2017 Cleveland Indians Top 10 Prospects Insider
See Also: Indians Top 10 Prospects
Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
Get it all: Subscribe to Baseball America
Go 30 deep: Order the 2017 Prospect Handbook!
SEASON IN A SENTENCE: Despite a spate of injuries to key performers such as outfielder Michael Brantley (out most of the year with a bad shoulder) and righthanders Carlos Carrasco (broken finger) and Danny Salazar (forearm), the Indians won the American League Central, then swept through two playoffs rounds before losing to the Cubs in seven games in one of the most dramatic World Series of the 21st Century.
HIGH POINT: The Indians won 10 of their first 12 playoff games. First, they swept the Red Sox in the Division Series, and they won the first three games of the League Championship Series before dropping one game to Toronto. The Tribe closed out the Blue Jays to claim its first pennant since 1997, then won three of the first four games against the Cubs. The Indians’ high-water mark coming with a 7-2 Game Four win at Wrigley Field as Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller shackled the Cubs while Chicagoland native Jason Kipnis homered home three in the seventh to put the game away. Cleveland was one win away from its first World Series title since 1948.
LOW POINT: Down 5-1 in Game Seven, the Indians rallied, first with two runs scoring on a Jon Lester wild pitch, then with Rajai Davis tying the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth with a dramatic home run off Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman. But in the 10th, reliever Bryan Shaw gave up two runs, and while Davis had an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to make it 8-7, reserve Mike Martinez grounded out to third base for the final out, leaving the Tribe agonizingly short again.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Tyler Naquin took advantage of openings in the Cleveland outfield to seize the center field job and had one of the stronger years of any 2016 rookie, batting .296/.372/.514. His walk-off inside-the-park home run, and the resultant celebration, on Aug. 19 against Toronto was one of the Indians’ regular-season highlights. Righty Mike Clevinger tried but failed to secure a rotation spot, going 3-3, 5.26, though he made the postseason rosters. Lefty Ryan Merritt, who pitched just 11 regular-season innings, pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in starting Game Five of the ALCS.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: Instead of relying on their rotation in the postseason, the Indians tried to make every game Miller Time after dealing for lefthander Andrew Miller, giving up four prospects, including outfielder Clint Frazier and lefthander Justus Sheffield, for the dynamic reliever, who was unhittable in the playoffs until Game Seven, when the Cubs scored two runs off him. Outfielder Brandon Guyer, acquired for minor league outfielder Nathan Lukes, scored the Tribe’s last World Series run and hit .333 for the Indians, both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Indians domestic affiliates went 383-313, with a .550 winning percentage that ranked fourth in the minors, while four clubs made the playoffs. Akron won the Double-A Eastern League, while a passel of prospects helped high Class A Lynchburg went 84-56 and was Carolina League runner-up. Catcher Francisco Mejia authored a 50-game hitting streak, longest in the minors since 1963, while playing at two Class A levels. Mejia hit .342/.382/.514 overall, ranking sixth in the minors in batting, while high Class A Lynchburg first baseman Bobby Bradley led the Carolina League with 29 home runs.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $83,639,399 (21st)
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Francisco Mejia |
| Best Power Hitter | Bobby Bradley |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Yandy Diaz |
| Fastest Baserunner | Gabriel Mejia |
| Best Athlete | Will Benson |
| Best Fastball | Julian Merryweather |
| Best Curveball | Triston McKenzie |
| Best Slider | Shawn Morimando |
| Best Changeup | Adam Plutko |
| Best Control | Ryan Merritt |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Logan Ice |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Erik Gonzalez |
| Best Infield Arm | Erik Gonzalez |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Greg Allen |
| Best Outfield Arm | Bradley Zimmer |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Yan Gomes |
| First Base | Bobby Bradley |
| Second Base | Jason Kipnis |
| Third Base | Jose Ramirez |
| Shortstop | Francisco Lindor |
| Left Field | Tyler Naquin |
| Center Field | Greg Allen |
| Right Field | Bradley Zimmer |
| Designated Hitter | Francisco Mejia |
| No. 1 Starter | Corey Kluber |
| No. 2 Starter | Danny Salazar |
| No. 3 Starter | Trevor Bauer |
| No. 4 Starter | Carlos Carrasco |
| No. 5 Starter | Triston McKenzie |
| Closer | Cody Allen |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Adam Miller, rhp | Did not play |
| 2008 | Adam Miller, rhp | Did not play |
| 2009 | Carlos Santana, c | Indians |
| 2010 | Carlos Santana, c | Indians |
| 2011 | Lonnie Chisenhall, 3b | Indians |
| 2012 | Francisco Lindor, ss | Indians |
| 2013 | Francisco Lindor, ss | Indians |
| 2014 | Francisco Lindor, ss | Indians |
| 2015 | Francisco Lindor, ss | Indians |
| 2016 | Bradley Zimmer, of | Indians |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Beau Mills, 3b/1b | Did not play |
| 2008 | Lonnie Chisenhall, 3b | Indians |
| 2009 | Alex White, rhp | Did not play |
| 2010 | Drew Pomeranz, lhp | Red Sox |
| 2011 | Francisco Lindor, ss | Indians |
| 2012 | Tyler Naquin, of | Indians |
| 2013 | Clint Frazier, of | Yankees |
| 2014 | Bradley Zimmer, of | Indians |
| 2015 | Brady Aiken, lhp | Indians |
| 2016 | Will Benson, of | Indians |
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Danys Baez, 1999 | $4,500,000 |
| Clint Frazier, 2013 | $3,500,000 |
| Jeremy Guthrie, 2002 | $3,000,000 |
| Francisco Lindor, 2011 | $2,650,000 |
| Drew Pomeranz, 2010 | $2,650,000 |
Comments are closed.