Cleveland Indians 2021 MLB Draft: 3 prospects to consider in first round

Cleveland Indians 2021 MLB Draft: 3 prospects to consider in first round

With the 2021 MLB Draft less than a week away teams around Major League Baseball, including the Cleveland Indians, are hard at work finalizing their big boards to prepare for the draft ahead. While the MLB Draft doesn’t carry the same weight or following as the NFL, NBA or NHL drafts, it still has a high significance to the growth of teams.

As it currently stands, the Cleveland Indians will enter the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft holding the 23rd pick overall. This is a position that should be familiar to the organization after picking 23rd in the 2020 MLB Draft and 24th in 2019.

The Tribe have also had a fair amount of success drafting MLB talent in the first round. Not every pick is incredible, but more times than not they’ve been able to crack the bigs in a reasonable amount of time recently.

The turnaround really began in 2010 when the Tribe took Drew Pomeranz with the fifth pick. While Pomeranz didn’t make it to Cleveland, he has had a decent professional career. In 2011, Cleveland took Francisco Lindor with the eighth pick. The following years saw Tyler Naquin, Clint Frazier, Bradley Zimmer and Justus Sheffield taken in the first round from 2012 through 2014, all of whom are currently in the majors.

As the Cleveland Indians look toward the 2021 MLB Draft they will be attempting to replicate this type of success. Last month we highlighted the top needs of the club that will serve as a foundation for this draft. However, we went deeper this time, picking out a trio of players that could be first round selections by the Tribe this year.

These three players fit the needs of the organization while also being projected around the time that Cleveland will be picking. There’s still a lot left to be determined on what the team is looking for in experience, collegiate or prep, but regardless these three should at least be on the radar of Tribe fans.

Izaac Pacheco, INF, Friendswood, TX (Texas A&M Commit)

With Bobby Bradley graduating from his prospect status, the Cleveland Indians no longer have a true first baseman on their Top 30 prospects list. There’s been talk of Nolan Jones making the switch and the newly added Jhonkensy Noel is a corner infielder. However, adding another name that has first base potential could be a goal of the club.

Cleveland hasn’t had the best luck drafting first baseman in the first round and there really aren’t any true first baseman highly ranked in the 2021 MLB Draft class. There is the chance that they could take a player with the idea of transitioning them over.

At 18-years old, Izaac Pacheco has been on the draft radar for a couple years now. He’s being listed as a shortstop, third baseman but his arm strength has been a bit lower than what you might want to see from that side of the infield.

Standing at 6-foot-4, he has the frame to make the transition over to first defensively and a shortstop glove could be a big plus at the position. He also swings left-handed and has been credited for a power bat.

A big frame, power bat and less-than-great arm strength seems like the prototypical first base prospect. If Pacheco falls to the Cleveland Indians, he could be a great candidate to take and see how he grows and where he fits in best.

Anthony Solometo, LHP, Sicklerville, N.J. (North Carolina Commit)

Coming from the same school as Zac Gallen and Devin Smeltzer, there’s a good line of pedigree for Anthony Solometo to follow into the 2021 MLB Draft. Standing at 6-foot-5, the 18-year old left-handed pitcher is drawing a lot of interest in the upcoming draft.

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This year has witnessed a lot of pitchers graduate from prospect status for the Cleveland Indians, leaving nine pitchers on the club’s Top 30 list. Of those nine, six are righties and three are lefties, with all six righties being higher on the list than the three lefties.

With that being said, the Tribe could look to add a left-handed pitcher to the roster and based on where they are picking Solometo could be a great option for them.

Solometo won’t blow anyone away with velocity just yet, throwing in the low-90s, but his size shows potential there. He’s also developed a strong slider as well.

Given his age and size with the added plus of being a lefty makes Solometo an interesting option. If the Tribe want to keep left-handed pitchers in their rotation moving forward, Solometo could be a great option to explore in the 2021 MLB Draft should he fall down to where Cleveland will be picking this year.