as hard as he can to the catcher. For all of his quirks, he is an extremely intelligent person – sometimes for his own good. He shows a strong commitment to game-planning, has a good work ethic and drive to win, and is just a good student of the game and is always prepared. He has a plus makeup and takes a lot of pride in his strength and conditioning.

Last season Bauer struggled early on in the year to find himself on the mound and had some trouble repeating his delivery. About a month or two into the season he and the Indians undertook a very difficult adjustment to his delivery that most pitchers would not try in-season, and it had an effect on his performance the rest of the season and is a big reason why he had so much fluctuation in his performances from outing to outing. The adjustment was a lower-half alteration to get him to have his eyes more parallel to the ground as he is coming through so there is less back arch and a more balanced delivery that lowers his arm slot a little bit and keeps his head and spine in a better position to generate force in a way that he feels will be more durable. It was a very difficult change to make all while having to go out on the mound every five days and compete. He really struggled with it at first, and it resulted in a dip in his fastball command and his velocity was down. As he got through the season he became a little more comfortable with it and in his last outing his fastball averaged 92 MPH and was up to 95 MPH – the most it had been since very early in the season. Also, the crispness to his breaking ball returned.

Opportunities: Bauer’s issues last season were numerous. He had trouble with his command all year and had an inconsistent feel for his pitches – particularly his fastball. He was erratic with the location of his fastball and even the location of his secondary offerings was off as well. He found himself behind a lot and got into cripple counts way too much (2-1, 2-0, 3-1), his velocity was inconsistent, and he was missing big with a good amount of his pitches. Without any consistency to his secondary stuff, poor command, and an erratic fastball, hitters just waited for a low 90s fastball to come into the zone and put swings on it. Even though he struggled each night he battled and tried to grind his way through his starts even though his best stuff was often not present. That’s the sign of a tough-nosed pitcher and someone who can excel in big games. Now, he has to find a way to get his command under control because if it keeps up it is going to not only continue to affect his performance but start to chip away at his strong psyche and frustration could settle in.

Bauer spins a pretty good curveball and has a nice slider, but those two secondary weapons are tough to use when he can’t pitch off his fastball. The number one order of business is to get his fastball command straightened out and everything else should fall in line. He is at his best when he locates his fastball down in the zone, so getting him to repeat that over the course of the season will continue to be a challenge for Indians coaches. He has the aptitude to make adjustments, just now he has to put it together and for a lengthy stretch, otherwise he will begin to look like a prospect miss. He needs to be more efficient with his pitches to reduce his high pitch counts that barely get him through five or six innings, and he has to have a better awareness of the hitters he is facing and how to attack them. With his smaller size and frame there are some concerns about his unorthodox delivery and the stress it puts on his arm where it may lead to some arm issues down the road. The Indians did not have any issues with him last season, but he has a history of rubbing coaches the wrong way because of how stubborn he can be.

Outlook: Bauer’s inconsistent season last year brings a lot of question marks for this year. Right now, based on his body of work last year he is an unreliable starter and really needs more time to develop which is why he should spend a great majority of the season in the minors. By playing in a lower pressure environment he can work on solidifying the new mechanical changes he has been working through in the offseason and the new delivery change he and the Indians made last season. He is still an important piece of the big league puzzle, but until that fastball command comes and the delivery is shored up, he just does not fit. There is no question he came with a lot of hype as a recent first round pick and highly regarded pitching prospect with lots of upside at a position of need for the Indians. The hope is that he simply had a hiccup last year adjusting to a new delivery and organization, and now that he had a normal offseason he can get back to being the exciting prospect he was when the Indians acquired him. Last season he came up with a catchy rap song that he made called “Gutter to the Grail” which in a lot of ways became the anthem for the Indians as they fought to make the postseason, and in some ways will be his anthem this year as he looks to rebound with a big season. He has often been compared to Tim Lincecum and has the potential to be a good number two starter or even an ace in a rotation, and if he realizes his potential he could be a young starter for the Indians to build around for the next half decade. He should open the season in the starting rotation at Triple-A Columbus.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

2014 Minor League Spring Game recap: March 15th

By Tony Lastoria

March 16, 2014

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Here is the first spring training recap of the minor league games from Saturday March 15th. Note, there were games played on Friday March 14th, but no box scores are available for this date.

At the bottom of each section I have included comments about the results or other things I am hearing.

Columbus 2, Akron 1

CLIPPERS BATTERS
Joey Wendle (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Audy Ciriaco (2B) - 0-0, 1 BB
Ronny Rodriguez (SS) - 2-3, 1 2B
Jesus Aguilar (DH) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Chun Chen (1B) - 0-3
Tyler Naquin (CF) - 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB
Carlos Moncrief (RF) - 1-3, 1 2B
Tyler Holt (DH) - 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 1-2, 1 2B
Charlie Valerio (C) - 1-1
Alex Lavisky (C) - No official plate appearance
Tim Fedroff (LF) - 0-1, 1 BB

CLIPPERS PITCHERS
Tyler Cloyd - 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 5 K, 5/12 first pitch strikes (FPS)
Brett Brach - 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 3/7 FPS
Daniel Carela - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 2/5 FPS
Tyler Sturdevant - 1 IP, 1 BB, 2/4 FPS

Notes: It is imporant to note that we should not get caught up in some of the assignments of guys for these games. Remember, a great many players who will make up the Triple-A Columbus roster are still in Major League spring training, so a lot of guys are playing up a level or two in these games in order to fill gaps on the roster. For example, it is unlikely that Naquin will open at Columbus and he is just playing with them since Matt Carson and other non-roster spring invites have yet to be sent down to minor league camp. ... I still think it is going to be interesting to see how the Indians handle Ronny Rodriguez at the outset of the season with where they assign him (I still say he returns to Double-A Akron) and if he starts moving around the diamond some. ... Carela is a guy the Indians signed in the offseason after bringing him in for a tryout during Instructional League, and apparently the mid-90s velocity is intriguing enough to take a little longer look. ... It ia great to see Sturdevant on the hill from the get go. After missing most of the last two seasons with a should issue and returning from it, he needs a healthy spring to get the momentum back to where he was at the end of the 2011 season as a higher priority pen arm for the Indians.

RUBBERDUCKS BATTERS
Todd Hankins (2B) - 1-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Logan Vick (CF) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Erik Gonzalez (DH) - 0-2, 1 K
Mitch Nilsson (DH) - 0-0 (non-AB plate appearance other than A walk)
Jordan Smith (RF) - 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Charlie Valerio (C) - 1-2
Alex Lavisky (C) - 0-1 (played for both teams)
Yandy Diaz (DH) - 0-2, 1 BB
James Roberts (SS) - 0-3, 1 K, 1 E
Paddy Matera (3B) - 1-3
Jerrud Sabourin (1B) - 0-2, 2 K
Brian Ruiz (LF) - 2-2

RUBBERDUCKS PITCHERS
Trevor Bauer - 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 3 BB, 2 K, 7/18 FPS
Robert Whitenack - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 1 K, 4/8 FPS

Notes: Just about everyone who appeared in an Akron uniform for this game will open the season with Triple-A Columbus or High-A Carolina - save for three or four guys. .... Yandy Diaz is a player I am not familiar with. Not only does he have no minor league history, but he is a guy who I had never heard of until I came across him in this box score. I look to get more information on him and share what I find out. ... Bauer looks to still be struggling with command as he had 3 wals in 4.0 innings of work and just 7 of 18 his first pitches were strikes.

Lake County 3, Carolina 2

MUDCATS BATTERS
Dorssys Paulino (SS) - 1-3, CS
Zach MacPhee (SS) - 1-1, 1 R
Ivan Castillo (2B) - 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K
Yhoxian Medina (2B) - 1-1, SB
Jeremy Lucas (C) - 1-1, 1 RBI, 1 other plate appearance (possibly a sac fly)
Richard Stock (DH) - 0-1, 1 BB
Martin Cervenka (DH) - 0-1
Grant Fink (1B) - 0-2, 2 K
Cody Ferrell (CF) - 1-2, 1 K
Jorge Martinez (LF) - 0-2
Victor Cabral RF) - 0-2
Paul Hendrix (3B) - 0-1, 2 BB
Ryan Battaglia (DH) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Nick Hamilton (DH) - 1-1, 1 2B, 1 BB

MUDCATS PITCHERS
Kieran Lovegrove - 1.2 IP, 1 R (unearned), 3 BB
Alexis Paredes - 1 IP, 2 K
Benny Suarez - 1 IP, 1 R (unearned), 1 K
Justin Brantley - 1 IP, 3 K
Carlos Melo - 1 IP
Naoki Hashimoto - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB

Notes: It is interesting to see MacPhee playing in games at shortstop in the early going. He is not an everyday option there and is more of a fill-in player who is versatile and can play many positions, so perhaps they are evaluating him as a potential utility option early this spring. ... Stock can't even get into games and play the field during spring training as he was once again the DH for the day. He has some ability with the bat, but he really needs to shore up his approach and show he can play a little defense at first base or catcher in order to get a chance to move up. ... Brantley was recently signed to a minor league deal with an invite to minor league spring training. He pitched four years at Siena College and went undrafted last year. Getting three strikeouts in one inning or work in his unofficial pro debut is pretty special.

CAPTAINS BATTERS
Joel Mejia (RF) - 0-3, 1 K
Claudio Bautista (2B) - 0-2
Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-1
Clint Frazier (CF) - 0-2, additional plate appearance result not specified
Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 0-1, 1 BB
Leonardo Castillo (1B) - 1-1
Willi Castro (SS) - 0-2, 1 K
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 0-0, 1 BB
Silento Sayles (LF) - 1-2, 1 3B, 1 RBI
D'Vone McClure (LF) - 0-1
Juan De La Cruz (DH) - 0-2, 1 BB
Garrett Smith (3B) - 0-1, SB, additional plate appearance result not specified
Sicnarf Loopstok (C) - 0-1, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Gerald Bautista (C) - 0-1, 1 K
Takuya Tsuchida (DH) - 0-2, 2 K, 1 CS

CAPTAINS PITCHERS
Clayton Cook - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Grant Sides - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (earned), 2 BB
Anthony Vizcaya - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Wander Beras - 1 IP, 1 BB
Cortland Cox - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Notes: The Indians actually had "Francisco" Mejia in right field and leading off for Lake County in the box score, but it was actually speedy outfielder "Joel" Mejia. ... I've heard that barring injury Frazier will open the season in Lake County. ... Castro and Chang are two middle infielders to get excited about. They may or may not work out, but the upside with both is significant and they already show some pop in their bats and some fun skills defensively. What a long road back it has been for Clayton Cook as he missed just about all of the last two seasons due to a shoulder issue. While it wasn't a clean outing, it was a solid effort in his first "real" time on the mound this spring. He is fighting to get a rotation spot back, though may open the season in extended spring training to monitor his innings and keep him in a warmer climate in the early going.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

If you didn't read the whole Cody Anderson writeup, you will be excited to know that Tony says of the RHP:

He has the makeup along the lines of a Josh Tomlin where he is extremely tough, extremely committed, and really wants to be in baseball. He has a tremendous work ethic, a ton of aptitude, and is always willing to learn and receive instruction.

Thanks for posting the minors box scores, Joe.

I'll note about a few of those guys in the Class A game:

Silento Sayles (LF) - 1-2, 1 3B, 1 RBI: A high school basestealing superstar, who BA says learned to hit pretty well in his first summer in Arizona.
D'Vone McClure (LF) - 0-1: A high draft pick in 2012 who has been remarkably unimpressive his first two summers in Arizona. He has many tools, but low achievement.
Sicnarf Loopstok (C) - 0-1, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Winner of the 2013 "best name in pro baseball" competition , didn't do much in his debut at MHV, but with that name I'm sure he'll stick around awhile.

2014 IBI Top 50 Prospects: #2 OF Clint Frazier

By Tony Lastoria

March 17, 2014

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2. Clint Frazier – Outfielder

Born: 09/06/1994 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

History: Frazier was selected by the Indians in the 1st round of the 2013 Draft out of Loganville High School (GA). He had a commitment to play baseball at the University of Georgia, but was signed for $3.5 million. During his senior season in high school he hit .485 (47-for-97) with 17 homers, 45 RBI, 56 runs scored, a .561 on-base percentage and 1.134 slugging percentage in 32 games, and after the season was named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. During his junior season he hit .424 with 24 home runs, earning 2012 All-American honors from Aflac and Under Armour while leading the Loganville Red Devils to the AAAA Georgia state championship. Last season he homered to lead off the game in his pro debut. Also, he ranked 12th in the Arizona League in batting (.297), 8th in runs (32), 11th in hits (51), 6th in triples (5), 6th in home runs (5), 9th in RBI (28), 5th in total bases (87), 2nd in strikeouts (61), 4th in slugging percentage (.506) and 4th in OPS (.868).

Strengths: Frazier has the potential to be a franchise player because of his incredible makeup, very good athleticism, and several plus skills across the board. He sees the ball well, exhibits patience and selectivity against good pitching and crushes pitches in his hitting zone. He shows very good bat-to-ball skills with a chance to be a solid Major League hitter, but what really impresses is his plus-plus raw prodigious power that is well above average on a Major League scale. He is not an overly physical looking player and is only average sized, but combines a quick, short stroke with some tightly wound athleticism and good quick twitch muscles along with some very good strength in his forearms, hands and wrists to generate some explosive bat speed that is rarely seen in a player. He has a nice line drive swing that is really loose and whippy and he gets good lift out front which gives him the ability to loft the ball out to all fields. His superior bat speed and the way the ball comes off the barrel not only helps him hit missiles into the gaps and balls way over the fence, but his groundballs are much harder and get through the infield much quicker than a normal hitter. He is a threat every time he comes to the plate as the bat speed is like a coiled snake in the way it is so fast and so quick when it strikes. He puts on an impressive display in batting practice launching majestic home runs to all parts of the field, and even makes bets with coaches not just with how far he can hit a ball but also aims for specific targets from foul pole to foul pole. He had a .506 slugging percentage and .209 isolated power in his pro debut at rookie level Arizona which was good to see, and as he matures and grows into his body and makes adjustments with his approach, setup and swing the hope is that the power will show itself even more.

Frazier’s amazing bat speed and plus-plus power potential may be the most exciting attribute he has, but it is not the only thing that makes him such an impressive prospect. With his athleticism along with his ability to run, throw and play defense, he has many people thinking that he has legit five-tool potential. He is an above average runner who will consistently run home to first in about 4.2 seconds, and in workouts his 60 times were in the 6.4 to 6.5 second range. He has the ability to steal bases and is very instinctual and aggressive on the bases as well, and goes from first to third with ease. Defensively, he has a plus arm with good arm strength and a few of his balls from the outfield have been clocked as high as 98 MPH. He has the athleticism and speed to play center field very well as he ranges to balls well, gets good jumps and has a good understanding of how to play the position, and the Indians see him sticking at the position long term. Beyond the tools, what may make him truly special is his confidence. For a player fresh out of high school he is a baseball rat who is committed to the game and understands the game of baseball extremely well and is what he lives for. He loves the game and is obsessed with it to the point it is almost an addiction to him. He has a maturity and intensity about him that you don’t see very often in an 18-19 year old, something you see firsthand when you talk to him about his aspirations and his goals as it is clear he has a vision for himself and he is extremely driven. One of the things that really does separate talent in baseball is having that vision for yourself and seeing what you want to do with your life and career, and he does that to an elite level. He has an unbelievable ability to slow the game down mentally but at the same time uses a lot of fast twitch actions. He has a high energy personality, and is very coachable and just works hard to make incremental improvement every day.

After being selected in the draft Frazier signed quickly, got out to affiliate ball right away and made quite an impression on and off the field in his first pro season. As an 18-year old he impressed with the power as over 40% of his hits went for extra bases. He impressed with how hard he plays and the nonstop hustle and focus he has on the game. In one game he hit a long towering ball to deep center, yet instead of standing there posing believing it was a home run, he put his head down and ran. The ball ended up going off the top of the wall and took a funny carom away from the center fielder, and because he was hustling out of the box he made it home easily for a stand up inside the park home run. He is also constantly studying the pitchers to get a feel for what they are doing and how they are attacking him. In one game he faced a submarine style pitcher for the first time in his amateur and pro career and watched three strikes go by without swinging the bat, but the next time up he stayed back and drove a ball to right field for a well hit line drive single. He made some strides defensively as he improved 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 also really impressed with his work outside of games as his work ethic was top notch and he was a good teammate. It is those additional traits as well as the plus-plus power potential which make him so endearing as a prospect, and at least to this point he has lived up to that. It was a nice introduction to professional baseball for him as he combined success with growth in a short period of time, and his good rookie ball and Instructional League showing are hopefully a good jumping off point to a big 2014 season and beyond.

Opportunities: Frazier’s pro debut was really more about exposing him to the professional game, having him understand the process, understand his routines and really just build the foundation of what it is going to take to be a Major Leaguer. It starts with those routines and playing every day and learning what his body feels like, and he made some big strides there with just preparing every day. While he continues that transition the Indians will now also begin to mix in more instruction and fundamental work. While the bat speed is stunning and the tools are salivating, the biggest area of focus will be to develop his approach at the plate. He has an aggressive approach and is prone to high strikeout totals, so discipline could be an ongoing issue for him. He is young and has some maturing to do as a hitter, so he needs to work on being more selective at the plate, be more patient, and cut down on the strikeouts some. Lying off borderline pitches and breaking balls low away will be a key, but mostly it will be about learning to swing at pitches he can drive and developing his two strike approach. As a power hitter the strikeouts will probably always be a part of his game to some degree, but limiting them a little and refining his pitch recognition skills will help him as he moves up so he swings at better pitches and also allow that walk to strikeout ratio to look more favorable. He has the tools and aptitude where hopefully with some maturation and coaching he will begin to make strides with his approach this season. If the Indians can get him to cut the strikeout rate to 22-25% and get the walks up to 10-12%, then you can live with the strikeouts considering the power and production numbers which should be there.

Another concern is with Frazier’s physical projection as many people believe he is close to maxed out physically at 19 years old and that he won't add much more power or strength as he adds muscle to his frame and fills out a little more, which means what you see is what you get with him right now when grading present and future power. He is still a little raw in center field so will need to improve his reads and routes in order to stay there and not be pushed to a corner outfield position as he moves up the system. He is learning to be a better base-runner and to be more aggressive on the basepaths so he can steal more bases. He is still adapting to the game and learning to use the wooden bat every day, getting used to seeing much higher caliber pitching everyday than he did in high school, getting a feel for the pace of the game, and playing every day. At times he can try to do too much both on and off the field, so he has to learn to pace himself a little more and not overdo things. He has struggled with some bouts of elbow tendonitis and other minor arm/shoulder injuries over the last two years which has limited his ability to throw, so that bears watching over the course of the season to see if it is an ongoing issue for him or not.

Outlook: The Indians spent a ton of time scouting Frazier and getting to know him. Area scout Brad Tyler followed him since his sophomore year in high school and really scouted him heavily the summer between his junior and senior year and all throughout the fall and into the spring leading up to the draft, and really spent a lot of time with Frazier and his family and developed a good relationship with them. The Indians had him in for a private workout in Atlanta in October of 2012 right around Halloween and it was at that workout where he really separated himself for them just with his power, his makeup and his leadership ability and he carried that into his first pro season with them. His combination of plus tools and ability to impact a game in different ways on both sides of the ball, on the bases and with power give them a potential multi-faceted player that can impact the game in many different ways and be a star. What he is showing at 18-19 years of age with his power, maturity, commitment and professionalism has been impressive and he has established a good foothold for him to take off and have an exceptional career and potentially zoom through the system like Francisco Lindor. You won’t find a more committed and focused player in the Indians system outside of Lindor, and it is that drive to learn and succeed which constantly speeds up their timelines and has them pushing the envelope. His all-out play style and tools compare him favorably to Grady Sizemore, though he has much more arm strength and power where some believe he has the goods to be a Mike Trout kind of player if everything comes together as hoped. Success in the Arizona League often does not lead to success as players move on to full season affiliates as many players have struggled the next season after big showings in the AZL, but the good showing last season should at least be a good confidence booster for him. His first real true test should come this season where he likely opens the season as the starting center fielder for Low-A Lake County. Playing full season baseball and facing more advanced pitching will be a good barometer for him as a prospect.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

2014 Minor League Spring Game recap: March 16th

By Tony Lastoria

March 17, 2014

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Here is the recap from the minor league games played on Sunday March 16th. As always, I have included some comments and insight into each game.

Note, there was a duplicate of the Columbus or Akron game provided, so only three box scores were provided for Sunday's game. This is why Akron is missing in today's report.

Clippers 11, Bats 6

BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (2B) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K
Todd Hankins (2B) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Erik Gonzalez (SS) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB
Carlos Moncrief (RF) - 0-4, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 E
Jesus Aguilar (1B) - 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Chun Chen (DH) - 0-3
Paddy Matera (DH) - 1-2
Bryson Myles (CF) - 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K
Tony Wolters (C) - 1-3, 2 R, 1 2B
Eric Haase (C) - 0-1, 1 K
Anthony Gallas (LF) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB
Yandy Diaz (3B) - 1-1, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Joe Sever (3B) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 K
Alex Monsalve (DH) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K
Mitch Nilsson (DH) - 1-1, 1 R, 1 RBI

PITCHERS
Toru Murata - 2 IP, 1 BB, 4 K
Austin Adams - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Shawn Armstrong - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earmed), 1 BB
Bryce Stowell - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
J.D. Reichenbach- 1 IP, 1 K
Enosil Tejeda - 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 1 K
Giovanni Soto - 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 K

Notes: I know the Indians plan to play Jose Ramirez all over the infield at Columbus this season, but it is interesting to see him playing second base (his best position). I still believe that is where he will get most of his time this season. ... Erik Gonzalez had an exceptional game - which is not a surprise after the great offseason he had. He's come out of nowhere from a guy on the roster bubble last spring to a guy who may have a legit future as a Major League middle infielder. ... It is nice to see Anthony Gallas out there playing after he missed the last four-plus months of the season last year with a shoulder injury. He's a depth outfielder right now for Akron and Carolina - and is very much on the roster bubble this spring - but someone I'd like to see the organization keep around and give a shot at Akron. ... Giovanni Soto is a guy who really needs a strong showing this spring. The good and bad numbers from other players do not really mean much this spring, but for guys coming off injury, performance means so much more - at least to me. He lost his momentum last season thanks to the back injury, and his slow return and struggles at the tail end of winter ball and so far in spring training have me wondering if there is still something wrong or he is just slow to return to form.

Mudcats 4, Blaze 3

BATTERS
Dorssys Paulino (SS) - 0-2, 1 BB
Leonardo Castillo (SS) - 1-2
Yhoxian Medina (2B) - 0-2
Robel Garcia (2B) - 0-2, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jeremy Lucas (C) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB
Richard Stock (C) - 1-2
Josh McAdams (RF) - 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Grant Fink (1B) - 0-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Paul Hendrix (DH) - 0-3, 1 RBI, 2 K, Addiitional Plate Appearance (Likely a Sac Fly)
Zach MacPhee (3B) - 0-4, 2 K
Victor Cabral (LF) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 K
Brian Ruiz (CF) - 3-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

PITCHERS
Geoffrey Davenport - 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Josh Martin - 1 IP, 1 BB
Kyle Bellows - 1 IP
Cody Penny - 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 earned)
Jack Wagoner - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Rob Nixon - 1 IP, 2 K
Louis Head - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Notes: Leonardo Castillo getting some time at shortstop? That's new. Perhaps the Indians are looking to add some versatility to his game. ... Richard Stock got a rare appearance behind the plate, and he and Jeremy Lucas may be in a dogfight for one spot on the Carolina roster with the other opening in extended spring training or even released. ... Brian Ruiz has been on fire the last two days with multi-hit efforts going 5-for-6 at the plate on Saturday and Sunday. He needs it as he had another tough season last year and is on the roster bubble this spring. ... The Kyle Bellows experiment to the mound has continued into this season. He was a late season conversion to the mound last year and showed a low-to-mid 90s fastball and some potential with a breaking ball that makes him interesting - albeit a very big long shot. ... Geoffrey Davenport is a guy that I have liked since the day the Indians drafted and signed him. He's had two unfortunate arm injuries and come back from both, and is someone I am intrigued about as a Vidal Nuno kind of depth starter/swing guy that can move through the system.

Captains 3, Dragons 3

BATTERS
Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-3, 1 K
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 0-1
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 0-3
Willi Castro (SS) - 0-1
Clint Frazier (CF) - 0-1
Nick Hamilton (LF) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Leonardo Castillo (3B) - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Gerald Bautista (DH) - 1-2, 1 2B
Shane Rowland (C) - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 K
Juan De La Cruz (C) - 1-2, 1 RBI
D'Vone McClure (LF/RF) - 0-4, 1 K
Joel Mejia (RF/CF) - 0-4, 1 K
Claudio Bautista (DH/3B) - 0-2, 1 K
Yonathan Mendoza (DH) - 2-2
Garrett Smith (DH) - 0-1

PITCHERS
Jacob Lee - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 K
Luis Lugo - 2 IP, 3 K
Manuel Carmona - 1 IP
Michael Peoples - 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (both earned)
Trevor Frank - 1 IP
Ben Heller - 1 IP, 2 H

Notes: Yu-Cheng Chang and WIlli Castro split time at shortstop. While they combined to go 0-for-4 at the plate, they form a nice tandem as two of the Indians best prospects expected to make their stateside debut this season. ... D'Vone McClure and Josh McAdams are two players who need to start putting things together this season and show something, so an 0-for-4 day and a strikeout is not going to help McClure's cause. He is heading to extended spring training pretty much no matter what. ... Jacob Lee is healthy again and looks like he is in the mix for a starting rotation spot - though I still say at most he is in a piggyback situation in order to control his innings while also developing him as a starter. ... Michael Peoples is another guy coming back from an injury setback at the end of last season. He struggled the most of any Captains starter but performance means little in spring training, expecially for the guys coming off injury - though like I said with Soto you hope he can perform.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 17th

By Tony Lastoria

March 18, 2014

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Here is the recap from the minor league games played on Monday March 17th. It was a camp day at the complex so there were two intrasquad games played between Columbus-Akron and Carolina-Lake County. As always, I have included some comments and insight into each game.

RubberDucks 4, Clippers 1

CLIPPERS BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (2B) - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 K
Joey Wendle (2B) - 1-2
Francisco Lindor (SS) - 1-2, 1 2B
Ronny Rodriguez (SS) - 1-2, 1 2B
Jesus Aguilar (1B) - 1-4
Chun Chen (DH) - 0-4, 2 K
Jordan Smith (RF) - 1-3, 1 K
Carlos Moncrief (CF) - 0-3, 2 K
Tim Fedroff (LF) - 2-2, 1 R, 1 BB
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 0-2
Audy Ciriaco (3B) - 0-0, 1 BB
Alex Monsalve (C) - 0-2, 1 K
Shane Rowland (C) - 1-1
Alex Lavisky (DH) - 0-3, 3 K

Notes: Jose Ramirez continues to only play at second base which is the position he should play a majority of the time at Triple-A Columbus this season. ... Three catchers Alex Lavisky, Alex Monsalve and Shane Rowland played with Columbus on the day, but there were just filling in as the main catching options are still in big leaue camp.

CLIPPERS PITCHERS
Ryan Merritt - 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 7 K
Robbie Aviles - 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (earned), 2 K
Felix Sterling - 1 IP, 1 K
Harold Guerrero - 1 IP
Gabriel Arias - 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 BB, 1 K
Elvis Araujo - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Notes: Merritt is one of my favorite guys as he is kind of like a left-handed version of Josh Tomlin. While he lacks much velocity or a very good secondary offering, he is tough, knows how to pitch, throws strikes and has a lot of guts. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does at High-A Carolina this season. ... Felix Sterling and Elvis Araujo are both going only one inning, so it appears the Indians have decided to keep them in a pen role at least at the outset of the season.

RUBBERDUCKS BATTERS
Tyler Naquin (CF) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Todd Hankins (2B) - 1-4, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Erik Gonzalez (DH) - 0-4, 3 K
Roberto Perez (C) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 K
Jake Lowery (C) - 0-1
Charlie Valerio (C) - 0-0, 1 BB
Jerrud Sabourin (1B) - 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
James Roberts (SS) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Logan Vick (RF) - 1-3, 1 2B, 1 K
Paddy Matera (3B) - 1-4, 1 K
LeVon Washington (LF) - 0-1, 1 K
Brian Ruiz (LF) - 1-2, 1 K

Notes: After two stellar games on Saturday and Sunday, Erik Gonzalez had a three strikeout afternoon on Monday. ... Roberto Perez, Jake Lowery and Charlie Valerio got action at catcher for Akron, and combined with a few guys in the lineup with Columbus and some guys still in big league camp, there are a ton of guys for just four total spots at Columbus and Akron. This is going to be interesting to see how this position shakes out this spring. ... We have a LeVon Washington siting, the first of the spring, although just for a few innings and for one plate appearance. It is not a good sign when his play is being limited already.

RUBBERDUCKS PITCHERS
Travis Banwart - 3 IP, 2 H, 6 K
Cody Anderson - 3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Kerry Doane - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned)1 BB, 2 K

Notes: Travis Banwart looks to be in line for one of the rotation spots at Triple-A Columbus. He's an interesting guy to keep an eye on as some rotation depth who could maybe factor into things as he was a guy that had some potential with Oakland but just never got an opportunity for various reasons. .... Cody Anderson is tuning up for a big season where he is expected to anchor the starting rotation at Double-A Akron for a majority of the season. He's a guy who is still pretty raw and new to pitching, but who could really begin to factor into things in 2015 if he makes some significant strides this season.

Captains 3, Mudcats 0

MUDCATS BATTERS
Cody Ferrell (CF) - 0-3
Yhoxian Medina (2B) - 0-3
Jeremy Lucas (DH) - 0-3
Grant Fink (1B) - 1-2, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 K
Josh McAdams (RF) - 0-1, 1 BB, 1 K
Richard Stock (C) - 1-2
Jorge Martinez (LF) - 0-2
Robel Garcia (3B) - 0-2, 1 K
Juan Romero (DH) - 0-2, 1 K
Zach MacPhee (DH) - 0-2, 2 K
Nick Hamilton (DH) - 0-2, 1 SB

Notes: An interesting lineup for High-A Carolina as not one single high end prospect was in the lineup. There are some interesting guys like Josh McAdams and Jorge Martinez, but both really slipped last season after a tough 2013 campaign. Again, it is important to point out that a lot of the guys starting and playing in this game won't have the same opportunity when the season starts as several players expected to open at Carolina are playing up because of depleted rosters at Akron and Columbus.

MUDCATS PITCHERS
Jordan Milbrath - 2 IP, 1 H,1 BB, 2 K
Anderson Polanco - 1 IP
Naoki Hashimoto - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (both earned), 3 BB
Carlos Diaz - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R 9earned), 2 BB
Wander Beras - 1 IP, 2 K
Justin Brantley - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Thomas White - 1 IP

Notes: Jordan Milbrath is a sleeper to watch and one I profile more in my upcoming book - and will profile in my upcoming positional rankings. He is very limited mound experience, but there is so much to work with as he has good size and stuff. He's someone who might even get an opportunity to start at the outset of the season.

CAPTAINS BATTERS
Joel Mejia (CF) - 1-4, 1 K
Yonathan Mendoza (3B) - 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Yu-Cheng Chang (DH/SS) - 1-4, 1 K, 1 E
Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
Leonardo Castillo (DH) - 0-2
Garrett Smith (DH) - 0-1
Willi Castro (SS) - 0-1, 2 BB
D'Vone McClure (LF) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Victor Cabral (RF) - 1-3
Juan De La Cruz (C) - 0-1, 1 BB, 1 SB
Gerald Bautista (C) - 0-0, 1 BB
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 0-1, 1 BB
Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-1, 1 E

Notes: Nelson Rodriguez hits the first of what is hopefully a high amount of home runs this season. ... The Indians are very high on Yu-Cheng Chang so it will be interesting to see if they are aggressive with a push to Low-A Lake County at the outset of the season - though that may depend on whether Dorssys Paulino actually repeats there as expected.

CAPTAINS PITCHERS
Casey Shane - 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB
Luis DeJesus - 2 IP, 3 K
Ramon Rodriguez - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Tom Pannone - 1 IP
Jose Zapata - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Alexis Paredes - 1 IP, 1 K

Notes: Casey Shane needed 30 pitches to get through his inning of work and only threw first pitch strikes to two of the seven batters he faced. ... By contract, Luis DeJesus needed just 25 pitches to complete his two innings of work and threw first pitch strikes to five of the six batters he faced. Along with the three strikeouts, it was just a stellar outing for him.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball 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.

I note good work by a couple of my favorites: Luis Lugo, 2 IP, 3K, no other marks; and a Nellie Rodriguez homer. Skimming through all these names I certainly don't run across very many that interest me. Regrettably no Anthony Santander. No Dace Kime, either? Have I missed him, or Kenny Matthews?

2014 IBI Top 50 Prospects: #1 SS Francisco Lindor

By Tony Lastoria

March 18, 2014

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1. Francisco Lindor - Shortstop

Born: 11/14/1993 - Height: 5’11” - Weight: 175 - Bats: Switch - Throws: Right

History: Lindor was selected in the 1st round of the 2011 Draft out of Montverde Academy High School (FL), and had a commitment to attend Florida State but signed with the Indians for $2.9 million. He was the first high school player the Indians selected in the 1st round of the draft since 2001. In 2009 he helped his Under-16 Team USA squad to a gold medal in Taiwan by hitting .500 with three triples and six steals, in August of 2010 he won the home run hitting contest at the Aflac All-American Game in San Diego’s Petco Park, and in 2011 was a Rawlings First Team All-American. He has some baseball in the family genes as his father played semi-pro baseball in Puerto Rico. He was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and then at 12-years of age his family moved to the Orlando, FL area to help improve his English and baseball skills so he could have a better opportunity to play baseball professionally.

Strengths: Lindor is a franchise middle of the diamond player who can impact in nearly every phase of the game. He has a lot of skill with the bat with a good overall feel for hitting with the potential to impact the top of a Major League lineup. He has a very professional line drive approach and good plan when he steps up to the plate with good instincts and solid hitting skills to work to the middle of the field, and has strong, quick hands and good footwork throughout his swing to go along with some above average bat speed from both sides of the plate. He puts up great at bats and has a very good knowledge of the strike zone with above average pitch recognition skills that allow him to control the zone well. He displays good patience where he is willing to work counts to get a good pitch to hit or take a walk, and shows a good ability to work the outer half of the plate and go the other way. He really limits strikeouts as seen by his nearly 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio and a strikeout once every 7.1 at bats in his career. As he has matured and added strength as a pro he has shown more power driving the ball into the gaps and can knock out the occasional home run. His power is mostly pull side, though he does drive balls to the opposite field gaps with authority. He has added close to 20 pounds of muscle since signing and the feeling is as he continues to max out his body in the next two to three years that a power spike may come where he can have right around average power to knock out 10-15 homers a year in the big leagues. He is also a very fundamentally sound hitter where he can bunt when needed and move runners along when a situation calls for it.

While Lindor’s offensive game is very good, it is his defense at a premium position that carries the most value for him and is his greatest skill. He has the tools defensively to be an above average defender in the Major Leagues right now and as he continues to mature and gain experience at the position he should be one of the premier defensive shortstops in the league. He is a Gold Glove caliber defender who has the potential to go down as one of the all-time great shortstops in the game if he manages to stay healthy and do enough offensively to stay in the game long enough. He is a confident defender who displays very good actions and just has an excellent feel for the game. He is effortless in the field and makes things look easy with his excellent quickness, good athleticism, and plus hands and feet. He showcases easy range with very good instincts, a quick first step, and pre-pitch positioning that help him get to a lot of balls most shortstops don’t get to. He displays such exceptional balance and outstanding footwork when he makes the pivot on the double play and has an above average arm with a lightning quick release that is very accurate. His advanced abilities at shortstop at his age are just very rare, and he has all of the intangibles, instincts and tools to be an impact defender in Cleveland for a long time.

In addition to excelling as a hitter and defender, Lindor is also a very good runner and has all of the other intangibles to complete the package. He is a plus runner who is aggressive with good instincts. He excels on the bases where he creates havoc as a base-stealer and runs any chance he gets, and is so quick with his jumps that he often steals bases with ease. With his speed, quickness and intelligence as a runner the belief is that he will round himself into an annual 30-40 stolen base threat at the Major League level. His makeup is off the charts as he is very mature and is a tireless worker who always works at his craft to try and get better and be more consistent in all phases of the game. He is an exceptional leader on the field with the energy he brings every night and the consistency of his routines and preparation, and he also leads off the field by taking practice time serious and spending countless hours working on fundamentals as a fielder, hitter and runner. He is a baseball rat who is just very focused on the process and pays attention to the fine details of the game and understands the adjustments he needs to make in order to get better. He is the ultimate competitor who hates to lose and gives everything he has every time he plays, and plays well against any competition he faces and never looks overwhelmed. He has the letters “BC” scribbled on his glove which stands for “be consistent” and is a reminder for him every time he looks down at it. He attended boarding school when he moved to the states, so he is bilingual and speaks English very well.

Last season Lindor really came in physically ready as he gained 10 pounds of muscle over the winter and he set records with strength and conditioning numbers in spring training with his 5-10-5 times. The 5-10-5 drills involve a player starting on a line where they go right five yards, left 10 yards and then right five yards. It is lateral quickness and agility drill, and a drill he posted the best times ever recorded by the organization. He looked really good at the plate last season and stayed within himself better by being more under control and getting the barrel where it needed to go compared to the previous season at Low-A Lake County when he tended to get real big and try to create. He was more consistent in his swing and in the strike zone thanks to better balance at the plate by an adjustment he made to stay more on his back foot. Probably most impressive was his transition from High-A to Double-A in July as his approach did not change and actually was even better. It is that consistency in his approach that was so impressive to see last season, something that he and the Indians made a primary focus for him. He struggled a little with that consistency the previous year at Lake County to not just be consistent every pitch, every at bat, and every game, but for the entire season. He suffered a back strain in August which forced him to miss the final few weeks of the season, though it was not a serious injury and the Indians were just being overly conservative and weighed on the side of caution to use the time as an opportunity to rest him after what was a very long season for him. His growth as a hitter in his approach, his bat to ball and base-running skills answered a lot of question marks for him as a prospect, and now it appears that an injury may be the only thing which prevents him from future success at the big league level.

Opportunities: Lindor has few if any limitations, though he does work so hard that sometimes it can have a negative impact on him. The back injury last August was a workload issue for him that came about because of all the work he puts into each day before, during and after games. With his drive and desire to speed his timeframe up it has been a work in progress to get him to work less. He needs to get a little better at monitoring the amount of work he is doing, and the Indians will also work to curtail some of his extra work before and after games to keep him healthy and strong all season. He has worn down in each of the last two season first with his second half performance at Low-A Lake County in 2012 (.228 with a .633 OPS in 62 games) and the back injury last season. He needs to learn how to play the game with the type of intensity that he plays with throughout a full season and not wear himself out. For a player of his caliber it is just a matter of trying to slow it down constantly because he is going to speed it up not just with his ability but his learning curve and how hard he works.

Aside from monitoring his work, another area of focus for Lindor is to continue to focus on building a foundation. He needs that foundation so that when he does have struggles in the Major Leagues or experiences some challenges he has something to fall back on that he learned in the minor leagues. He is coming along well as a hitter, but he still has some more seasoning needed in the minors to be considered Major League ready. The Indians are working with him to try and get him to refine his approach a little to tone down on his aggressiveness some so he can draw more walks and is swinging at good pitches he can hit. He is very polished defensively though he needs to make sure he is focused and physically ready for every play in the field as his mistakes mostly come from mental lapses.

Outlook: The Indians followed Lindor for two and a half years before he was drafted and did not miss a showcase game in his draft year, and the homework they did on him going into the draft has paid off. When you see guys performing at an average level or slightly above average level you get extremely excited when someone is a year and a half or two and a half years younger than the league. That is probably the most exciting thing about him over his short career is how much younger he is than everyone else, yet he has performed and been one of the best players in the leagues. He had a fantastic season last year at the plate and just continues to exceed expectations even for a high profile first round pick and consensus #1 prospect in the system. Going into the season no one saw him making the kind of strides he made offensively, but he did, and it is a testament to his unrelenting work ethic. He’s really turned himself into an offensive force and great top of the lineup hitter, which makes him a complete player considering the great defender and baserunner he already is and how he can impact a game in so many other ways. Another thing that makes him so impressive is he has the maturity and ability to handle expectations. Those two things are what sets him apart from everyone else, and are why he is viewed so highly and considered a can’t miss prospect. With his ability to control the strike zone, put up consistent, quality at bats, make hard, consistent contact, and also show a little bit of pop he has taken his game to new heights. The Indians were going to go level by level with him each year, but he impressed so much at High-A Carolina that they changed those plans and promoted him ahead of his timeline to Double-A Akron in order to give him a greater challenge. As a result of his early promotion to Akron last year, his timeline to Cleveland has been pushed up a little bit. The Indians are in no rush to promote him because of the presence of Asdrubal Cabrera, but as soon as Cabrera leaves Lindor should become the starting shortstop or very soon after. A changing of the guard is coming at shortstop, and only a serious injury appears to be in the way of Lindor coming to Cleveland very soon and becoming the centerpiece of the Indians infield for a long time. He should open the season at Double-A Akron though could get to Triple-A Columbus by June or July if the Indians feel he is ready for a bigger challenge – and he should reach Cleveland this season as at least a September callup to get him initiated to the big leagues.

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I haven't seen any injury report Civ. I did read this about Santander in Tony's prospect reports:

He is expected to be 100% recovered from his shoulder injury and should open the season with a return trip to Low-A Lake County.

Opportunities: Santander’s season last year was greatly affected by injuries. He was expected to open the season with Low-A Lake County but a hamstring injury early in spring training set him back and delayed the start of his season by a month. In the middle of July a shoulder injury (bicep) cropped up which sidelined him for the rest of the season, although he could have returned at the end of the season but the Indians took an overly conservative approach with him and opted not to play him the final two weeks of the season to let it rest. With his physicality and rapid growth rate the hope is that these injuries are not something which will continue to reoccur so that he can stay on the field and develop his exciting skillset.

He could still be recovering or the front office is still being cautious about him.