2014 Indians 27th round pick: LHP David Speer

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 27th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected left-handed pitcher David Speer out of Columbia (NY).

Born: 8/14/1992 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 185 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Jeff Ellis: David Speer is a command control lefty out of Columbia. He dominated the Ivy League for a while and was the first unanimous Pitcher of the Year in the Ivy League in a decade. He has four pitches all of which he can throw for strikes. He sits in the mid to upper 80’s, but his best trait is his command. He walked just seven players this year and struck out 75. He is a senior and will be added to the Indians minors. With his command I feel like he has a very good chance to be a LOOGY down the road. He should be given every chance to start but his velocity is what might hold him back in the end.

2014 Indians 28th round pick: 3B Nathan Winfrey


By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 28th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected third baseman Nathan Winfrey out of Maplewoods Community College (MO).

Born: 9/24/1994 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Nathan Winfrey is a 6’2”right-handed hitting third baseman from Maplewood CC. He had been a commit to Wichita State, but like many kids he choose to go the JUCO route instead and was drafted by the Indians just a year after being undrafted out of high school. He is an interesting player because most articles on him are from two years ago, and this year the information was extremely sparse. He made the All-Region team for Maplewoods, but the stats on the site don’t have anything for him. In the end him being a freshman at the JUCO ranks taken in the late 20’s means he is very unlikely to sign.

2014 Indians 29th round pick: 2B Drake Roberts

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 29th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected second baseman Drake Roberts out of St. Mary’s University (TX).

Born: 1/6/1992 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 160 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Drake Roberts was drafted three years ago by the Minnesota Twins in round 49, which doesn’t even exist anymore. He is a 5’8” shortstop who the Indians wanted listed at second base. This makes sense as his fielding numbers where not strong this year. He was listed out of high school as a good player with a good hit tool as a switch hitter, who was committed to Oklahoma. Yet as I have said with many of these kids, things didn’t quite work out with his commit. He didn’t see enough playing time and transferred out after his freshman year. He then went the JUCO route since it is often the only place these kids can go. He had a better sophomore year and saw his average drop 60 points this year. The Indians are betting on the tools more than the production this year. He was listed as a plus runner with a plus arm out of high school, and it’s the tools that saw him drafted today.

2014 Indians 30th round pick: RHP Nick Hynes

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 30th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Nick Hynes out of Riverside Community College (CA).

Born: 11/15/1993 – Height: 6’4” – Weight: 230 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Nick Hynes is a big 6’4” right hander from Riverside. Last year the Indians selected Kenny Matthews out of Riverside, though they did not see Hynes as this was his first year with Riverside. Hynes was a commit who went to Arizona but was stuck not getting the time he needed so he transferred out to Riverside so he could play this year. He might be 6’4” but he looks pretty filled out so I am not sure if there is a ton or projection left in him. He throws in the mid 80’s to low 90’s with a nice downward plain on his pitches. He worked out of the pen this year and averaged over a strikeout an inning. Since he is a freshman I think he might be a harder sign and a lot like Winfrey and Cooley this pick might be more about getting to know a kid who you might be more interested in next year.

2014 Indians 31st round pick: RHP Dominic DeMasi


By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 31st round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Dominic DeMasi out of Valdosta St. University (GA).

Born: 2/23/1993 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Dominic DeMasi is yet another right-handed pitcher for the Indians, who have been targeting right handed pitchers heavily on the third day of the draft. Demasi is 6’3” right handed pitcher who played two sports at Valdosta State. He was not only a starting pitcher but was a punter on the football team. As a starter this year he had a 2.79 ERA, 77/42 strikeout to walk ratio, and .216 BAA in 80.2 innings. Demasi is obviously a pretty good athlete and being a junior there is a good chance he will sign with the Indians rather than return to Valdosta State for his senior year.

2014 Indians 32nd round pick: LHP Jared West

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 32nd round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected left-handed pitcher Jared West out of Houson (TX).

Born: 6/8/1993 – Height: 6’6” – Weight: 220 – Bats: Right – Throws: Left

West, a southpaw on the mound (he hits right-handed, though that probably doesn’t matter) is tall at 6’6″, and weighs 220 pounds. College sophomores aren’t often draft-eligible, but that’s exactly what West is — despite being drafted by the Pirates in the 39th round of the 2012 round. After a rough freshman year in which he only pitched 7 1/3 innings, West rebounded with a 2.90 ERA in 49 2/3 innings across 10 starts and 4 relief appearances, striking out 39 and walking 18 (he also allowed 38 hits). He has a sister and three brothers, including two who have played professional baseball (one of his brothers is Sean West, a former first-round pick by the Marlins who has a 5.03 ERA in 112 2/3 career major league innings). His bio in Houston’s media guide says that he likes music too, so that’s pretty cool.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Ranks:

Baseball America: 455

Jeff Ellis: Jared West is another unsignable pick. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 39th round out of high school in 2012. This makes him a draft eligible sophomore and since he is a consensus top 500 talent I would be shocked if the Indians signed him. West is a big lefty at 6’6” and his brother Sean was a former first round pick by the Marlins who made it to the majors in 2009. Jared is the small one though as his brother Sean is 6’8”. If Jared was more consistent he could have gone in the top five rounds. He has a very live fastball which can sit in the lower 90’s but it has also been reported at times this year in the mid 80’s. This year he made 10 starts and four appearances out of the pen and only pitched in 49.2 innings, which means he averaged well under five innings a start. He struck out 39 and had an ERA of 2.90 with 18 walks. The size and stuff could make him a middle of the rotation starter but he needs to become more consistent which will be his goal next year with Houston sadly instead of with the Indians.

2014 Indians 33rd round pick: 3B Peter Dolan


By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 33rd round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected third baseman Peter Dolan out of Gilmour Academy High School (OH).

Born: 10/6/1995 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 180 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

If something about Dolan’s name seems peculiar, it is. Before I go any further, he is in fact the son of Indians owner Paul Dolan. With that being said, one would think that the Indians would be able to sign the right-handed third baseman. He is a product of Gilmour Academy (my parents, who were both born and raised nearby, call it a “hoity-toity” place) and is from Chagrin Falls, so the Indians obviously know more about him than other teams. He is 5’11″ and weighs 180 pounds, and hit .378/.437/.486 with no homers and 59 RBI through 66 high school games.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Jeff Ellis: Peter Dolan obviously has some ties to the organization. He is the son of Paul Dolan, owner of the Indians. He has often practiced with the team’s minor league squads and has reported down to spring training in the past. He is another sub six foot guy at 5’11” and has played third and catcher; he was drafted as a catcher. I can almost guarantee he won’t sign as he is heading to Michigan and it’s not clear if he has a scholarship or if he will walk on there. This is not unheard of drafting the son's of people with ties to an MLB organization and Dolan actually has a higher player profile than many of these players often have.

2014 Indians 34th round pick: 3B Cody Calloway



By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 34th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected third baseman Cody Calloway out of Midview High School (OH).

Born: 4/26/1995 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 195 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Another local prospect for the Indians, Calloway is a 6’3″, 195-pound infielder from Elyria. He’s mostly played shortstop in the past, but the Indians have drafted him as a third baseman. A terrific athlete, Callaway is committed to Bowling Green to play baseball and quarterback for the school’s football team. He’s also pitched, but he’ll be a position player at the next level if he chooses to sign with the Indians.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Jeff Ellis: Cody Callaway is a big time athlete. He was a baseball and football recruit who is heading to Bowling Green to play both sports. On the football field he is a quarterback and on the diamond he played shortstop though he was drafted as a third baseman. He isn’t just some athlete, he performed very well this year and is one of the top baseball players in the state. Even still, he isn’t going to sign as reports on him seem to focus on football first and baseball second and he made his college choice on football grounds first it seemed. His dad played baseball at BG as well and he has ties to the program. He is going to head there and play multiple sports for the Falcons.

Indians come away with balanced effort in Draft

Club takes 19 pitchers, 23 position players while focusing on college talent

Alec Shirkey / MLB.com6/7/14 9:43 PM ET

If any quality could be applied to the Tribe's incoming class of young talent, it would be the group's symmetry.

The Indians were able to keep themselves balanced through much of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, taking 19 young arms and 23 position players. A majority of those players were of the college variety (27), while 15 more prospects came from the high school ranks.

Cleveland again showed it was unafraid to dip into the nation's pool of prep talent early and often, as seven of the first 11 Draft picks were made on high schoolers. The club also addressed its outfield right away, making college products Bradley Zimmer (No. 21 overall) and Mike Papi (No. 38 overall) two of its first three choices.

"We liked how we were able to balance it out," Indians director of amateur scouting Brad Grant said. "Especially at the beginning of the Draft, with college guys and the upside of the high school pitching and position players."

The Indians also opted to go lefty-heavy at the top of the Draft. In addition to Zimmer and Papi, they added prep lefty pitchers Justus Sheffield (No. 31 overall) and Sam Hentges to go along with high school first baseman Bobby Bradley within the first four rounds. Damien High School right-hander Grant Hockin, the grandson of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, joined Zimmer, Sheffield and Papi as one of the Tribe's four Day 1 selections.

But while the first two days of the Draft dealt heavily in lefties, Day 3 saw the Indians pick 12 right-handed pitchers, of which only one did not play college baseball.

"We took a lot of power arms at the back end," Grant said. "I think we purposely targeted those arms. I think we've had success in finding bullpen arms with [2011 23rd-round Draft pick] Cody Allen and signing those type of guys."

Notables among the team's Saturday selections include catcher Juan Gomes, the younger brother of Tribe starting catcher Yan Gomes, and Peter Dolan, son of team chairman and CEO Paul Dolan.

"[It was] something we were excited to do for the Dolan family," Grant said. "Peter had a very good high school career and will be heading to the University of Michigan, where he hopes to walk on the baseball team."

In all, the Indians acquired 42 players. They have to agree to terms with the team by the signing deadline, which falls on July 18.

Move to the mound helps Dunatov get drafted by Tribe

Alec Shirkey / MLB.com6/7/14 7:13 PM ET

Jordan Dunatov has learned to embrace change. He had to after playing for three different schools over the last three years.

So when the college junior was given the chance to convert from outfielder to pitcher in December, he did not hesitate to seize it. And though he would appear in just six games with the University of Nevada, Reno this season, the right-handed Dunatov still showed enough athleticism and projectable talent for the Indians to justify taking him in the 12th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft on Saturday.

The move to the mound worked out better than even Dunatov had hoped.

"I'm ecstatic," he said. "It's a dream come true."

Dunatov's coaches, however, were not surprised by the pick. With all of the raw tools at his disposal to go with his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame -- a fastball that topped out at 97 mph and a hard slider that sits around 84-86 mph coming just months after he made the transition -- the level of interest he drew from scouts hardly surprised those on the Nevada staff.

"He's a superb athlete," pitching coach Dave Lawn said. "It's a right-handed pitcher professional body. A lot of people came away saying for a guy who's just played around with pitching and never done it full time, he didn't look like a guy trying to learn how to pitch."

Dunatov's career as a hitter began with its own share of promise. He was drafted out of high school by the Pirates, who spent a 14th-round selection on him, but Dunatov opted to sign on with perennial college contender Oregon State. He still stands by the decision.

"I think it was the right move going to college," Dunatov said. "I wasn't ready to go play pro ball. I thought I was. I wanted to. And then things didn't work out the way I expected."

Dunatov struggled as a freshman for the Beavers before transferring to Central Arizona College -- a JUCO program -- where he hit .262 and stole eight bases in 36 games. But the same scouting hype that had enveloped him in high school had since cooled off, and the Majors were no longer calling Dunatov's name.

"I was hoping to go in the Draft last year and that never really worked out for me," he said.

Instead, Nevada would pick up the phone and seek out Dunatov's help. But with talented players already ahead of him on the roster, the young hitter's chances of making his mark looked slim.

And then, as the weather grew colder and fall practice neared its end, the story altered its course. Lawn had Dunatov try his hand at pitching in a scrimmage and found the tall righty could hit 89-91 mph with little coaching or practice.

"So we said, 'Oh boy,'" Lawn said.

Despite his natural gifts, Dunatov still endured his setbacks. Biceps tendinitis in January took him away from pitching for a time. And even after rehabbing, the 21-year-old's appearances on the hill were few and far between, with roles already handed out to the more experienced pitchers at Nevada.

Then, with just eight weeks left in the season, Dunatov saw his moment.

"I finally got in there and got to throw when we were getting blown out by Fresno State. I was up to 94-95 mph, had a hard slider," Dunatov said. "Next day, my head coach [Jay Johnson] said, 'Hey, Jordan, I know you want to play pro ball. You can keep on hitting if you want, but pitching is going to be where your future is.' I said, 'I think so, too.'"

Not long after, it would be Major League scouts saying, "Oh boy."

"Then the buzz started, just non-stop," Lawn said. "'When might he pitch? Can we come see his bullpen?' He's doing a [simulated] game in late April, and there's probably 15-20 scouts here for a [simulated] game on a Monday."

Now a 2014 draftee, Dunatov's interest in signing with the Tribe is no secret. After nearly three years as a transient college outfielder, the big-bodied pitcher out of Scottsdale, Ariz., says he will try his hand at professional baseball after being drafted for a second time.

But the name of the game has always been change for Dunatov, and now he'll have his chance to shine at another spot on the diamond with the Indians.

"I've enjoyed my journey in college, getting to move around, see different places," he said. "I really learned about myself as a player and person."
Alec Shirkey is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cleveland adds second Gomes to Tribe

Younger brother of Yan Gomes, Juan, drafted in 37th round

Alec Shirley and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com6/7/14 10:56 PM ET

Sitting at home with his parents, watching the Indians and Rangers do battle on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Juan Gomes tensed up as his older brother Yan stepped into the batter's box. With two men on base in a tie game, he had a funny feeling that however Yan's at-bat ended would set the tone for the rest of his day.

"I took a little second to talk to the man upstairs and said 'if you get Yan to hit a home run right here, good things are going to happen today,'" Juan Gomes said.

The hunch was right: Yan Gomes crushed a three-run homer that helped the Indians to a win, and later that same afternoon the Indians selected Juan in the 37th round of the First-Year Player Draft.

"These are moments that I will cherish," Juan Gomes said. "The family is going crazy over here."

Yan Gomes, meanwhile, was checking his phone after the game when he saw the update that Juan had been drafted by his organization. Ecstatic, he immediately got on the phone with his brother.

"I was acting like I was the one who got drafted or something," said Yan Gomes, who agreed to a six-year, $23 million extension with the team in March. "It was extremely emotional and I'm super happy for him."

Though Yan Gomes is in the midst of his second season as starting catcher for the Tribe, playing backstop will be a new challenge for Juan, who spent parts of high school and college playing anywhere from infield to the outfield and even a little pitcher. Of course, Yan Gomes followed a similiar path in his younger days, starting mostly as an infielder at Tennessee before being drafted as a catcher by the Blue Jays.

"Hopefully he resembles his brother," Indians manager Terry Francona said on Saturday.

Juan Gomes attends Odessa College, a JUCO program in Texas, but did not play baseball there last season due to ineligibility. He said he had spent the past year trying to regain that status, but with an opportunity to play for the Tribe at his doorstep, the younger Gomes says he plans on turning pro. The Tribe, meanwhile, will continue to monitor Juan over the summer.

"He's a guy we've worked out and spent some time with and we'll continue to scout him," Indians director of amateur scouting Brad Grant said.

Juan Gomes would have been fine with any team taking him in the Draft. But with the Indians of all teams picking him up at the tail end of Day 3, the young hitter says he has grown even more motivated to succees as a professional with the hope that, one day down the road, he'll get to call his brother "teammate," as well.

"Growing up we like to say we're two different ball players. But I'm going to be honest, I watch my brother play and I try to copy everything he does," Juan Gomes said. "It works, you know?"
Alec Shirkey is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Six clubs that made the best Draft impressions

Jim Callis

The 2014 First-Year Player Draft concluded Saturday when the Cardinals made Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) right-hander Davis Ward the 1,215th and final selection. While it will be years before we know how well the teams and their choices fared, that doesn't stop us from formulating this list of the six clubs that made the best initial impressions:

1. Blue Jays. Toronto is an obvious choice, because it had the advantage of the highest pair of picks at Nos. 9 and 11. They spent them on East Carolina right-hander Jeff Hoffman, who was in consideration for the top overall choice before he required Tommy John surgery, and Kennesaw State's Max Pentecost, the best true catcher in the Draft. Those two were a nice haul by themselves, and the Blue Jays didn't stop there.

In the second round, Toronto stole Sandalwood High (Jacksonville, Fla.) right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, making it the only team to get three of the first 20 players on MLBPipeline.com's Top 200 Draft Prospects list. The Blue Jays got two more promising prepsters in projectable Battlefield High (Haymarket, Va.) left-hander Nick Wells (third round) and Thorsby (Ala.) High catcher Matt Morgan (fourth). They also came out firing on Day 3, taking a slew of talented and possibly signable players, starting with Lemont (Ill.) High lefty Jake Latz and Collinsville (Ill.) High righty Tanner Houck in the 11th and 12th rounds.

2. Astros. Houston had the top pick for an unprecedented third straight season and made good use of it by taking the consensus top prospect, Cathedral Catholic High (San Diego) left-hander Brady Aiken. With two more first-day choices, the Astros snagged two of the better college hitters available when Virginia outfielder Derek Fisher (supplemental first round) and Kentucky first baseman/NCAA Division I home run leader A.J. Reed (second), fell further than expected.

Houston began Day 2 by adding Cal State Fullerton first baseman/right-hander J.D. Davis and Texas A&M righty Daniel Mendgen, two solid college performers in the third and fourth rounds. They later picked up some upside righties in Los Alamito (Calif.) High's Jacob Nix (fifth round), Fresno State's Derick Velazquez (seventh) and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M's Dean Deetz (11th). By agreeing to terms with Aiken for $6.5 million, a record for a high school arm but still $1,422,100 below his assigned pick value, the Astros may have enough extra cash to sign Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.) left-hander Mac Marshall, once viewed as a potential first-round pick at one point. The Astros have not confirmed a deal is in place.

3. Indians. Cleveland was the lone team to snare six of MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects: San Francisco outfielder Bradley Zimmer (first round), Tullahoma (Tenn.) left-hander Justus Sheffield (first), Virginia outfielder/first baseman Mike Papi (supplemental first), Damien High (Laverne, Calif.) right-hander Grant Hockin (second), Harrison Central High (Gulfport, Miss.) first baseman Bobby Bradley and San Diego State outfielder Greg Allen. No other club had more than four.

4. Brewers. Milwaukee reached a bit at No. 12 for Waiakea HS (Hilo, Hawaii) left-hander Kodi Medeiros, though there's no denying that he has electric stuff. With their next two choices, the Brewers snaked two players who fell further than expected: Clovis (Calif.) High shortstop Jacob Gatewood (supplemental first round), who owns the best raw power in the Draft, and Lee's Summit West (Mo.) High outfielder Monte Harrison (second), one of the best athletes available. Milwaukee's crop has boom or bust potential, because the team will invest most of its bonus pool in its first three selections, but it could make a really big boom.

5. Royals. If Texas Christian left-hander Brandon Finnegan and Baker High (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) right-hander Scott Blewett hadn't battled minor shoulder woes, Kansas City never would have gotten them with the Nos. 17 and 56 picks. Finnegan could have gone as high as No. 4 to the Cubs, while Blewett might have snuck into the first or supplemental first round. In between those two, the Royals snared advanced lefty Foster Griffin (first round) out of The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) and slugging St. Thomas More High (Lafayette, La.) catcher Chase Vallot.

6. D-backs. Electric Coral Springs (Fla.) Christian Academy right-hander Touki Toussaint fell in Arizona's lap at No. 16. He was the first of five straight intriguing prep picks for the D-backs, who followed with Ardmore (Ala.) High left-hander Cody Reed (second round), Junipero Serra High (Gardena, Calif.) outfielder Marcus Wilson (supplemental second), Springfield (Mass.) Central High infielder Isan Diaz (supplemental second) and North Florida Christian High (Tallahassee, Fla.) outfielder Matt Railey (third). Right-handers Brent Jones of Cornell (fourth) and Mason McCullough of Lander (fifth) are raw for collegians but have power arms.

Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, Callis' Corner. Follow @jimcallisMLB on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

2014 Indians 36th round pick: SS Max Bartlett


By Staff Report
June 8, 2014
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With their 36th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected shortstop Max Bartlett out of Gulf Coast Community College (FL).

Born: 1/14/1995 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 165 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

The son of an Indians cross-checker, Bartlett is a 5’11″, 165-pound middle infielder. He hits and throws right-handed, and is a native of Starkville, Mississippi.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Jeff Ellis: Max Bartlett is a shortstop from Gulf Coast State College, its a JUCO which is why he was draft eligible after his freshman year. His dad is a head scout for the Indians which makes it three of the last four picks with major league blood lines. He is another sub six foot guy at 5’11” and hits from the left side. He .289 on the year with no home runs and seven steals. I have to assume if they are taking him after his freshman year he will sign though I am not sure about what to expect. Last year he was the 16th rated shortstop in the state of Mississippi, which isn’t typically a hot bed. I assume he will be a depth guy for the Indians if signed.

2014 Indians 37th round pick: CA Juan Gomes

By Staff Report
June 8, 2014
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With their 37th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected catcher Juan Gomes out of Odessa College (TX).

Born: 12/25/1991 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 185 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

YES. THIS IS IN FACT THE BROTHER OF Yan Gomes. I think it’s pretty funny that Yan has a brother named Juan, but that’s just another thing that makes these two brothers awesome. The younger Gomes is a right-handed hitting and throwing catcher. He is 6’2″, weighs 185 pounds, and was drafted in the 49th round of the 2010 draft by the Rangers. Other than that, it’s incredibly difficult to find much about the younger Gomes, though I have a feeling he’s already a fan favorite.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Jeff Ellis: Juan Gomes is a catcher taken by the Indians in the 36th round who is of course the brother of Indians starting catcher Yan Gomes. Juan was drafted four years ago by the Rangers in the 49th round. The college he is listed as playing for doesn’t have him on the roster and there is not a lot of information available on him at this time. He is built a lot like his brother and also bats from the right side. I assume as a senior he will sign and the Indians can lead the league in Gomes.

2014 indians 38th round pick: CF Cody Jones

By Staff Report
June 8, 2014
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With their 38th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected center fielder Cody Jones out of TCU.

Born: 5/25/1993 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right

Jones, a junior at TCU, is 5’11′ and 175 pounds. He’s a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. The Round Rock native hit .269 with a home run and 18 RBI during his sophomore season in 2013. He started all 57 games, leading off in 51 of them. He’s good at stealing bases and drawing walks, and projects as a leadoff hitter professionally. The Indians have taken a lot of players like Jones so far in the draft, but athleticism (which Jones has) is becoming more desirable for organizations to draft and develop, and the Indians have certainly been no exception.

Jeff Ellis: Commentary coming soon…

Jeff Ellis: Cody Jones is another sub six foot centerfielder for the Indians. He is yet another switch hitter which the Indians have been drafting heavily on the third day of the draft. He didn’t hit for a high average or any power, but what he does do is walk. He walked 44 times this year; he also struck out 43 times so he is going to work a lot of counts. When he does get on base he can steal some bases. His main tools seem to be his speed and his eye and he profiles best as a fourth outfielder down the road.

2014 Indians 39th round pick: RHP Jake Morton

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 39th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Jake Morton out of Oakland University (MI).

Born: 4/3/1992 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 200 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Jake Morton is an interesting pick to me. He has been a catcher since his senior year of high school. He was drafted as a catcher out of high school by the Tigers. He went to Oakland where he is a red shirt junior and stayed behind the plate with mixed results. His bat was never the strongest, but it is still shocking to see the Indians draft him as a pitcher. He has not pitched since high school, and he is smaller for a right handed pitcher at 6’1”. It’s a gutsy call, and one to watch. I mean Morton hasn’t been on the mound in four years. This means someone must have really liked him four years ago and went to bat for him here

2014 Indians 40th round pick: RHP Ryder Ryan

By Staff Report
June 7, 2014
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With their 40th round pick in the 2014 Draft the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Ryder Ryan out of North Mecklenburg High School (NC).

Born: 5/11/1995 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Here is a very interesting arm for the Indians last pick in Ryder Ryan. He has bloodlines as his dad made it to Triple-A and his uncle played in the pros. Ryder Ryan is a helium guy who hit 97 this year but sat mostly in the low 90’s. Here is a kid who really just this year focused on his pitching and what he shows is the potential for three above average pitches, with his fastball flashing plus. He shows excellent command for a high school arm. He really has some excellent upside when you consider how quickly he took to the mound this year. He will be draft eligible in two years and could potentially be a first rounder by then if he continues to develop