Cleveland Indians: Analyzing the top five prospects for the Tribe

No. 3 Tyler Freeman

First things first, awesome picture of Tyler Freeman captured by Abbie Parr during Spring Training! Anyway, Freeman actually drops a spot on this list this season, but for good reason once you see who passed him on the next slide. But regardless of where he ranks on this list, Freeman is assumed to be either one of the two middle infielders of the future in Cleveland.

A second round pick in 2017 by the Indians, Freeman quickly grabbed the attention for his all-around game. At 21-years old, he already has been able to climb the minor league ranks to High-A Lynchburg in 2019. Had there been a 2020 minor league season, there’s a chance he would have been the second basemen in Cleveland this season.

Even if Cesar Hernandez and Andres Gimenez have the middle infield spots occupied for now, the future still most likely belongs to Freeman and he showed why in Spring Training. Playing in 17 games with 25 plate appearances and 20 official at-bats, Freeman was impressive. For starters, he slashed .350/.480/.550, drawing three walks and tallying seven hits, including a double and home run, with three RBI.

Time to grow in the minors will play in the favor of Freeman. Missing the 2020 season hurt his progression, but with Hernandez resigning, there’s little pressure to rush him to Cleveland. When he’s ready, he’ll get his opportunity.