Cleveland Sports Forum

BA's daily prospect report; most of these have been cited already:

CLE AA Naquin, Tyler CF 5 1 2 0 .238 2B (2)
CLE AA Lindor, Francisco SS 5 1 1 1 .308 2B (1)
CLE AA Wolters, Tony C 3 1 1 0 .444 2B (2), BB (2)
CLE AAA Moncrief, Carlos RF 4 1 1 0 .211 2B (1)
CLE AAA Aguilar, Jesus 1B 4 0 1 0 .500 2B (3)
CLE HiA Gonzalez, Erik SS 5 1 2 0 .296 CS (1)
CLE LoA Paulino, Dorssys SS 4 0 1 1 .208 2B (2)
CLE AA Crockett, Kyle 1 1 0 0 1 3 0.00 Sv (1)
CLE AAA Barnes, Scott 2 1 1 1 0 4 1.93 [that looks a lot better than the report that he came him with 3 on and surrendered an immediate homerun. Do we really care much that he retired the next 6 in row?]
CLE HiA Morimando, Shawn 6 3 1 0 2 6 1.64 W (1-0)
CLE LoA Lugo, Luis 3.2 4 4 4 4 3 9.82 L (0-1)
CLE MAJ Bauer, Trevor 6 4 2 1 2 8 1.5 L (0-1)

Austin Adams (Photo: IBI)

2014 IBI Positional Rankings: The Right-handed Relievers

By Tony Lastoria

April 10, 2014

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Today we move on to the right-handed relief pitchers in our annual IBI positional rankings. So far we have ranked the following positions:

First base
Second base
Shortstop
Third base
Catcher
Left Field
Center Field
Right Field
Right-handed starting pitchers
Left-handed starting pitchers

This is always the toughest position to project in a minor league system as most Major League relievers are failed minor league starters. As a result, most of the Indians pen prospects of the future will come from the current pool of starters they have at all levels of the system. That said, there are cases where minor league pitchers that are developed as relievers right from the start make it to the big leagues or onto the big league radar, and the Indians have a lot of interesting right-handed relievers sprinkled throughout their system.

Note, several of these players have much more detailed scouting reports in the recently completed IBI Top 50. Also, full scouting reports for all players will be in the new book (more on this tomorrow). Also, I limited the listing to just 12 relievers.

Here are the right-handed relievers…

1. Chen-Chang Lee

Born: 10/21/1986 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Lee was signed out of Taiwan as a free agent in September of 2008 for $400,000. He is an athletic, small-framed pitcher who combines some electric stuff with a unique sidearm slot to have a lot of success out of the bullpen. He has a four-seam fastball that sits at 92-94 MPH and has been up to 97 MPH in the past, and it gets on hitters quickly with great life through the zone and some good downward sink. The angle he creates with his arm slot and the command of his fastball to both sides of the plate makes him very challenging for right-handed hitters. His plus slider is his go-to secondary pitch as it shows good tilt and late bite that is devastating to right-handed hitters. He also mixes in a split changeup that he is still developing and gaining more confidence in, and is a pitch almost exclusively used to attack left-handed hitters. He has an advanced feel for pitching and is an extremely versatile reliever who projects to pitch in almost any role in a Major League pen as a middle reliever, matchup righty, or possibly a setup man. Because of his small size and a lack of strength there are durability concerns with him and he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012, but he figures to be an integral piece to the bullpen in Cleveland for a long time.

2. Austin Adams

Born: 08/19/1986 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Adams was selected in the 5th round of the 2009 Draft out of Faulkner University (AL). Originally drafted as a college shortstop with limited mound experience, he has really settled in well as a pro and shows electric stuff led by a 95-97 MPH plus-plus fastball that has flashed 100 MPH. He works his fastball well to the bottom of the zone and it has good movement and life. His plus power curveball is his go-to secondary offering and a legit Major League offering because of its shape and how well he commands it. Not only does he have a nice fastball-curveball combo, but he also has a very good feel for his natural delivery and repeats it well because of some exceptional athleticism and a strong lower half. He is working on ironing out some of his mechanics and just getting better at repeating his delivery, and is still inexperienced and is working on picking up the nuances of pitching and figuring things out on the mental side as well. He looks to be in the mix for the bullpen in Cleveland at some point this season.

3. Bryan Price

Born: 11/13/1986 – Height: 6’4” – Weight: 210 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Price was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 1st round of the 2008 Draft out of Rice University, and signed for $850,000. The Indians acquired him as part of a three player deal from the Red Sox in July of 2009 in exchange for catcher Victor Martinez. He is an aggressive, power-armed reliever who has the size, athleticism and strength teams look for in pen arms. He gets some sink to his 91-94 MPH fastball that has been up to 97 MPH in the past. His plus slider is his go-to pitch and he has the confidence to throw it at any time and in any count showing good tilt and generates a good amount of swing and miss. He also has a split finger he added in 2010 that is still developing and used to better attack lefties. He has really struggled with injuries over his career as he strained his rotator cuff four times and suffered a torn labrum, injuries that forced him to miss time and ultimately stall his development – so maintaining health is a key for him so that he can get an opportunity in Cleveland.

4. Shawn Armstrong

Born: 09/11/1990 - Height: 6’2” - Weight: 210 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Armstrong was selected in the 18th round of the 2011 Draft out of East Carolina University, and signed with the Indians for $335,000. He features a plus fastball that sits at 92-95 MPH and has touched 98-99 MPH as a professional – though was only in the 90-95 MPH range last year because of injuries. His go-to secondary offering is a plus cutter, an offering that averages 86-88 MPH with good late bite. He shows a feel to spin a curveball, and is a pitch he likes to backdoor to lefties, shows good 12-6 action and is becoming a more reliable offering in his arsenal. Right now the main priority is improving his fastball command as his high walk-rate is a big concern, and that could be a career-staller like that of another power armed right-handed reliever Bryce Stowell who made a similar rapid ascent up through the system but injuries and command issues stalled his career. The hope at the moment is that if he can maintain health that he can make the necessary physical adjustments to become the good major league middle relief prospect many believe he is for the Indians.

5. Enosil Tejeda

Born: 06/21/1989 - Height: 6’0” - Weight: 175 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Tejeda was signed as a free agent in April of 2010 out of the Dominican Republic. He is a small framed pitcher who is a performer, mixes his pitches well, is a strike thrower, and has a solid three pitch mix of a fastball, curveball and changeup. His fastball sits at 88-90 MPH and has reached 93 MPH, though the deception he has with it along with the ability to locate it gives him an edge and helps him get swing and miss with it. His bread and butter pitch is a very good hammer curveball that shows good shape and 11-5 break and is a potential major league weapon for him. No other current Indians reliever in the minors has performed better the last three seasons than him, and even though his stuff is only average across the board it is his ability to locate combined with his deception that makes him so effective. He kind of is what he is at this point and his stuff is fringy, so it remains to be seen how he translates against more experienced hitters above Double-A, but he is in the mix for a big league bullpen spot down the road.

6. Jeff Johnson

Born: 02/09/1990 - Height: 6’0” - Weight: 185 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

The Indians selected Johnson in the 10th round of the 2011 Draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He uses his strong, compact frame and electric, overpowering stuff to aggressively attack hitters with a very nice fastball-splitter combination. He pounds the zone with a plus four-seam fastball that comes in at 90-94 MPH and flashes 96 MPH, and has some really good life to it with some good downhill sink arm side and good run opposite arm side. The best pitch in his arsenal is a nasty plus split-finger which is a swing and miss offering that has very good late tumbling action and one he likes to use to finish off hitters with a strikeout or get them to roll over and make weak contact. He had an arm injury late last season that resulted in offseason Tommy John surgery, so he will miss most if not all of this season, but he is still an interesting relief arm to keep an eye on when he returns.

7. Trey Haley

Born: 06/21/1990 – Height: 6’4” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Haley was selected in the 2nd round of the 2008 Draft out of Central Heights High School (TX), and had a commitment to attend Rice University before signing with the Indians for $1.25 million. He is an athletic, power-armed right-handed pitcher who has a good frame and solid delivery. He has incredible arm strength and features a powerful plus-plus two-seam fastball that comfortably sits at 95-98 MPH and has reached 101 MPH. He has a good feel for a plus 77-81 MPH curveball that is his main secondary offering, and it has good depth and he has a lot of confidence throwing it. He has had a hard time throwing strikes and maintaining heath, and currently is recovering from an offseason shoulder procedure. He is expected to be back later this season and with an arm like his will be given every chance to realize his potential.

8. Louis Head

Born: 04/23/1990 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 180 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Head was selected by the Indians in the 18th round of the 2012 Draft out of Texas State. He has some arm strength with a 90-94 MPH fastball that has flashed 95 MPH and has good life through the zone. He has a hard slider that sits at 83-85 MPH and has solid average break to it, and he showed some improvement with it last season where it is now a solid average pitch for him because he showed more swing and miss with it and more consistently threw it over the plate. He also shows a solid feel for a changeup, though it is a pitch he does not feature much in his repertoire and is a work in progress. He projects as a solid pen arm with some interesting stuff that could play up as long as he continues to refine his delivery and command.

9. Tyler Sturdevant

Born: 12/20/1985 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 185 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Sturdevant was selected in the 27th round of the 2009 Draft out of New Mexico State University. When healthy he comes from a high three-quarter slot with a 94-96 MPH fastball that has been up to 100 MPH. His go-to pitch is an 88-89 MPH cutter that he locates well and gets a lot of swing and miss with – especially in on left-handers and away from right-handers. He commands both pitches well and is a strike thrower. He has a slurvy slider and developing changeup that he mixes in, but both are inconsistent offerings and he mostly relies on the fastball-cutter combination. He has had trouble over the last few seasons staying healthy and missed all of last season, so this season is about reestablishing himself and proving health. If he does that he has the stuff to be a solid Major League pen arm.

10. Trevor Frank

Born: 06/23/1991 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 195 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Frank was selected by the Indians in the 8th round of the 2013 Draft out of UC-Riverside (CA) and signed for $10,000. He is an undersized, older relief pitching prospect who has the stuff, command and aggressive approach on the mound that gives him a chance for a role in a Major League bullpen. He is an arm strength right-hander who throws a lot of strikes and does a good job of keeping the ball down in the zone. He features a good 91-93 MPH fastball that flashes 95 MPH with good life to it, and complements it with a solid average slider that he is not afraid to throw in any count. He shows some potential as a middle to backend reliever with his ability to miss bats, fearlessness on the mound, good composure, and how he does not back down in any situation. If you want to peg a lower valued guy from last year’s draft that could come out of nowhere and fly through the system as a reliever, then he is a great candidate.

11. D.J. Brown

Born: 11/28/1990 – Height: 6’6” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Brown was selected by the Indians in the 39th round of the 2012 Draft out of James Madison University (VA). He has a tall, slender build with towering size that helps him get on top of hitters. Before he injured his shoulder his fastball showed very good life and was clocked up to 93 MPH, and he came back last season and was at 87-91 MPH and almost all the way back in terms of velocity. He has a lot of confidence in his fastball, and also complements it with a good curveball. He may still end up starting, but right now he is an interesting bullpen arm because of his size and some quality stuff.

12. Josh Martin

Born: 12/30/1989 – Height: 6’5” – Weight: 230 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Martin was selected in the 10th round of the 2012 Draft out of Samford University (AL), and signed for $125,000. He has a lean, strong build and good pitchers body that projects him to have plus durability. He is a strike thrower with some athleticism and knows how to pitch and is not afraid to throw his offspeed when he is behind in the count. He features a solid average 90-93 MPH fastball that flashes plus with some life to it down in the zone. He shows the feel to spin a breaking ball with a sweeping slurvy curveball that is more side to side than top to bottom. He mixes in a developing changeup that is a work in progress but he shows a feel for it and has the potential to be an average offering for him. The size and strength is there for him, but the big question is if he has the stuff and delivery to have success as he continues to move up the minor league ladder. Even so he is another arm to keep an eye on as a potential Major League pen option down the road.

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.

Around the Farm: April 9, 2014

Around the Farm: April 9, 2014

Washington's power, Aviles' strikeouts highlight the night on the farm

By Jim Piascik

April 10, 2014

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LeVon Washington (LF, Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO

Do I even need to say it anymore? When Washington is on the field, good things tend to happen. It can be Wednesday night when he had two extra base hits -- including a home run -- and reached base three times. It can be the 2014 season so far, as Washington currently owns a .318/.400/.500 line six games into the season. Or it can be #WashTime's 2013 season when the outfielder posted a .321/.425/.477 line in 51 games with Lake County. It all still comes down to health -- especially now that the 22-year-old is a little behind on the development curve after only playing in 153 games over the past three season -- but that talent is still there and tantalizing.

Robbie Aviles (RP, Lake County): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO

The knock on Aviles is that he does not have swing and miss stuff or the ability to put hitters away; clearly the right-hander did not get that memo on Wednesday. Making his 2014 debut, Aviles struck out five of the 10 batters he faced (all swinging strikeouts), a fact made all the more bizarre considering the right-hander only struck out 30 of 303 batters in 2013. Aviles underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2010 immediately after signing with Cleveland, something that could still be skewing perceptions of him. The right-hander has only thrown 120.1 professional innings and could finally be taking a step forward. Aviles is 22 years old and still in Low-A -- not a good thing -- but the right-hander is on the right path with this debut.

•T.J. House (SP, Columbus): L (0-1), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 HBP. House made it through six innings unscathed, but the left-hander was left out for an ill-fated start to the seventh (he let the first three batters reach before being relieved). Still, House's debut is a quality start and a strong beginning to the season for the left-hander.

•Scott Barnes (RP, Columbus): (BS, 1) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR. After House loaded the bases to start the seventh inning, Barnes came in and promptly allowed a grand slam. Barnes looked good the rest of the way, but the leadoff grand slam was the difference in the game.

•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Columbus): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 SO. No multi-home run game for Aguilar like Tuesday night, but the first baseman still found himself an extra base hit. Through his first six games, Aguilar has three doubles, three home runs, and a 1.665 OPS.

•Carlos Moncrief (RF, Columbus): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B. Moncrief got off to a slow start in 2014 (.474 OPS through six games), but Wednesday saw the right fielder get his first extra base hit. The right fielder's .235 BABIP so far is pretty low, so Moncrief's offense could bounce back in the near future.

•Gabriel Arias (SP, Akron): W (1-0), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 SO. Following a solid 2013 in High-A with the Phillies (2.47 ERA, 3.13 FIP in 54.2 innings), Arias' organizational debut was similarly strong. Arias is already 24 years old, but with only 385.1 minor league innings under his belt, there could still be some late development coming.

•Duke von Schamann (RP, Akron): H (1), 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR. Also making his organizational debut, von Schamann mowed down opposing hitters but fell prey to the long ball. von Schamann has not struck out many in the past as a starter, so coming out of the bullpen might help the right-hander's stuff play up a little.

•Kyle Crockett (RP, Akron): S (1), 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO. It was not a clean inning, but Crockett still struck out the side and stretched his Double-A scoreless streak to 13.1 innings (going back to his callup last year). The left-hander just continues to impress since being drafted last June.

•Tony Wolters (C, Akron): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB. Wolters' hit streak is now up to five games as the catcher's bat continues to impress in the early going. It is still way too early to draw conclusions, but it is so far, so good for Wolters at the Double-A level.

•Tyler Naquin (CF, Akron): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 SO. Another strikeout for Naquin is troublesome (seven in five games), as is Naquin's inconsistency so far (.238/.304/.333 line). But Wednesday night was solid and something Naquin could use to snap out of his early-season funk.

•Giovanny Urshela (3B, Akron): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B. Following a three-hit opening night, Urshela was hitless until Wednesday. Though Urshela has been up-and-down, his overall line is pretty solid thanks to some power (.238/.304/.476 line in six games).

•Shawn Morimando (SP, Carolina): W (1-0), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 WP. After walking too many and striking out too few in 2013, Morimando is off to a much better start in 2014 (9:3 SO:BB in 11.0 innings). The 21-year-old is repeating High-A, but with more starts like this, the left-hander will find his way to Akron before too long.

•Alex Monsalve (C, Carolina): 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 SO. In an ideal world Monsalve would be in Double-A, but the catching depth in the system pushed him down to Carolina. Monsalve does have limited time in High-A (only 34 games in 2012 before missing much of 2013 with an elbow injury), so the catcher could use the development time in Carolina.

•Jeremy Lucas (1B, Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB. Lucas is living up to his offensive-oriented reputation so far in 2014 (.935 OPS), though he is starting to see some more time at first base (two of his five games), which may end up his ultimate home.

•Erik Gonzalez (SS, Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 SO, 1 CS. This was a little bit of a mixed bag for Gonzalez. The two hits were good (obviously), but the shortstop is continuing to struggle with plate discipline (6:0 SO:BB in six games), a key shortcoming he needs to overcome to find long-term success.

•James Roberts (3B, Carolina): 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 SO, 1 E. Following a lukewarm 52 games to start his professional career in Mahoning Valley (.589 OPS), Roberts is off to a fast start here. It is only four games, but it is a good way for the 22-year-old to start the year nonetheless.

•Luis Lugo (SP, Lake County): L (0-1), 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR. Lugo walked 16 batters in 64.2 innings last season; he is already a fourth of the way to that total after one start in 2014. Bad starts happen -- even to the best of prospects -- and Lugo will look to turn it around in his next outing.

•Dorssys Paulino (SS, Lake County): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI. Things have gone downhill for Paulino since opening day, but it is important not to read too much into six-game sample sizes -- good or bad. Paulino still has talent and remains quite young, only in his age-19 season.

•Grant Fink (3B, Lake County): 2-for-4, 2 SO, 1 E. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the facts of life. Two hits, two strikeouts, one error; on a night like this in Lake County, that is enough to make Fink stand out.

If you want to follow Jim on Twitter, he’s @JimPiascik. If you want to e-mail him, you can do so at jpiasci1@kent.edu

It doesn't look like Bourn is ready for prime time. He's 0 fer Columbus and Akron. On the bright side, he has walked once or twice. He's not looking so good.

Thursday box scores:

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20140410

Of Note:

AAA: 2 more hits for Aguillar; 2 by Ramirez and his first 2 steals; Moncrief drew 3 walks.
Josh Tomlin 6 innings, 2 runs, 4 walks, a homer. Adams 3 runs in an inning. Pestano 1 scoreless. Hagadone retired 1 of 3 batters and gave up the losing run

AA: Urshela his 2nd 3 run homer of the season; Wendle 3 hits, including a triple; Lowery 2hits; Myles 2 hits.
Cody Anderson 6 innings, 4 runs on a couple homers. Giovanni Soto 2 shutout innings, 1 hit, no walks.

Hi A: Another Mudcat win, LeVon Washington perfect at the plate with 2 singles and a walk, not on the basepaths, picked off. Louis Head fanned 5 in 2 innings of relief. Michael Peoples 6 innings, 3 runs, 6 K

Low A: Captains thrashed 12-2. 2nd rounder Dace Kime even worse than his first time out, this time 8 runs in 3 innings, 7 earned, 2 homers. Do we make terrible pitching draft picks or just not know how to develop these guys Of course, it's very early so plenty of time for Kime to get straightened out.
Dorsyss Paulino with a multihit game, single and double, over 200 about six weeks before he reached that level last year. Eric Haase says hot with 2 doubles and a walk. Nellie Rodriguez 2 singles. Brian Ruiz 2 doubles (that equals his xb hit total in 91 at bats last summer; he's now 6-21, in 2013 he was 12-91). Tom Hamilton's kid Nick with season debut hitless in his one ab.

Saw Urshela's dinger. Far over the left center field wall. A no-doubter. Wendle's triple was hit to straight-away center. That one was well struck also. We've got some good looking players in Akron.

Joe Wendle (Photo: David Monseur)

Around the Farm: April 10, 2014

Wendle and Haase's extra base output highlights the night on the farm

By Jim Piascik

April 11, 2014

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Joe Wendle (2B, Akron): 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 3B

Everyone knows it is still early and we cannot draw any firm conclusions from the games played just yet, but Wendle is putting together a compelling case that he will maintain his production after making the jump to Double-A. Wendle was a little old for High-A last year, and though he tore up the Carolina League, there was still a question of whether the soon-to-be 24-year-old was just taking advantage of being more experienced than the other players. With a .308/.419/.500 line and 4:5 SO:BB in seven games, Wendle is simply continuing to do what he does best: hit the ball. If he keeps hitting like this, the second baseman will finally shed the asterisks people have put by his production so far in his career.

Eric Haase (C, Lake County): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 BB, 2 SO

Eric Haase (Photo: MiLB)Following a .250/.322/.439 line in 104 games for Lake County last year, it looked like Haase could be challenged with a promotion to High-A from the outset of 2014. But a combination of the catching depth in the upper levels plus Haase's rough around the edges profile in 2013 (his 27.9 percent strikeout rate and inexperience defensively, for example) will give him things to work on in Low-A for the time being. The 21-year-old is red-hot at the plate right now, but he is still striking out quite a bit (five times in five games). Haase has balanced that some with four walks, but the bat is still developing for the catcher. With a little more work and polish (and some movement above him), Haase should find his way to Carolina before too long.

•Josh Tomlin (SP, Columbus): ND, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR. Despite an uncharacteristic four walks, Tomlin managed to limit the damage and make it through six two-run innings. You cannot ask for much more from your starter.

•Austin Adams (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO. Adams did not give up any big hits, but the right-hander was singled to death after a leadoff walk.

•Vinnie Pestano (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO. On the other side of the spectrum, Pestano was solid in his first outing after being sent down Wednesday. Pestano has work to do to get back to Cleveland and outings like this are the first step in that process.

•Nick Hagadone (RP, Columbus): L (0-2), 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO. Another pitcher looking to get back to Cleveland, Hagadone did not do a good job here, nor has he so far in 2014 (9.82 ERA, two home runs in 3.2 innings).

•Jose Ramirez (SS, Columbus): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB. Just Jose Ramirez doing Jose Ramirez things here, consistently getting on base and making things happen with his legs. After starting the first four games of the season at second base, this was Ramirez's third-straight game at shortstop.

•Michael Bourn (CF, Akron): 0-for-4, 1 BB, 2 SO. Bourn was not on at the plate, but the center fielder looked good in the field as he works his way back to Cleveland. He will play again in Akron Friday night, joined by Jason Giambi.

•Cody Anderson (SP, Akron): L (1-1), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR. After allowing a home run on the first pitch of the ballgame, Anderson made it through six innings and kept the RubberDucks in the game. Anderson admitted afterward that he got too fastball-heavy in the early going, something the opposing team jumped on, and that he needs to work his secondary stuff in earlier.

•Giovanni Soto (RP, Akron): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO. A strikeout per inning, a double play ball, and groundballs; the perfect Soto combination. After missing most of last year with back issues, Soto is off to a strong start in 2014 (no runs or walks, one hit, three strikeouts in four innings).

•Giovanny Urshela (3B, Akron): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI. Urshela's blast kept the RubberDucks close as the third baseman continues to flash his power in 2014 (.560 slugging percentage in seven games). Unfortunately, not many other hits have fallen for Urshela thus far (.240 batting average).

•Bryson Myles (LF, Akron): 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 SO. With a .313/.389/.500 line and two steals in five games, Myles is living up to his billing as a power-speed guy in his first exposure to Double-A.

•Michael Peoples (SP, Carolina): ND, 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 WP. Peoples' 4.91 ERA on the season is a little unsightly, but the right-hander's 3.84 FIP and 9:3 SO:BB so far point to better things to come.

•Louis Head (RP, Carolina): S (3), 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 E. Through four innings in 2014, Head has nine strikeouts, only two walks and two hits allowed, and no runs. The right-hander is flat-out dealing to start the season.

•Alex Monsalve (DH, Carolina): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 SO. Monsalve continued to handle Carolina League pitching Thursday night, improving his on-base percentage to .423 and doubling for his first extra base hit of the season.

•LeVon Washington (LF, Carolina): 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 CS, 1 PO, 1 SF. The caught stealing is obviously less than ideal, but the rest of Washington's night pushed his OPS to .990 through seven games.

•Anthony Gallas (RF, Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 SO. Not the hottest start to the season for Gallas (.567 OPS in six games), but the outfielder is getting playing time and the opportunity to turn things around.

•Dace Kime (SP, Lake County): L (0-2), 3.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR, 2 E. With 14 runs (12 earned) allowed in his first 6.1 innings, Kime's stats will take a while to look good again. Keeping that in mind, how the right-hander responds to this early-season adversity will be more important to watch than his ERA in the coming weeks.

•Alexis Paredes (RP, Lake County): 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2 WP, 1 BK. The game was already pretty out of hand, but Paredes still came in and started getting some outs for the Captains. The right-hander has a 7:2 SO:BB in six innings so far in 2014.

•Brian Ruiz (LF, Lake County): 2-for-3, 2 2B, 1 BB, 1 SO. The Cleveland product has made the most of his Lake County opportunity, posting a .286/.375/.381 line in seven games.

•Dorssys Paulino (SS, Lake County): 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SO. It could be another tease. It could just be nothing. But with doubles on back-to-back days (and three hits in nine at bats), Paulino could be starting to heat up following a pretty rough beginning to 2014.

Trevor Bauer rates on the Baseball America Hot Prospect Top 10 of the first weeks; Aguillar on the "honorable mention list" Question on Bauer, too:

Tyler (Nj): Trevor may back on track after a good debut or 2 early?

Matt Eddy: I assume you’re asking about Trevor Bauer . . . Yes, he looked sharp in his big league start versus the Padres. He hit 94-95 mph multiple time in the 6th inning of that start and got Yasmani Grandal, the final batter he faced, to swing through two fastballs for a strikeout. Impressive. If he continues to trust and locate a fastball of that caliber, then Bauer’s secondary pitches will be deadly. I haven’t been this encouraged about his future since the first half of 2012.

Michael Bourn is 1-3 and Jason Giambi is 0-2----RubberDucks.

Kyle Crockett (Photo: IBI)

2014 IBI Positional Rankings: The Left-handed Relievers

By Tony Lastoria

April 11, 2014

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Today we move on to the left-handed relief pitchers in our annual IBI positional rankings.

Like with the right-handed relievers, this is a tough position to rank. First off, because true left-handed relievers in any system are scarce. Beyond that, what often happens is a failed starting pitching prospect moves into a relief role to see if they can perform better, remain healthy, and so on.

That said, the Indians have a solid one-two punch in Cleveland in Marc Rzepczynski and Josh Outman and have them backed up with Nick Hagadone in Columbus. They suddenly have some good prospect depth at the position in the upper levels and have some potential solutions to fill a need at the big league level this season and beyond if any of the above trio get hurt, underperform, or leave the team in free agency or trade.

Note, several of these players have much more detailed scouting reports in the recently completed IBI Top 50. Also, full scouting reports for all players will be in the new book (it is done and sent to press…details soon!).

Here are the left-handed relievers…

1. Kyle Crockett

Born: 12/15/1991 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 170 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Crockett was selected by the Indians in the 4th round of the 2013 Draft out of the University of Virginia and signed for $463,600. He is a polished college finesse lefty reliever who creates some deception, has some great strike throwing ability, commands all of his pitches well, gets a lot of groundballs, and has a good fastball-slider combo. His best asset is his excellent command as he aggressively attacks the zone with the ability to throw quality strikes and work ahead of hitters and is not afraid to pitch behind in the count. He sits at 90-93 MPH with his fastball and it flashes 94 MPH, and the outstanding extension he gets allows the fastball to play up a bit and have some life through the zone. His best pitch is his sweeping plus slider which he does a good job of changing speeds with and has good downward break. He can locate his slider to both sides of the plate, up and down, and really do anything he wants with it in. He also shows an ability to spin his curveball in the zone and to pull it out under the zone for swing and miss, and he has a changeup he uses as well that he can get right-handers out. He is very advanced and polished, so at this point the Indians just want to see where he takes them, and he could be another reliever that makes a Cody Allen-like rise through the system to the Major Leagues in just a year.

2. Giovanni Soto

Born: 05/18/1991 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Soto was originally selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2009 Draft out of Carolina, Puerto Rico. The Indians acquired him from the Tigers in exchange for Jhonny Peralta in July of 2010. He is an athletic pitcher with a long, wiry frame who has an advanced feel to pitch and the stuff to compete. He knows how to use his entire four pitch arsenal and attack hitters, and creates a lot of deception from the left side because of his long arms and quick arm action. His average fastball sits at 87-91 MPH and has been up to 93 MPH, and is a pitch he commands well, gets good sink, and has good life through the zone. His go-to pitch is a nasty cutter which is a plus offering and a legit Major League offering that he can get swing and miss with. He also throws a changeup and slurvy curveball, though both pitches are inconsistent and more for show and to give hitters a different look from his fastball-cutter duo. The biggest drawback for him has been his health as he has missed a significant chunk of two of the last three seasons due to a serious injury. If he can prove health he has the stuff to help the Indians as a left-handed option out of their big league bullpen for a long time.

3. Elvis Araujo

Born: 07/15/1991 – Height: 6’6” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Araujo was signed as a free agent in July of 2007 out of Venezuela. He is a physical specimen with his large, big bodied frame and lots of power and strength on the mound. He features a plus fastball that that sits at 91-93 MPH and has touched 96 MPH, and because of his height, arm slot and wing span he really gets good downward two-plane action on his fastball which makes him overpowering to both left-handed and right-handed hitters. His best secondary offering is an average slider that has potential because of its good tilt and sharp bite but is still an inconsistent pitch. He also throws a developing changeup, a pitch that he is working to gain confidence in throwing and the Indians have really worked to incorporate into his pitch mix the last few seasons. Injuries continue to hold him back and have really eroded his prospect value as he has missed so much time on the mound the last few years. To keep him healthy and also potentially allow his stuff to play up the Indians have moved him from a starting role to the bullpen. He responded to the role well in winter ball and showed some promising signs, and the hope is he can still make it to the big leagues as a reliever.

4. Scott Barnes

Born: 09/05/1987 – Height: 6’4” – Weight: 200 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Barnes was acquired by the Indians from the San Francisco Giants in July of 2009 in exchange for Ryan Garko. The Giants originally selected him in the 8th round of the 2008 Draft out of St. John’s University. He has good athleticism, nice size and a good frame with a good above average fastball that sits at 90-93 MPH and has been up to 96 MPH. His best secondary offering is an average slider that flashes plus with good depth and swing and miss, and he also throws an average changeup that has good late fade and the confidence to throw it in any count. He has a very unorthodox delivery where he turns his back to the batter during his windup which creates some deception and makes it tough for hitters to see the ball and he hides it until it leaves his hand. He is another lefty who has struggled with injuries the last few seasons and is looking to re-establish himself and show some consistency. He is on the 40-man roster and an immediate left-handed relief need this season for the Indians, but will need to prove he is effective and healthy to stay in the mix.

5. Anderson Polanco

Born: 09/06/1992 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Polanco is a left-handed pitcher that the Indians signed out of the Dominican Republic in February of 2011. He has a good delivery and arm action, and his size gives him nice leverage to get his ball on a good downhill plane. He has a firm 89-91 MPH fastball and complements it with a changeup and developing curveball. Both of his secondary offerings show solid potential, but his changeup stands out as he commands it well and is the best pitch in his arsenal. His fastball command can be erratic, and though it is improving he needs to more consistently use his size and repeat his delivery so he can locate it well down in the zone. He already has the ability to get a good amount of swing and miss from the left side, so if the command and consistency comes then the Indians have themselves a nice sleeper left-handed pitching prospect to keep an eye on in the bullpen.

6. Thomas Pannone

Born: 04/28/1994 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 180 – Bats: Left – Throws: Right

Pannone was selected in the 9th round of the 2013 Draft out of the College of Southern Nevada. He is a solid sized athletic pitcher who the Indians believe has some very good upside as a pitching prospect since he pitched very little in college. His fastball sits at 90-93 MPH and has been up to 94 MPH, and shows good life through the zone and decent command of it. He has a power curveball that is not always consistent but is getting better, and he has a changeup too. He was actually drafted the year prior as an outfielder, but made a switch to the mound shortly into his season last year at Southern Nevada, so he is as raw as them come on the mound. The Indians understand that he is going to be more of a project because he has limited experience on the mound and little baseball experience overall growing up in Rhode Island, but they like his upside as a big league pen arm or possibly a starter.

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.

Soto is having an excellent start of 2014 at Akron. He's gone 6 2/3 innings total, allowed only one baserunner and fanned 4.

Saturday box scores.

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20140412

Generally not a great day for the pitchers. Brett Brach who is over his head in AAA started but didn't make it out of the first inning. Similar nonprospect Will Roberts allowed 11 hits in 5 1/3 for Akron. Best of the bunch was Cole Sulser, 3 runs in 5 2/3 for Carolina. Most serious prospect of the day's starters, Adam Plutko, charged with 5 runs in 4 2/3 (3 in his final inning) and fanned 6.

At the bat:
Dorsyss Paulino with 3 singles and a walk; his average of 270 exceeds anything he ever reached last year, also made his 3rd error. Nellie Rodriguez drew 2 walks

Erik Gonzalez (the only player in the Mudcat lineup who is remotely a prospect) with a double, hitting 308

Lindor is quite the slugger this April; he added a triple to his previous two homeruns, he's batting 250 and slugging 475. Also with Akron Urshela with his 4th double to accompany his 2 homers, also singled, batting 294. LF Bryson Myles singled and homered and is hitting an early 364. Naquin hitless walked once, fanned twice; for the early days he's hitting 200 with 3 walks and 12 strikeouts.

Nothing of note for Columbus

Here's a Tony article from mid March on his breakout picks for 2014. His Fab Five include one of Joe's past choices (Colon) and one of my 13-14 picks (Santander) who hasn't done much yet.





Every year, there are players that break out and move from an unheralded unknown into a legit prospect. Infielder Jose Ramirez did this in 2012 as he was a complete unknown going into the season and was a top 10 prospect by the end of it. Last season, right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson went into the year as a good pitching prospect but really established himself last season and finished the year as the organization's best pitching prospect yet to pitch in the big leagues.

Identifying breakout candidates can be tough, so you just look for the upside and incremental improvement that points to a player slowly putting things together and bound to have a big season. Here are my five breakout candidates:

Joseph Colon, right-handed pitcher

Colon, 24, has really come into his own the last three seasons and had three good statistical seasons in a row, most recently going 5-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 17 starts between Low-A Lake County and High-A Carolina last season. He is a sinkerballer with the size and frame to log innings, and showed a spike in his velocity and overall quality of his stuff last season. Injuries have held him back his entire career so if he can have a complete healthy season, he could be in line to put it all together and have a breakout season.

Caleb Hamrick, right-handed pitcher

Hamrick, 20, is still young and growing as a pitcher, but had a nice season last year going 3-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 starts for short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He shows a knack for throwing strikes at a young age and has a solid three pitch mix that entails an 89-93 MPH fastball, solid average slider and developing changeup. The Indians took two high-profile pitchers earlier in the 2011 Draft by the name of Mitch Brown and Kieran Lovegrove, but to date he has outperformed them, ahead of them on the development curve, and might be in line to jump them for good on the prospect totem pole.

Ryan Merritt, left-handed pitcher

Merritt, 22, had a nice season last year going 6-9 with a 3.52 ERA in 26 combined starts between Low-A Lake County and High-A Carolina. He is a command and control specialist who has impeccable strike-throwing ability, knows how to pitch and is not afraid to challenge hitters. In a lot of ways, he is a left-handed version of Josh Tomlin as a pitcher who won't blow a ball by a hitter or fool them but instead just gets consistent results because of his aggressiveness with his fastball, trust in his stuff and ability to limit damage.


Adam Plutko, right-handed pitcher

Plutko, 22, missed his pro debut last season because of a shoulder blade injury he suffered in a team pileup after his UCLA team won the College World Series. He is a highly successful college pitcher who has advanced pitch ability and a solid mix of four pitches -- a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball -- that all project as at least average offerings. He is a bit of a wildcard coming off of injury and yet to make his pro debut, but because he is so polished, he could move fast and really climb up the rankings as a result.

Anthony Santander, outfielder

Santander, 19, is already a high-profile prospect, but he is a position player who has the goods to vault himself firmly into top 10 discussion. He missed the start of last season because of a hamstring injury and hit .242 with 5 homers, 31 RBI and .672 OPS in 61 games for Low-A Lake County before a bicep injury prematurely ended his season in late July. The injuries greatly affected his season and if healthy this year, he has the athleticism and physical gifts to really break through as a special run-producing bat for the Indians.

Sunday games:

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20140413

I turned on the Mudcats game to listen to Dylan Baker after his opening performance of 6 perfect innings. His outing, however, didn't last long. He tripped on the way out to the mound and never threw a pitch. I didn't bother listening, but the Mudcats won big 12-2. Columbus won 10-9. AKron lost 7-5 and Lake County lost 6-1.

Highlights and otherwise worth noting:

Mitch Brown a weird line: 2 2/3 3 unearned runs 2 hits 2 walks 2 strikeouts 2 wild pitches
DJ Brown fill in for Carolina: 5 innings, 2 runs
Pestano 1 shutout inning; Barnes 2 shutout innings after again allowing inherited run to score; Hagadone a walk to load the bases with 2 outs in the ninth and then a K to save the win.

Aguilar: single, double, walk .417
R Perez 3 run homer

Myles single, double, triple .423
Ronny Rodriguez at SS, 2 hits, an error
Tony Wolters at 2B, 2 hits
Bourn 1-4 with a walk, Giambi 0-4
Lavisky rare start, homered

Erik Gonzalez 2 singles, a walk
Tony Galls, single, 2b, HR
Monsalve single, double

Anthony Santander 0-3 .138
Josh McAdams injured after his first AB on opening day, returns for an 0-3 with 2K

While looking for something else, I found this decent Indians prospect review from last postseason. Some good information.

The stats and charts don't copy so click the link for the full post.

http://www.faketeams.com/2013/11/4/5044 ... sco-lindor