Cleveland Indians Top Prospect Rankings By Minor League Ball

Cleveland Indians Prospect Rankings By Minor League Ball

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Over the course of the winter baseball publications will reveal their list of Major League Baseball Organizations Top Prospects. Earlier this winter Baseball America released their Top 10 (Link) rankings and yesterday John Sickels of Minor League Baseball on SB Nation released the Indians Top 20 List.

“Although not currently among the elite conglomerations of minor league talent, the Indians farm system has strengths and features more depth than many systems. Sickels said. “Overall, this is a system that has made steady progress. They could use more high upside pitching but the same can be said for most organizations.”

A look at the Tribe’s Top 10 Prospects by Baseball America and Minor League Ball:

While Baseball America applies a scouting grade to different skills of a player (batting, power, speed, defense, arm) based on a 20-80 scale where 50 represents league average Sickels affixes a grade to a prospect from A to C. Grade A players are elite, Grade B players have a chance to enjoy successful careers, and Grade C prospects are the most common type (have something going for them but have a question mark or two).

A synopsis of each player can be found on the Minor League Ball site (LINK) and a complete Minor League Evaluation can be obtained in the Baseball Prospect Book 2015 available on John Sickels website (LINK).

The grades for the Indians Top 20 are as follows:
Francisco Lindor (A), Bradley Zimmer (B+), Clint Frazier (B+ – borderline B), Francisco Mejia (B), Bobby Bradley (B), Justus Sheffield (B- borderline B), Giovanny Urshela (B-), Tyler Naquin (B-), Mitch Brown (B-), James Ramsey (C+ – borderline B-), Nellie Rodriguez (C+ – borderline B-), Yu-Cheng Chang (C+ – Borderline B-), Mike Papi (C+), Jesus Aguilar (C+), Erik Gonzalez (C+), Austin Adams (C+), Grant Hockins (C+), Luis Lugo (C+), Adam Plutko (C+), Cody Anderson (C – borderline C+).

Other names to watch out for according to Sickels:

Dylan Baker, RHP; Sean Brady, LHP; Li-Jen Chu, C; Trevor Frank, RHP; Eric Haase, C; Sam Hentges, LHP; Tyler Holt, OF; Ryan Merritt, LHP; Julian Merryweather, RHP; Carlos Moncrief, OF; Shawn Morimando, LHP; Alexis Pantoja, SS; Dorssys Paulino, OF; Jared Robinson, RHP; Casey Shane, RHP; LeVon Washington, OF; Tony Wolters, C-INF

What progress did the Top 20 make from Sickels 2014 list (LINK)?

Trevor Bauer, Jose Ramirez, and C.C. Lee graduated to the major league side while “others to watch” member Kyle Crockett made it as well. Joe Wendle was ranked as the Tribe’s #10 prospect was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Brandon Moss.

Some remain in the Tribe’s organization but fell off the top 20 list based on their performance in 2014. Dorsyss Paulin0 (#4), Ronny Rodriguez (#6) , Levon Washington (#11), Tony Wolters (#14), Carlos Moncrief (#15), Dace Kime (#17), Dylan Baker (#19), and Anthony Santander (#2o). Of that group three players, Rodriguez, Kime, and Santander, were not included on the 2015 “others to watch list.”