Cleveland Indians: 3 prospects that could see regular playing time in 2021

Daniel Johnson, OF

There’s no question that the Cleveland Indians need outfield help and while Daniel Johnson was given a brief shot during the 2020 season, he could grow into a much bigger role in 2021. Like all the players on this list, Johnson would have benefited from a minor league season in 2020, which hurt his stats during his short stint.

During the 2020 season, Johnson appeared in five games for the Tribe seeing just 12 at-bats. Over those he slashed just .083/.154/.083 with just one hit and one walk. However, his stats from the minors give a better hint of what could come from Johnson once he is able to adjust to what he saw this past season.

In the 2019 season, Johnson played 84 games for Triple-A Columbus and had an impressive campaign. His slash line was much better at .306/.371/.496 while he was able to log 27 doubles and nine home runs.

Those numbers were much closer to what Johnson has been able to post across his career in the minors. If the Cleveland Indians can give him steady playing time to allow him to find his groove, he could blossom into an every day player for Cleveland by the end of the 2021 season. Having the ability to play either of the corner outfield spots, there could very easily be a spot for Johnson to slide into if he can improve and impress over the offseason and into spring training.