Minor League Notes: Francisco Lindor Progressing In Akron

Francisco Lindor Shows Off Plate Discipline For RubberDucks

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Wahoos On First Minor Leaugue player of the day is Francico Lindor. An odd choice considering he went hitless in two at-bats but did manage to draw four walks and score three runs in the Akron RubberDucks 12-7 victory over the Erie SeaWolves.

The impressive showing at the plate improved his on-base percentage to .372 and he has now walked in 10.9% of his plate appearances. According to baseball-reference.com Lindor is 4.6 years younger than the average ago of a Double-A player. To show that kind of plate discipline at an early age bodes well for the young switch hitting prospect.

Francisco Lindor is a highly regarded prospect. Baseball  America ranks him as the games number 28th best prospect, MLB.com ranks him as their number 14, and Baseball Prospectus (Free Scouting Report Here) ranks him all the way up at number six.

The Indians drafted him with the 8th pick in the 2011 draft out of Montverde High School in Central Florida. He spent the 2012 season with the Tribe’s Class A affiliate Lake County Captains where he put up respectable numbers posting a triple slash line of .257/.352/.355 and amassed a total of 567 plate appearance by far the most for any season at any time in his young career.

If the 2012 season wore him down it didn’t show in 2013 as he shined with the Indians High-A affiliate Carolina Mudcats. His impressive slash line of .306/.373/.410 in 83 games (373 plate appearances) earned him a promotion to the Indians Double-A affiliate Akron Aeros (now RubberDucks).  He was off to a quick start with the Aeros posting an .801 OPS (On-Base Average + Slugging%) before suffering a back injury that ended his season.

He has played all 264 of his minor league games at shortstop and is expected to take over the position after the 2014 season when Asdrubal Cabrera departs via free agency.  The Indians may trade Cabrera during the 2014 season and it would not surprise anyone if Lindor got the call to finish the year in Cleveland this summer.

LINDOR VIDEO:

Grand Slam From Left Side

Two Run Homer From The Right Side:

OTHER NOTES:

Columbus Clippers fell to the Rochester Red Wings by a final score of 6-2

Blake Wood came in to relieve the Kyle Davies and struck out all three batters he faced.

Matt Carson delivered his fifth home run for the Clippers and finished the night 2 for 4 with 2-RBI.

Akron RubberDucks defeated the Erie SeaWolves 12-8

Bryan LaHair continues his torrid hitting and seems fully recovered from a wrist surgery on September 26, 2013. He went 4-6 with five runs batted in. His slash line with the RubberDucks is now .371/.458/.532 spanning 72 plate appearances.

Tony Wolters continues to not only display the defensive ability behind the plate but a strong plate presence as well. He was 2-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs driven in. On the year he is batting .307/.360/.370 in 139 plate appearances.

Joseph Colon started for the RubberDucks and went 5 innings allowing three runs (earned) on six hits striking out five and walking a pair.

Carolina Mudcats Swept By Salem Red Sox (3-0, 2-0)

Ryan Merritt took his first loss on the season but was once again effective in his start. He went 5-innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits striking out six and walking two.

Levon Washington returned to the Mudcats after missing the last several weeks with a mild oblique strain and went 0 for 2 with a strikeout while playing left field.

Lake County Captains Defeat Western Michigan WhiteCaps 3-2

Robbie Aviles continues to impress delivering six scoreless innings allowing just three hits striking out three and walking none.

Eric Haase was 2 for 5 and belted his 8th home run.

Nellie Rodriguez was 2 for 4 and hit his 6th home run.