Cleveland Indians: Way-too-early reactions to minor league performances

Columbus Clippers

For the Columbus Clippers, there have been two players that have really stood out in the early going as well as two players that have really struggled below expectations. We’ll start with the positives, beginning on the mound with Scott Moss, the Tribe’s No. 26 prospect and member of the 40-man roster.

Moss only tossed four innings in one start for the Clippers, but it was an impressive outing nonetheless. He allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out four. Coming to Cleveland as part of the Trevor Bauer trade, Moss has been linked to the fifth spot in the rotation. The 26-year old lefty helped his case in his first outing and if that success continues he might get his shot in the big leagues fairly soon.

The other player that has impressed early in Columbus is utility infielder Owen Miller. Part of the Mike Clevinger trade, this is the first we’ve witnessed of Miller, who is the club’s No. 16 prospect, as part of the Cleveland organization. In five games, he’s slashing .450/.500/.550 with nine hits in 20 at-bats, including three runs scored and two doubles along with four RBI. It might take an injury for Miller to get his shot in the majors, but he looks ready if the time comes.

As for those struggling for the Clippers, both Bobby Bradley and Bradley Zimmer have looked sub-par so far. It’s becoming clear why they didn’t get on the Opening Day roster like some thought they should have. Combined, the two are 2-for-32 with each having just a lone hit. Now, Bradley’s was a home run and he does have five RBI, but the lack of consistent production from both is still concerning in the overall picture.

Akron Rubberducks

The Akron Rubberducks have had a strong start to the season and it’s spelled out success nearly across the board for the team. There really isn’t one standout player or one that is struggling mightily either. It’s a lot of solid players combining to wins games day-in and day-out. With that being said, we can still highlight that team effort.

On the mound, arguably the best start came from the left-handed Juan Hillman, a second round pick by the Cleveland Indians in 2015, who tossed four scoreless innings for Akron. He allowed just two hits, but did hit two batters and walked another. Those types of outings aren’t uncommon at this level, but control will still be something he will need to work on to advance up to Columbus.

As for at the plate, it’s been the Oscar Gonzalez show on more nights than one. A 6-foot-4, 23-year old outfielder, Gonzalez is slashing .333/.375/.933 in the early going thanks to three home runs through the first five games. The outburst of power has translated to a team-high seven RBI, having knocked in over 20% of Akron’s runs in the first series of the season. The downside for Gonzalez is five strikeouts, but if his stats at the plate continue he could be a fast mover through the minors for an organization that is still trying to gain footing in the outfield.

Lake County Captains & Lynchburg Hillcats

The Lake County Captains finished out the first week of the season with a .500 record and that’s about where the roster stands as well, average. There’s only a couple players on the brink of being “standout” while most of the roster struggled during the first week of action. It’s going to take at least another week of games before we can make any sort of distinction on if Lake County has players to keep an eye on based off the early outings.

As for the Lynchburg Hillcats, they might be sending some players up to Lake County very soon if the two clubs keep playing the way they did in the first week. The Hillcats have six players that have logged five or more RBI through their first five games, at most. Leading the squad is first baseman Jhonkensy Noel who has tallied 11 RBI.

Noel played rookie ball in both 2018 and 2019 for the Tribe. Still just 19-years old, he’s drawing a lot of attention in Lynchburg. Not only does he lead the team in RBI, but he’s been able to slash .440/.444/.960 thanks to four doubles and three home runs through the first five games while striking out just twice. There’s still a lot of time left in the season, nearly all of it, but if Noel keeps this up he will be in Lake County very soon and might end the season at an even higher level.