Cleveland Indians: Top 30 Prospects Countdown, 21-25

Cleveland Indians Top 30 Prospects, 21-25

With the Top 30 prospects lists being released for each team, we now have a better grasp for what to expect down the road for the Cleveland Indians. While the players on this list won’t be the only players on the roster in the future, and some might not even make it to the majors, they at least give an idea for where the organization stands beyond just this season.

With the list being so long, we’ve broken it up into groups of five, now reaching our second group. The first group was a bit more diverse in terms of positions, age and talent whereas this group is much more narrowed in terms of what we’re looking at for the future of Cleveland baseball.

For this group of five, we get more of a look at the distant future than the immediate, but these players will be important all the same. Of the five we’ll look at here, two are left-handed pitchers while the other three are all outfielders.

The good news for the Cleveland Indians and these prospects alike is that those are all positions of need. The Tribe’s outfield has been a chaotic situation for a few years and while free agent additions can bridge the gap, it’ll be up to future prospects to provide the foundation. On a similar note, the Indians have used an all right-handed rotation for a few years now and left-handed pitchers are always of value.

Being a younger group, we’re still probably a few years away from most of these guys making an impact at the major league level, but they are names to keep an eye on through the minor leagues. Given their skill set and positions, they could very well be cornerstones of the future of the Cleveland baseball organization down the road.

No. 25: Logan Allen

This might not be who you are thinking of since the Cleveland Indians have two Logan Allen’s on the roster and both are left-handed pitchers. This Logan Allen was selected by the Indians in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Coming out of Florida International the left-handed pitcher is just 22-years old and will suit up in the minors for the first time this season.

Over three seasons with FIU, Allen pitched in 31 games while also playing 50 games at first base. While he is currently listed as a pitcher, that could open the door for him to change positions down the road. He was able to slash .297/.362/.410 over 229 at-bats, so if a position change happens then it could make sense.

The reason I bring up a potential position change is that Allen is only 6-foot flat which is a bit smaller for a major league pitcher. Being left-handed helps, but should he become blocked on his road to The Show, then he could be flexible and move back to first or give the outfield a try as well. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that and he can develop as a pitcher through the minors after going 11-12 on the mound for FIU.

No. 24: Joey Cantillo

Arriving as part of the Mike Clevinger trade, Joey Cantillo actually dropped on the prospect list from where he previously was after the trade. At just 21-years old, there’s still a lot of time for Cantillo to grow. He has just three seasons in the minors under his belt, but he’s yet to pitch above High-A, having just three games there.

Overall, Cantillo has had a good amount of success in the minors, maintaining an ERA of 2.51 over 168.2 innings pitched. He’s also put together a 13-7 record in those 41 games while adding 221 strikeouts. Being able to keep a low ERA while also logging 11.8 strikeouts per nine is a good sign, especially for a left-handed pitcher.

All those stats came in the San Diego minor leagues, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses through the Cleveland Indians organization that has become known for producing pitching talent. He has a good chance to move up quickly and could very well be one of the players with a shot to crack the rotation in the next few years. The combination of his age, stats and being left-handed makes him an intriguing option for the future of the club.

No. 23: Petey Halpin

The first of three outfielders on this list, Petey Halpin is the youngest player on the Top 30 prospect list for the Cleveland Indians at just 18-years old. The third round selection for the Indians during the 2020 MLB Draft, Halpin will turn 19 in May.

Being such a recent pick and coming out of high school, there isn’t much on Halpin out there yet, but being so young, he has plenty of time to develop. Being on this list already is a good sign of things to come, so it would be wise to keep an eye on him in the minors.

No. 22 Isaiah Greene

Normally, I would give each player their own slide, but there’s as much on Isaiah Greene as there is on Halpin. Also a 2020 MLB Draft pick, Greene was selected in the second round by the New York Mets. Greene came to Cleveland before even suiting up for the Mets as part of the Francisco Lindor trade.

Between Greene and Halpin, the organization should be able to get at least one of them to pan out in the next five years or so. Keep in mind that in five years, they are still only 23-years old so the time for development is obviously there.