Cleveland Indians 2017 top prospects: No. 13, Tyler Krieger

Jumping 11 spots from last year, infielder Tyler Krieger comes in at number 13 on our Cleveland Indians 2017 top prospect countdown.

Who is Tyler Krieger?

Tyler Krieger makes one of the biggest leaps in our prospect rankings, jumping 11 spots from last season. The 23-year-old switch-hitter joined the Indians in 2015 when he was drafted in the fourth round out of Clemson University.

Krieger did not make his organizational debut until 2016 though, as he dealt with a shoulder injury in college and the Indians took the cautious route. He was originally a shortstop at Clemson, though the injury forced him to be a designated hitter his final year and he played only second base at both Class-A Lake County and Advanced-A Lynchburg this past summer. Krieger was also the starting second baseman this March for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Coming out of Clemson, Krieger had high expectations offensively. He hit .312 playing in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference, including a .339 clip his last season in school. He picked up pretty much exactly where he left off by hitting .313 at Lake County before getting a midseason promotion to Lynchburg. Overall, he hit a combined .299 between the two levels, thanks to a very clean line-drive swing from both sides of the plate.

Krieger also does a great job of working the count and getting on base. He posted a combined .377 on-base percentage in 2016 thanks to a 10.3 percent walk rate. That walk rate actually was better at Lynchburg than Lake County as well, jumping to nearly 11 percent.

Perhaps where his ability to get on base has best been showcased was in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Krieger was, as said, the starting second baseman for Team Israel and despite hitting just .167, he posted a .400 on-base percentage thanks to six walks (and a hit by pitch) in just 25 plate appearances. In fact, Krieger had twice as many walks in the tournament as hits (six walks, three hits).

Krieger doesn’t hit for much power (just five home runs in 2016), and unfortunately, he doesn’t project to add much more. He did hit 26 doubles and eight triples this past season though, thanks in part to his above average speed that helps him take the extra base when he gets the ball to the gaps.

Related: 3 players who could start season at 2B

Defensively, Krieger is probably strictly a second baseman now, which limits his upside some. He does have decent range and while he won’t likely win any Gold Gloves, he should be average to slightly above-average at the position.

Where does he go from here?

Krieger had one of the best rookie years among Tribe prospects. As an advanced college hitter, he had expectations coming in with the bat and he didn’t disappoint. He reached Advanced-A in his first season and could start the season at Double-A Akron in 2017 given his resume. Team Israel is far from the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico, but Krieger still held his own on the biggest stage as a 23-year-old minor leaguer. If any prospect was ready to be challenged it’s him.

However, given the infield depth the Cleveland Indians have in the system there’s a (strong?) chance that Krieger could end up starting 2017 back at Lynchburg. There are several infield prospects in addition to Krieger who could start the year in Double-A, including fellow second baseman Mark Mathias, who already has time at Akron.

The Indians could get creative, moving guys around to different positions, but there will also likely be someone bumped from Triple-A down as well (perhaps an Eric Stamets), which would only further clog things up and possibly force Krieger back to Lynchburg.

No matter where Krieger starts, it would be a mild shock if he didn’t at reach Double-A at some point in 2017. If he were to start the year there, he could maybe even reach Triple-A, though there’s no need to rush him.

Next: Indians 2017 Top 30 Prospects: No. 14, Rob Kaminsky

Krieger is a guy that lacks the physical tools of some prospects but he’s a bit of a “baseball rat” that just seems to get it done. He’s got a bit of Jason Kipnis in him in a way, which is fitting since Kipnis was originally courted to play second base for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Krieger is a guy that may never start at the big league level but seems destined to be at worst a utility player eventually and could see Cleveland by 2018.