Cleveland Indians 2017 Top Prospects: 10 more names to know

Our Cleveland Indians top prospect countdown is complete but here are ten more prospects that fans should know entering the 2017 season.

For the last month, we’ve done our Cleveland Indians 2017 top prospect countdown. From Logan Ice to Bradley Zimmer, we went in-depth with all our top 30 prospects and even named ten other prospects to our just missed list.

However, there are still plenty of prospects that are names to follow and here are 10 names I think fans should know and pay attention to going into 2017 (listed in alphabetical order).

Shawn Armstrong – RHP

Shawn Armstrong is easily the most recognizable name on this list. He’s spent parts of the last two seasons in Cleveland but has maintained his prospect (and rookie) eligibility.

He’s appeared in 18 games with the Indians the last two years, posting a 2.41 ERA. In the minors, Armstrong has shown an aptitude for strikeouts. In 263 1/3 innings, he’s struck out 357 batters (12.2 per nine innings).

The problem with Armstrong, and why he didn’t appear on our top prospect countdown, is that with the strikeouts, comes a ton of walks. He’s walked 135 batters in his six minor league seasons. He struggled even more with walks in 2016, walking over five per nine innings at Triple-A Columbus.

Armstrong did have a very good spring, however, and he won a job with the big league club. He definitely looked better this March, showing more control. If he’s able to carry that over to the regular season then he could finally become a lockdown, late-inning reliever. I still have my doubts with him but there’s no denying he’s got wipeout stuff.

Matt Esparza – RHP

Matt Esparza was a 14th-round pick out of the University of California-Irvine in 2015. Despite average stuff, Esparaza has proven to be a steal at that spot.

He posted a 2.30 ERA in 2015 with Mahoning Valley before posting a 3.36 ERA in 2016 between Lake County and Lynchburg. Most impressive has been the strikeouts. He’s posted a 9.6 strikeout per nine innings ratio in his two professional seasons and led all Tribe minor leaguers with 141 in 2016.

Esparza will head back to Advanced-A Lynchburg to start the 2017 season. If he continues to pitch like he did in 2016, a promotion to Double-A Akron very well could be in his future this summer too.

Jose Fermin – SS

Jose Fermin was one of the bigger international signings for the Indians in 2013, signing out of the Dominican Republic. He was the 28th ranked international talent according to Baseball America and was just 16 at the time of his signing.

He just turned 19 a couple of days ago but is already a solid defender at shortstop. He has a solid bat but lacks any power at this point.

He has yet to play stateside but that should change in 2017 with Fermin likely opening at the Tribe’s Arizona Rookie affiliate later this summer. He cracked Baseball America’s top 30 list this year (subscription required), but I need to see him in the states before I put him quite that high.

Justin Garza – RHP

Finally recovered from Tommy John surgery, Justin Garza will look to get his first real taste of professional ball this year. Originally a 26th-round pick of the Indians out of high school in 2012, Garza was again drafted by the Indians in 2015, this time in the eighth round out of Cal State Fullerton.

Garza was a standout with the Titans in his three years and helped lead them to the 2015 College World Series, but blew out his elbow in late May.

The Indians took a flyer on him and after a year-plus rehab, Garza made his professional debut in 2016, appearing in six games for the Tribe’s Arizona Rookie League team.

Despite throwing just nine innings, the Indians have decided to start him in full-season ball at Class-A Lake County in 2017. His ceiling isn’t the highest in the system but if healthy he could become a solid middle of the rotation starter.

Oscar Gonzalez – OF

Oscar Gonzalez is a guy I was very tempted to put in the top 30. He’s a 19-year-old outfielder who put up huge numbers this season in the Arizona Rookie League.

In 40 games, the right-hander hit .303 with a .907 OPS. He hit eight home runs in just 155 plate appearances, posting the highest ISO (isolated power) among Tribe minor leaguers with a .262 mark. However, he also struck out in over one-third of his plate appearances (36.8 percent).

He also struggled in his first season stateside in 2015, hitting just .203 with a .587 OPS in Arizona. Gonzalez did make a brief stop at Short-Season Mahoning Valley in 2016 and he’ll start the 2017 season there as well (after some more work in extended spring training).

Baseball America put him in their top 30 this season (subscription required) and if he shows he can hit like he did in 2016 again, then he’s definitely moving into the top 30 for 2018.

Todd Isaacs – OF

Once dubbed “the fastest man in college baseball”, Todd Isaacs has been very good for the Indians as a 19th-round pick.

A native of the Bahamas, Isaacs got some international exposure after the season last year, as he was part of Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic qualifier (the Bahamas does not field its own team, making them eligible to play for Great Britain). They did not qualify for the tournament that took place this March, though, losing out to Team Israel.

With the Indians, Isaacs struggled in 2015 but broke out this past year hitting .333/.384/.514 at Short-Season Mahoning Valley. He used that 80-grade speed to steal 20 bases in just 44 games, though he was also caught 14 times. He has played all three outfield spots but left field has been his primary position, despite the elite speed.

Isaacs still has a lot of work to be more than just a speed demon but 2016 was a great step in that direction. He will get his first taste of full-season ball in 2017, opening in Class-A Lake County.

Leandro Linares – RHP

Leandro Linares joined the Cleveland Indians back in 2013 when he was signed out of Cuba. He was a huge signing for the Tribe, receiving $950,000, which made him one of the largest international signings ever by the organization. However, the right-handed struggled for the first two years with the club, posting earned run averages of over 6.5 in both 2014 and 2015.

Things finally seemed to click for Linares in 2016, though, as he was moved to the bullpen full-time.

The 23-year-old split the season across three levels, appearing at Short-Season Mahoning Valley, Class-A Lake County, and Advanced-A Lynchburg. He made 23 appearances and posted a 1.21 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. He also struck out over 11 per nine innings while walking under 2.5 with a WHIP of just 0.85.

Related: Recapping the 2017 prospect countdown

Linares isn’t the youngest pitcher in the lower levels but he has three good pitches and the stuff to believe he could rise now that he’s figured things out. He’ll begin 2017 back at Lynchburg and has a chance of reaching Double-A.

Micah Miniard – RHP

Micah Miniard was drafted in the eighth round in 2014 out of high school in Kentucky. Miniard is a big kid, standing 6-foot-7 at just 20 years old.

The Indians have moved slowly with Miniard, starting him in Rookie Ball and at Short-Season Mahoning Valley the last two seasons. Because of this, he’s only thrown 153 2/3 innings since joining the club in 2014. He’s posted a respectable 3.87 ERA in that span.

He throws a very good fastball that can touch 97. He can also throw more of a sinker and has a breaking ball and changeup, the latter two of which are still a work in progress. He has enough of an arsenal to think he can stick as a starter, but the fastball to move to the bullpen if it comes to that. Still very young, he’ll begin the year in full-season ball at Class-A Lake County.