Cleveland Indians: 3 shortstops to know for the MLB Draft

Jeremy Eierman, SS, Missouri State

Eierman is practically the opposite hitter of what Turang is. Eierman has lots of power, and he’s struggled to show it off lately. His hit tool leaves something to be desired, but he’s not awful at the plate.

After hitting 23 home runs in 2017, Eierman hasn’t been able to reproduce those kinds of results in 2018 with only nine home runs this year. MLB Pipeline argues that it’s because he changed his stance and approach at the plate this season in order to hit more home runs instead of focusing on a balanced approach. Still, he’s hitting .302 with a .939 OPS, which is not too shabby at all.

Bringing him into the organization will require the minor league hitting coaches to change his approach back to what he was doing in 2017. It seems like an easy fix, but there’s no guarantee that it will be.

Scouts also love Eierman’s makeup and character. So, if a team wants to change his approach at the plate, he’s going to do everything he can to make it happen. He’s got baseball bloodlines, too, as his father and brother were drafted by the Red Sox and the Rays, respectively.

Eierman is a tremendous defender with a rocket arm and soft hands. Many scouts see Eierman’s long term fit at third base. With his strong defense and throwing arm with lots of power, he fits the profile of a third baseman.

This is where the versatility of shortstops comes into play. Many prospects that play shortstop on their college team are there simply because they’re the best defensive player on the team. The long term fit in the pros is generally someplace different.

As the 23rd ranked prospect, he could be in play for the Indians with the 29th overall pick. He just needs to slip a little bit and his struggles at the plate this season could turn some teams off of him as a first round pick.

There’s also a switch hitting prep standout that’s been turning heads in scouting circles.