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Cleveland Indians: Redrafting First Round Picks from 2010-2016

ByAaron Gershon|
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 15: First baseman Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pauses on the field during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on June 15, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 15: First baseman Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pauses on the field during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on June 15, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – AUGUST 17: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets bats against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 17, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA – AUGUST 17: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets bats against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 17, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

The Pick

With the 17th pick in the 2016 draft, the Indians selected high school outfielder Will Benson which as of now looks to be a mistake.

Benson has taken a nosedive in the Indians prospect rankings as he ranks 30th in the teams’ system according to MLB Pipeline. In parts of four minor league systems, he is slashing just .212/.330/.425 and has not played above High-A ball.

At 22-years old, Benson still has time to prove the Indians made the right pick, but so far, he’s on track to being another first round bust.

Redraft

Overall, the 2016 Draft class was fairly week, but some names the Indians passed up on that they may regret include Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux or Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, but no name stands out more than Mets first basemen Pete Alonso.

Alonso fell to the second round of the draft and has become a star in the Big Apple. In 2019, Alonso ran away with NL Rookie of the Year honors, won the home run derby and was named an All-Star as he set an MLB rookie record with 53 home runs.

The Indians badly lack power and don’t have a first base prospect that’s overly exciting, making Alonso a huge miss.

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