Cleveland Indians: 4 Prospects to Watch for in 2017

The Cleveland Indians have a talented roster, but that does not mean that there is no room for a prospect to be called up during the 2017 season.

With the emergence of young stars like shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Tyler Naquin, the Cleveland Indians farm system has made a habit of producing talent that is ready to play full-time right away. Players who have seen less time on the MLB roster have also made impacts that were especially vital to the Indians 2016 World Series run, most notably Ryan Merritt.

Every turn of the calendar marks another year of development done for the Indians prospects, and while some of the Tribe’s top prospects are still a couple of years away from being considered for a Major League stint, some mid-level prospects, as well as the Indians’ top prospect, will likely be getting their first taste of MLB.

While many different prospects will likely get a shot in the big leagues this year, only a few will get significant time on the Indians roster. Last season, Merritt, Adam Plutko and Shawn Morimando were three players who made their Major League debuts, but they only saw minimal time for Cleveland for spot starts. However, Naquin, Mike Clevinger and Erik Gonzalez got significant time with the Indians, even though the latter did not see much playing time.

Here are five Indians prospects who could see significant time with the Indians in 2017.