Cleveland Indians: Tyler Krieger shines for Team Israel in WBC

The Cleveland Indians sent 11 players to the World Baseball Classic, and one is standing out early on in the competition.

While much of the attention surrounding the Cleveland Indians and the World Baseball Classic has to do with Andrew Miller‘s participation, other players in the organization have already stood out in the early stages of the competition.

Tyler Krieger is the main name that comes to mind, as he has helped lead Team Israel to a 2-0 record in Group A.

Krieger, a second baseman in the Indians organization, had one RBI in Israel’s first game, a 2-1 victory over Korea. He followed that up with three hits and three RBI in a 15-7 victory over Chinese Tapei, which sets up Israel to advance to the next round of the competition.

The young second baseman split the 2016 season between Lake County and Lynchburg, ending the year with a combined .299 batting average and a .794 OPS.

His participation in the World Baseball Classic may not see him shoot up through the organizational ranks in 2017, but if he continues to play well he could earn himself a shot in 2018. And with the way the Indians now operate, he could also be traded to acquire some major league-ready talent.

For now, Krieger will continue to show off his talent as Israel is likely to advance to the next stage of the WBC. Perhaps a Cinderella run can put him on the national stage, where a big hit could have Indians fans asking why he isn’t an option for the major league club yet.

Next: Stars about to depart for WBC

Some fans may complain about MLB players not participating in the WBC, but it allows younger players to stand out, as Krieger has done in just two games. All the confidence he has gained from the experience will only help him in the future, when he could one day end up taking Jason Kipnis‘ spot on the Indians’ roster.