Cleveland Sports Forum

2014 Indians 9th round pick: SS Alexis Pantoja



By Staff Report

June 6, 2014

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With their 9th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected shortstop Alexis Pantoja out of Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico).

Born: 1/18/1996 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 150 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right

Ranks:

Baseball America: 173
MLB.com: 176

Jeff Ellis: It’s the ninth round and the Indians are picking #278 and they are taking another consensus top 200 guy. I am not sure how they can afford all these players as they have only taken a single senior sign. Alexis Pantoja is one of the best defenders in this draft and should be a plus defender at shortstop. He was listed in many places as the top player from Puerto Rico in this draft. He can field and has a strong arm for shortstop. At the plate he has a good approach with a nice eye, but the hit tool needs work, and power is nonexistent. Pantoja needs to bulk up as he is 5’11”, 150 pounds and the hope is with an increase in size and strength he can improve with the bat. If you watched Lindor rise through the system he is half a Lindor as defensively he will surely remind fans of the Indians top prospect. Much like Lindor he is also a baseball rat who is going to out work everyone. This is not a kid to sleep on and a nice addition to the Indians system.

2014 Indians 10th round pick: 2B Steven Patterson



By Staff Report

June 6, 2014

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With their 10th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected second baseman Steven Patterson out of the University of California - Davis (CA).

Born: 8/3/1992 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Left – Throws: Right

Ranks:

N/A

Jeff Ellis: Steven Patterson is a senior sign out of UC Davis. He is smaller at 5’9” which goes with the Indians view and approach when it comes to ignoring size. Patterson doesn’t bring a lot of power to his game, but his best tool seems to be his hit and eye at the plate. As a junior, his first season in Division-I, he was the seventh hardest player to strike out in the nation. He has hit over .320 the last two years and both years walked more than he struck out. I found a video and did some scouting after the pick. He looks good in the box with a consistent approach at the plate and has quick hands. Patterson might be a senior sign, but he has a good approach at the plate which also makes him a player to follow.

Bradley falls to third round; plans to sign with Tribe

By Alec Shirkey / MLB.com | 6/6/2014 8:00 P.M. ET

Bobby Bradley might have heard his name called on Day 1 of the First-Year Player Draft, considering he publicly stated that only a first- or second-round selection would persuade him to forego college. But even with concerns over his signability, the Indians were willing to take a chance that Bradley would sign even after falling to Round 3.

That gamble seems to have paid off, as Bradley plans on signing with Cleveland.

"I don't think I'm going to see campus," he said on Friday.

"I had a round set in my mind. Top-two round money. And even though I got drafted in the third round, [the Indians] gave me top-two round money, so that kind of influenced me to go that way."

For Bradley, his choice of becoming a professional baseball player was an intensely personal one -- so much so that he waited until his mind was made up to inform his mother, Doloris.

"I didn't even talk to her about it before I made the decision. I called her afterwards and told her I was an Indian now," Bradley said.

The Indians used the 97th overall pick in the Draft on Bradley, a first baseman out of Harrison Central High School in Mississippi. He had been ranked as the 68th-best prospect in this year's class by MLB.com, thanks to a tantalizing combination of size, plus-contact and major power potential.

"He's a big, physical left-handed hitter," Indians director of amateur scouting Brad Grant said. "Has really done a lot to change his body, has gotten in really great shape. He's an elite power bat for a high-school kid."

Bradley has also spent time at catcher and third base with Harrison Central, and many questions remain as to where exactly he could fit in on the field at the professional level, considering his limited range as a defender.

However, there is little doubt that the true strengths of Bradley's game lie in his bat, which is where the Indians hope the growing young lefty can truly blossom at the professional level. He hit .442 with 23 home runs and 91 RBIs over 84 career high school games while also showing surprising patience at the plate for a high-schooler, walking 29 times in 22 games.

"The sky's the limit on that, because he can swing it with the best of them," Harrison Central head coach Pat Olmi said. "He gets his money's worth with his hacks."

Olmi was not surprised Bradley said he would sign. However, he was surprised that it was the Tribe that wound up drafting his first baseman, as opposed to another pair of Major League clubs.

"The Marlins and the Brewers had showed interest, too. I thought they were really interested. But I'm glad for him," Olmi said.

Bradley joins lefty Justus Sheffield (No. 31) and right-hander Grant Hockin (No. 61) as prep players taken by the Indians in the first three rounds. Sheffield will reportedly sign with the Indians after he was offered a $1.6 million signing bonus as part of his contract.

Bradley would be far from the first professional baseball player to graduate from Harrison Central, which produced Major Leaguers in Greg Hibbard and former Tribe outfielder Matt Lawton. Bradley's coach thinks he'll be able to tread the same path sooner rather than later.

"I think he could move up quick," Olmi said. "He loves the game, he studies it. I think you're going to be surprised how quick he moves up."

As for Bradley, he relishes the fact he got a call from any Major League team, let alone one that had scouted him as much as the Indians had. With his decision made, he can simply bask in the joy of Friday's accomplishment.

"I'd have been happy with any team, but knowing that the Indians showed a lot of interest made it even better," Bradley said.

The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 1 p.m. ET.

Tribe's sixth-rounder Allen gets rave reviews

There was no shortage of Major League comparisons for the Tribe's sixth-round Draft pick on Friday.

Greg Allen, a speedy junior center fielder out of San Diego State, went to the Indians with the 188th overall pick, as the club continues to add organizational depth in the outfield on Day 2 of the First-Year Player Draft. Among the players his game resembles: Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin, after whom Allen says he models his game.

"He is sort of lanky and lean, kind of like Cameron Maybin," analyst Jonathan Mayo said on MLB Network. "He doesn't have the power that Maybin can sometimes show, but in terms of the way he plays defense, he has a chance to be a really good center fielder. I think he's a top-of-the-order guy when all is said and done."

Allen projects primarily as a leadoff hitter with a straightforward compact swing. He doesn't offer much in the way of power, hitting just two home runs as a college player, but he did put up a .304/.389/.377 line to go with 61 stolen bases in three seasons with the Aztecs.

The 21-year-old switch-hitter entered the season as a second-team preseason All-American selection by Baseball America, and he strung together a stretch of 24 consecutive games where he reached base safely.

Allen has even drawn parallels to the son of the man who has coached him at San Diego State.

"I've got a comp to Tony Gwynn Jr.," MLB.com's Jim Callis said.

As Cleveland Indians prepare for the draft, consider House, Chisenhall and Trey Haley: Terry Pluto
Cleveland Indians beat Boston Red Sox, 5-3
T.J. House was a 16th round pick in 2008, and is an example of how patience has paid off for th Tribe. (Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer)
Print Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 04, 2014 at 8:55 AM, updated June 04, 2014 at 8:58 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Will the Indians find another T.J. House in this year's amateur draft, which begins Thursday?

By the 16th round of the 2008 draft, there had been 500 players drafted before House. He was named the top high school baseball player in the state of Mississippi. He also was a member of the Picayune High state championship swimming team.

House actually should have been selected higher than the 16th round. But the rumor was the left-handed pitcher wanted a $1.5 million signing bonus or he was headed to Tulane on a baseball scholarship. The Indians drafted him, and signed him for $750,000.

And then they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

At the start of this season, House had a 37-49 career record in the minors. He was 7-10 with a 4.32 ERA at Class AAA Columbus in 2013.

From a distance, it seemed House was so far away from the majors.

"When you draft a high school player, you should figure it will take four to five years for him too reach the majors," said Ross Atkins, the Tribe minor league director. "It's hard to rush the process. Look at T.J. (House). He began to figure it out last season, and then really put it together this year."

House had a 2.40 ERA at Columbus this season.

He made his fourth appearance for the Tribe Wednesday, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He has a 3.79 ERA, and the lefty looks like a legitimate Major League prospect as a starter.

Last June, few would have guessed House would be in the majors today. It wasn't until July that the pieces came together -- House having a 2.65 ERA in his final 11 starts in Class AAA.

Cleveland Indians Pre-Game Activities, May 20, 2014
It has taken six years, but Lonnie Chisenhall is making the 2008 draft look good.
Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer
AT THE TOP
In that same 2008 draft, Lonnie Chisenhall was the Tribe's first-round pick. He was a 19-year-old shortstop at Pitt Junior College in Greenville, N.C. He signed for $1.1 million.

He first appeared in Cleveland in 2011, but didn't stick.

Then the Indians waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He was called up to Cleveland in 2011.

In 2012.

In 2013.

And all three years, he had stops in the minors.

Only now at the age of 25 is it coming together for Chisenhall.

"It's like he's finally enjoying baseball," said Atkins. "I give Tito (manager Terry Francona), (coach) Brad Mills and (hitting coach) Ty Van Berkleo credit for getting Lonnie to the sweet spot, to where he doesn't feel the pressure and is playing with a smile on his face."

Chisenhall sweated out one of the final cuts this spring. He opened the season as a part-time player, compared to being handed the starting third base job in 2013. Francona eased Chisenhall into action. He began to hit. Now, he plays almost every day at third or first, and is hitting an outrageous .364.

Heading into this season, Chisenhall was a career .244 hitter (.694 OPS), and batted only .225 last season.

Most players have to go back to the minors at least once after first making the majors.

On the current Tribe roster, only Cody Allen, Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher were promoted to the majors and never returned to the minors (except for injury rehabilitation). That's 4-of-25, 16 percent.

phelps-slide-2011-squ-cc.jpg
Cord Phelps looked like a sure-thing as Tribe prospect. He's now batting .244 in Class AAA for the Orioles.
PD

GO FIGURE

Also in that 2008 draft, the Tribe drafted Stanford star Cord Phelps in the third round. His bonus was $327,000.

Phelps had immediate success, vaulting through the minors and arriving in Cleveland in 2011.

In 2011-12, he batted a combined .303 in Class AAA and played a solid second base. But every time he came to the majors, he was overwhelmed. He was awful. He kicked routine grounders, he seemed almost helpless at the plate.

Phelps was 18-of-113 (.159) for the Tribe in parts of three seasons, and made six errors in 23 starts at second base. He is now in Class AAA Norfolk, batting a humble .244 for the Orioles minor league team. At 27, it seems his confidence is shot, his big league dreams evaporating.

In the second round of 2008, the Tribe signed a high school pitcher named Trey Haley. He was given a $1.25 million bonus, more than the $1.1 million given Chisenhall in the first round. That's because the Tribe knew Chisenhall wanted to leave junior college and turn pro. Haley had college options.

And yes, they have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting for Haley.

He has battled injuries, has a 15-26 career minor league record with a 5.07 ERA. Who knows if he'll ever make it. He has yet to reach Class AAA, and is on the disabled list at Akron.

THE FIRST FRUSTRATION

In 1998, the Tribe drafted C.C. Sabathia with the 20th pick in the first round.

Consider this list of names: Corey Smith, Daniel Denham, Alan Horne, Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Snyder, Michael Aubrey, Jeremy Sowers, Trevor Crowe and Beau Mills.

Those were the Tribe's first-round picks between Sabathia and Chisenhall, nine years worth.

Among those nine names, only one is a viable big league player. That's Guthrie, but the Tribe didn't wait long enough for him.

Guthrie was a star at Stanford, drafted in 2002. He was with the Tribe briefly in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In those three seasons, he pitched a grand total of 37 innings, had one start and 6.08 ERA.

The Indians placed him on waivers before the 2007 season. He was claimed by Baltimore, which placed him in the starting rotation. That was all he needed, a real chance.

He was 15-12 (4.04 ERA) for Kansas City last season. For his career, Guthrie is 72-94 with a 4.23 ERA. Not great, but good enough to be in a big league rotation most years. The Indians gave up on him too soon.

SECOND THOUGHTS

In 2009, the Tribe picked an outfielder from Arizona State named Jason Kipnis.

"When you draft a high school player, you should figure it will take four to five years for him to reach the majors."
Who knew that four years later, he would become the first player drafted, signed and developed by the Tribe farm system to make an All-Star team since Sabathia was picked in 1998?

"That's a tribute to Jason because he worked so hard to convert from the outfield to second base," said Atkins. "We knew he was a good athlete. We believed playing second would get him to the majors faster. But he still had to put in the work."

s28tribef.jpg
Drafted as an outfielder, Trevor Crowe was not able to learn to play the infield. He has struggled to stay in the Majors.
Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer

The Indians tried that approach with outfielder Trevor Crowe, their first-round pick in 2005. But Crowe wasn't able to learn the infield. He is batting .244 for Class AAA Toledo this season.

As for the second-rounders after Kipnis...oh my!

In 2010, it was Levon Washington. The outfielder is batting .308 at Class A Carolina, but has never played more than 79 games in a season. He is almost constantly battling some type of injury.

In 2011, it was Dillon Howard, a high school pitcher who signed for $1.85 million. He pitched poorly, and was suspended for 50 games for failing a drug test during the 2013 season.

Howard has since been cut.

In 2012, it was Mitchell Brown, another high school pitcher. He is 0-6 with a 4.86 ERA at Class A Lake County.

In 2013, it was Dace Kime. He was a college pitcher from Louisville, who is 0-8 with a 6.10 ERA at Class A Lake County.

Atkins invoked the "P-word" when it came to Kime and Brown.

"You have to be patient," he said. "Corey Kluber didn't put it together until last year (when Kluber was 27). You'd always like to see guys drafted that high have more success right away, but you also don't want to write them off too soon."

Brown is 20, Kime is 22 years old.

When House was 20, he was 6-12 with a 5.19 ERA at Class A Kinston.

WHEN THEY DO COME FAST




Cody Allen Postgame: June 3, 2014
Indians closer Cody Allen meets with reporters following Tuesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox. Allen picked up his fifth save of the season.
Cody Allen was the 698th player picked in the 2011 draft. The Tribe gave the right-hander a $125,000 bonus -- high for the 23rd round.

But they thought his best was indeed yet to come, as he had elbow reconstruction surgery in 2009.

Eighteen months after signing, Allen was in Cleveland. It took only 98 minor league innings. He now seems to have grabbed the Tribe's closer job.

"Relievers can come fast," said Atkins. "They need only two good pitches. They don't have to go through the lineup more than once. They don't need to build up arm strength to throw 200 innings a season -- like a starter does."

The Indians recently promoted lefty Kyle Crockett, a fourth round pick by the Tribe in the 2013 draft. Like Allen, he was a college pitcher and a reliever. Crockett is back at Class AAA, but the lefty impressed Francona last month. He will return when they need bullpen help.

WILL THEY BE PHENOMS?

In a recent story, I wrote about how 68 percent of players picked in the first round between 1990-2010 appeared in the majors at some point.

The second round was 49 percent.

By the third round, it's down to 32 percent.

From the 2011 draft, the second round and third round picks (Dillon Howard and Jake Sisco) are no longer in the organization. But with the No. 8 pick in the first round, the Indians may have found gold with Francisco Lindor.

The 20-year-old is batting .279 with four homers and 32 RBI at Class AA Akron. There is a sense that Lindor could skip over Class AAA directly to the majors in the near future.

"Even with a player as gifted as Francisco, you need to be patient," said Atkins. "He just needs more reps...more at bats...more plays in the field...more experience. He is already perhaps the youngest player in the Eastern League. He has all the skills, he really does..."

But he's young, and this is only his third pro season.

New name, new treats at Canal Park 15 players assigned to Rubberducks will be familiar to fans in Akron
Tyler Naquin has reason to smile -- the Tribe loves his progress as he's hitting .307 as Class AA Akron.
Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer

Lindor's teammate is Tyler Naquin, the 15th player taken in the 2012 draft. He was a right fielder at Texas A&M. He is batting .307 (.780 OPS) for the Rubber Ducks with two homers and 21 RBI. He's also stolen 12 bases.

"Tyler has moved to center field as a pro," said Atkins. "He's made some changes to his (batting) stance and hand placement. He's learning to steal bases. He's is one of our real bright spots because of his growth as a player, which really started at the end of last season."

It's easy to project Naquin as the eventual replacement for Michael Bourn in center field. He doesn't have much power, but the rest of his game is Major League quality.

Of course, Naquin is 23.

The 2013 first rounder is Clint Frazier, who is only 19. The outfielder is batting .253 (.699 OPS) with two homers. In his last 10 games, it's .293 as Frazier seems to be adjusting to Class A Lake County. He was the fifth pick in the draft, and is projected as a power hitter.

Some scouts will tell you that the odds are Naquin will reach the majors before Frazier. He's four years older. But Frazier could be the better player over the years because of his projected power.

But that's the key word...projected.

Just like the other P-word...potential.

And yet another P-word...patience.

And that's what the baseball draft is usually all about.

Call a player's name and hope to see him four years later in the majors.

A couple of posts in the minorleagueball forum

Sickels and the posters seem to really like the tribe draft

Bobby Bradley to the Tribe
Continuing their great draft.

Jake Cave - The Rodney Dangerfield of Yankees Prospects.
by cookiedabookie on Jun 6, 2014 | 1:42 PM reply

i like John Richy and Bobby Bradley
by John Sickels on Jun 6, 2014 | 1:42 PM reply

http://www.perfectgame.org/players/play ... ?ID=333854

2013 National Showcase
Jun 13, 2013 - Jun 17, 2013 7-Red 10
Metrodome - Minneapolis, MN

SIMEON LUCAS
C 3B, OF 6-2 195 L/R
60
7.20
C
84
Pop
1.93
Related Scout Blogs
Top Catcher Pop Times (All Teams)
Top Catcher Velocities (All Teams)
Game 10 Red vs Royal
Teams 7-10 Batting Practice
Top Catcher Pop Times (Teams 1-10)
Top Catcher Velocities (Teams 1-10)
Simeon Lucas is a 2014 C/3B with a 6-2 195 lb. frame from Ingleside, IL who attends Grant Community HS. Very strong athletic build, fairly mature physically. Left handed hitter, balanced stance, late hitch and load that works well in games and against velocity, long and powerful swing, ball explodes on contact, very loud contact, home run power with big lift on his pitch, showed ability to stay back and drive a change up as well, looks to pull the ball, top level power hitting prospect. 7.20 runner, agile for size, blocks well, handled high velocity pitchers comfortably, very good raw arm strength, can get long in his release at times. 1.93 best pop time, accurate throws, should have no trouble staying behind the plate. Good student, verbal commitment to Illinois State.
PG Grade 10.0

http://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Play ... ?ID=303415


2013 National Showcase
Jun 13, 2013 - Jun 17, 2013 3-Green 15
Metrodome - Minneapolis, MN

GRANT HOCKIN
RHP SS 6-3 195 R/R
FB
90
Range
88-89
CB
77
SL
83
CH
80
Related Scout Blogs
Game 2 Green vs Maroon
Grant Hockin is a 2014 RHP/SS with a 6-3 195 lb. frame from Pomona, CA who attends Damien HS. Medium frame, strong athletic well proportioned build. Pitches from a high three quarters arm slot with a long arm action. Good delivery, repeats it well, clean arm action, ball comes out of hand well with low effort delivery. Slider is best of four pitches, showed some feel for it along with flashing hard bite in low 80s, swing and miss pitch. 11-5 shape on curveball flashing hard spin at times, changeup has split finger action with good late tumble. Fastball shows good tailing action and he threw it for strikes consistently. Didn't show as firm of stuff in this outing as we've seen from him in the past, but showed refinements in delivery and advances with command and pitchability. Good student. Verbal commitment to UCLA.
PG Grade 10.0

BA on some of these guys:

7. LUCAS C The top two prep catchers in Illinois are both lefthanded hitters, but they have different body types. ... the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Lucas has a longer, leaner build with some natural strength to his lower half. ..., Lucas faces questions about his ability to stay behind the plate, though he has an average arm with a quick transfer. Scouts praised his bat coming into the year after he showed bat speed and a line-drive-oriented stroke, but he has not progressed as expected this spring. His best power is to his pull side, and he could develop average power. Lucas is a well below-average runner who is committed to Illinois State, where both of his parents attended and his father played both baseball and football

8 MINIARD RHP Miniard is far and away the top high school prospect in Kentucky in a down year for prep talent in the state. He has an intriguing foundation with a gangly 6-foot-7, 210-pound body that offers considerable physical projection and has drawn comparisons to Doug Fister. He finished the fall strong by touching 94 mph, but his velocity has been down this spring. His fastball has sat 87-89 mph throughout his outings, touching 91 and 92 early before dropping to 85-87. His breaking ball has improved substantially and shows at least average potential, flashing better, while his changeup is in its nascent stages. There are some tweaks to be made with his arm action and delivery, but Miniard is athletic for his size and offers upside. The Western Kentucky commit is considered signable.

9 PANOJAS SS Pantojas has an attractive profile as one of the better defensive shortstops in the draft class, and a lefthanded hitter plays with energy. He has a slender, athletic 5-foot-11, 160-pound build and has grown stronger over the last year, but he needs to continue to add strength. He grows on scouts in game action because of his defensive prowess as a soft-handed, reliable defender with above-average range and a strong, accurate arm. Pantojas' speed plays as average out of the box and better on the bases with good baserunning instincts. Added strength has helped his swing as a contact-oriented hitter with a slightly uphill path, but he’s still unlikely to produce much impact with the bat and will have well below-average power. The scarcity of talent at the position could push him up draft boards.

With only a couple cheap signing possiblitlies (the 2 4th year seniors) it does look the Indians won't be able to sign all these guys since they have a bonus cap to deal with.

11th round: Jared Robinson JC RHP

An undersized righthander with a quick arm, Robinson lacks upside but makes up for it with quality stuff, good athleticism and a clean arm action. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph and touches 93, and some scouts say they saw him bump 94 early in the year, though his fastball lacks downhill plane. A two-way player who has started and relieved at Cerritos, Robinson has shown three fringy offspeed pitches, but he’ll likely be a two-pitch bullpen guy in pro ball. Some scouts prefer his slider, which has a chance to be average, while others like the shape and depth on his curveball, which he just needs to throw for strikes more consistently. Robinson is committed to Long Beach State but considered signable in the seventh- to 10th-round range

12th round: Jordan Dunatov RHP Nevada No scouting report, that means not rated among Top 500 prospects

13th round: Austin Fisher SS Kansas. No scouting report

14th round: Grayson Jones RHP JC
Undrafted out of high school a year ago, Jones has made a significant velocity jump and has pushed into top five rounds consideration for some teams. He has a quick arm with good extension out front, and the ball jumps out of his hand, with his fastball sitting 89-92 mph and touching the mid-90s at its best. His heavy fastball is a bowling ball with plus life that should induce lots of groundballs. Scouts consider him more of a thrower at this point, without much beyond his fastball. He has effort in his delivery and tends to not use his legs as much while working from the stretch. He likes to throw his slurvy breaking ball that shows at least average potential, and seldom uses a below-average splitter/changeup. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has a physical build with a fuller lower half. Jones began the year much better than he finished it, which leaves scouts questioning his role. He projects to end up in the bullpen long term.

15th round: Luke Eubank RHP JC
Oxnard teammate Patrick Weigel may light up the radar guns, but Eubank is the much better pitcher, and he carved up junior-college competition this spring, going 12-1, 0.94 with 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 124 innings. Eubank, a Hawaii commit, lacks projection as a low three-quarters-slot righthander with a slender 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame, but he really knows how to pitch, and pounds zone with quality strikes. He can spot up his 88-91 fastball, which bumps 92-93. He gets swings-and-misses with an 80-83 slider that rates as a solid-average to slightly above-average offering. He also has a changeup with deception and good arm speed, giving him a third average pitch. Eubank’s advanced feel for pitching and dogged competitiveness make his stuff play up, giving him a chance to be drafted anywhere between the fourth and 10th rounds

The next 10 rounds: [scouting reports provided if they were available in BA's database]

16 488 Indians Jonathon Feyereisen RHP Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI

The top prospect in the Division III ranks, Feyereisen is a Wisconsin native who will get drafted mostly off the strength of his Northwoods League performance last summer. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder had a decent spring but didn’t take a huge step forward this year after touching 94 mph last summer. He sits 88-91 mph with his fastball and has a solid-average low-80s slider that flashes better. Feyereisen still figures to be the highest-drafted Wisconsin-Stevens product in school history

17 518 Indians Cameron Hill RHP Redlands (Calif.) CC CA

18 548 Indians Taylor Murphy OF Pacific CA

19 578 Indians Argenis Angulo RHP Ranger (Texas) JC TX

Angulo was born and grew up in Venezuela before coming to the States to pitch at Ranger (Texas) JC. He mostly played third base as a kid and is still fairly new to pitching, but his big arm and strapping 6-foot-3 build have attracted scouts. Angulo sits at 90-92 mph on his fastball and can touch 94. He throws with a nice downhill plane when he’s going well but at times he worries too much about lighting up radar guns and gets out of his mechanics. His slider has become a fairly consistent secondary offering with depth and late action, and he has a show-me changeup as well.

20 608 Indians Gian Paul Gonzalez C Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Gurabo, P.R.

21 638 Indians Bobby Ison OF Charleston Southern SC

22 668 Indians Jordan Carter RHP Saint Joseph's

23 698 Indians David Armendariz OF Cal Poly CA

24 728 Indians Jodd Carter OF Hilo (Hawaii) HS HI

Carter has committed to Hawaii, though he also has a fall-back position of Central Arizona JC. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Carter rivals Devon Stubblefield as the fastest player in Hawaii this year. He lacks Stubblefield’s first-step burst but has more polish and is explosive with his speed, covering 60 yards in 6.5 seconds. A righthanded-hitting and throwing center fielder, Carter has rawness to his offensive approach and swing, which gets too big. He’s shown enough raw pop to impact the ball if he can make more consistent contact

25 758 Indians K.J. Harrison C Punahou HS, Honolulu HI

Harrison, the top position player in the state, could become just the second Hawaiian prep catcher drafted in the top 10 rounds since Dane Sardinha [nope, he didn't come close] became the highest-drafted Hawaiian prep position player ever in 1997, going to the Reds in the second round. Harrison comes from baseball bloodlines, as his father Kenny was an all-American in college and played in the minor leagues before coaching at Kenny's school. His best tool is his strong, accurate arm, and he receives and frames well with soft hands. His arm and receiving could enable him to become an above-average defender behind the plate. The 6-foot, 193-pounder has a strong build and has shown plus raw power in batting practice this spring. He has a loose, quick swing and has hit well against inferior competition, though he struggled to make consistent contact on the showcase circuit. A pull hitter, Harrison does more damage on the inner half of the plate with natural loft in his swing. He’s a well below-average runner. An Oregon State commit, he has a gamer mentality to go with instincts for the game. He is young for the class and will be 18 near the end of the minor league season

2014 Indians 11th round pick: RHP Jared Robinson

With their 11th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Jared Robinson out of Cerritos College (CA).

Born: 11/20/1994 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Rank:

Baseball America: 348

Jeff Ellis: Jared Robinson is a right handed pitcher from Cerritos College in the Southern California Conference. This is a league the Indians have mined a lot over the years, so much so I have become quite familiar with the league's website. Robinson is a sub six foot righty who has a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball. He was the MVP of his league this year and was definitely a draft prospect. He is only a sophomore but he should be signable especially if they took him in the 11th round. On the year in 93 innings Robinson struck out 6.1 per game and had an ERA of 2.23 for the Falcons.

2014 Indians 11th round pick: RHP Jared Robinson

With their 11th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Jared Robinson out of Cerritos College (CA).

Born: 11/20/1994 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Rank:

Baseball America: 348

Jeff Ellis: Jared Robinson is a right handed pitcher from Cerritos College in the Southern California Conference. This is a league the Indians have mined a lot over the years, so much so I have become quite familiar with the league's website. Robinson is a sub six foot righty who has a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball. He was the MVP of his league this year and was definitely a draft prospect. He is only a sophomore but he should be signable especially if they took him in the 11th round. On the year in 93 innings Robinson struck out 6.1 per game and had an ERA of 2.23 for the Falcons.

2014 Indians 12th round pick: RHP Jordan Dunatov

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 12th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Jordan Dunatov out of the University of Nevada-Reno.

Born: 10/20/1992 – Height: 6’5” – Weight: 200 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Jordan Dunatov is an interesting selection from the University of Nevada. Three years ago he was a 14th round selection of the Pirates. A year ago out of the Juco ranks he was rated higher as an outfielder. The Indians drafted Dunatov as a right handed pitcher and with his 6’6” frame it makes sense why they see him on the mound. Dunatov didn’t pitch much this year appearing in just 6 games out of the pen and as a hitter he only played in 15 games, so here is a very raw kid. He was a backup this season who just didn’t get in much. This is just a big very raw kid who could be interesting to watch.