Cleveland Indians Top 10 Prospects Chat

Teddy Cahill: Welcome to the Indians’ prospects ranking chat. Obviously it was an exciting season for the Tribe, and the farm system is in good shape as well. Lots of things for Indians fans to feel good about.

Elliot (Youngstown OH): Failed trade of Cleveland's No. 1, No 6. and No. 10 prospects for a Lucroy was one of the best deals ever not made. Roberto Perez' defense alone, let alone some unanticipated offensive success, did more than make up for Lucroy. I guess that's not a question!
Teddy Cahill: While this isn’t really a question, it’s a good starting point. The Indians’ system would look a lot different if Lucroy had waved his no-trade clause in July. But, he didn’t, and the Indians held on to a few really good prospects. Impossible to know how it would have impacted the big league team in ’16 and ’17, but the farm system is deeper as a result.

Phil (Durham NC): Hey Teddy. One would expect Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez to battle it out in spring training for starting catcher, despite Gomes's contract. But looking ahead to 2020, you list Gomes still as the expected starter. If Mejia makes his debut in '18, how is he not the opening day catcher two years later? Thanks!
Teddy Cahill: The simplest answer is that Gomes will likely still be under contract in 2020 (he has team options for 2020 and 2021). When we make out our future lineups, we try to account for players that will still be on long-term deals. It’s possible Gomes will be gone by then, but a $9 million option should be a pretty reasonable deal if Gomes is able to stay healthy.

Mike (Lynchburg, VA): Thanks for the chat! Where do you feel Zimmer's future position is and where does he best profile with the Indians? Do the strikeouts now post a major concern?
Teddy Cahill: Bradley Zimmer is a solid defender in center field, but he fits well anywhere in the outfield. The Indians have a fair amount of uncertainty in the outfield with Brantley working back from injury and Davis going into free agency. So Zimmer should be able to work himself into a role sometime next year.

Elliot (Youngstown OH): More than his strikeouts, what concerns me about Zimmer is his splits against left handed pitching. His slash line vs lefties was a woeful 179/343/250. Can he project as any more than a platoon player?
Teddy Cahill: While his increased strikeout rate this year is some cause for concern, it’s also notable that his walk rate increased and his on-base percentage was still in pretty good shape. The splits, however, may present a larger concern. A .593 OPS against lefties just isn’t good. But he does have some things going for him in that regard – especially that, as a lefthanded hitter, he has the platoon advantage most of the time. He also faced more lefites than ever before this year and Triple-A has more crafty lefty types. He’ll have to learn how to hit them better, yes, but there’s reason to believe he can make an adjustment and improve. How well he does so is something to watch.

George (Columbus): Any concerns about the high K% for Nolan Jones in his debut?
Teddy Cahill: While we’re talking about disconcerting K rates, we might as well hit on Nolan Jones, Cleveland’s second round pick this year. Yes, he whiffed in 36.5 percent of his plate appearances this year. But you’re talking about a northeastern prep product in his professional debut. He’s going to need to develop more consistency in his approach, but, for now, I wouldn’t worry too much. He’s 18 and has plenty of time to make necessary adjustments.

DR (MD): T Mack at 3 feels low. Is it a velo/stuff concern? He looks like a future ace with plus makeup. My read on his reviews this year was that he'd be a top 25 guy.
Teddy Cahill: Triston McKenzie is one of my favorite prospects, and I think there’s a case for him over either Zimmer or Mejia. But the biggest reason he ranks behind them is that he’s a teenager who has pitched 34 innings in low A and still needs to prove he can handle the workload of a full season, while Mejia will start next year in Akron and Zimmer has already reached Triple-A. McKenzie’s upside is massive, but he’s much further away from making an impact in the major leagues.

Bob (OH): Is McKensie mostly a good pitchability type who is taking advantage of low minors hitters who can't handle command/sequencing or does he have the kind of stuff that could make him a #2 type starter?
Teddy Cahill: While we’re on the subject…McKenzie has really good pitchability and that is part of the reason he has dominated hitters in the low minors. He’s advanced for his age and his initial performance isn’t a surprise to many scouts in South Florida, who watched him carve good high school competition during his prep career. But “good pitchability type” is usually used as back-handed compliment, so that’s not how you’ll see McKenzie described. His stuff is really good. He can get swings and misses with his fastball, which he throws from a good downhill plane. His curveball is the best in the system and his changeup shows promise. If he’s able to get stronger sees his velo tick up, or even if he’s just able to more consistently reach his peak velocity, you’re looking at a really, really good pitcher.

Keith (Farmington, CT): Thanks Teddy. I realize Triston McKenzie only tossed 34 innings in Low A but he was amazing. Is he ready to start 2017 in Hi A ?
Teddy Cahill: McKenzie is probably advanced enough to handle an assignment to Lynchburg. But the Indians are typically more conservative with their pitchers than that. He’ll be 19 almost all of next season and only got 34 innings at Lake County this year. I think you’ll see him back in Eastlake to start 2017.

Noel (Portland): One of the keys for Mejia seems to be if he can stick at catcher or not. Do you think that he's a catcher when he gets to the big leagues?
Teddy Cahill: That is definitely the biggest question facing Mejia. I think he will be a catcher when he gets to the big leagues. Catching is really hard and it takes time to develop defensively. Mejia has some very specific things he has to get better at. But he’ll play all of next year as a 21-year-old. He’s got time to work on his defense. And having a top-of-the-scale arm doesn’t hurt. Will he ever be Roberto Perez behind the plate? Probably not. But I think he can make the improvements necessary to be a catcher when he gets to Cleveland.

Jim (Annapolis): Does F. Media project as a big league catcher or will he need to change positions? Think Carlos Santana. Thank you
Teddy Cahill: Santana wasn’t even catching full-time until he turned 21. So Mejia has a pretty significant head start on Santana in terms of catching. And Santana was primarily a catcher until his age 28 season, when the Indians decided they wanted him in the lineup more often than catching was allowing. So, sure, Mejia could end up following that kind of path, but that’s hardly atypical for good hitting catchers.

Ken (Sandusky, OH): After Mejia, does Logan Ice get your vote as next-best catcher in their org right now? What can you tell us about him?
Teddy Cahill: Yes, that’s fair. Ice, the Indians’ second-round pick this year, is a strong defender behind the plate and handles pitchers well. He’s glove over bat, but his defense is good enough that he won’t have to be a big-time hitter to be a big league regular.

Brian (Ohio): What lead to Juan Hillman's struggles during the 2nd half of the year? He started strong but then sort of collapsed the 2nd half of the year.
Teddy Cahill: Mostly, it was just that he was 19 and in his first full professional season. It’s just a much longer season than what players do as amateurs. It’s mostly just a matter of him getting stronger and increasing his stamina so that he’s able to work a full season.

Gary (Queens, NY): Can Adam Plutko be anything more than a back-end pitchability type of arm? Will we see him in the next ten names when the Handbook comes out?
Teddy Cahill: Longtime followers may remember that I’m one of Plutko’s biggest believers. But he’s pitchability over stuff, which gives him a back-of-the-rotation starter profile. There’s a lot of value to that kind of player, just look at what Josh Tomlin has done. And, yes, you will find Plutko somewhere in the 11-20 range in your handbook.

a.j. (las vegas): With McKenzie and Aiken so far away is it fair to say that there isn't much in the way of pitching reinforcements coming in the next couple of years?
Teddy Cahill: I would not say that. I might say that you’ve largely seen most of the pitching reinforcements already. Shawn Armstrong, Perci Garner, Ryan Merritt, Shawn Morimando and Adam Plutko have already pitched in the big leagues. There are a few guys in Akron that should be able to help soon – Julian Merryweather and Rob Kaminsky, especially. And Aaron Civale and Shane Bieber could move quickly, though even they probably won’t get to Cleveland much ahead of McKenzie.

Brian Hemminger (fremont, ohio): I'm really happy to see Greg Allen make the leap compared to other prospect rankings, but what do you think about Yandy Diaz? He's made incredible strides the past two seasons and seems like he could be a serious MLB contributor to the Indians in 2017
Teddy Cahill: Yandy Diaz is probably No. 11 on this list. I wouldn’t say “serious MLB contributor” next year, but your definition of that may be differently than mine. I do expect him to debut next year. The Indians have worked to give him lots of defensive versatility, but it still may be tough for him to crack the lineup considering what the Tribe returns. It may be that he has to compete with Erik Gonzalez for a super-utility spot, though he has a chance to be a big league regular eventually.

Ryan (Detroit): With Lindor locked in at SS, and Kipnis at 2nd, do you see a position change in Chang's future? and If so, how far does he fall down this list?
Teddy Cahill: Eventually, the Indians will start moving him around to give him positional versatility. With Lindor entrenched in Cleveland, they have to do that for every shortstop in their system. Chang did get some time at third during his debut in the Arizona League and that could be revisited. Teams generally wait as long as possible before outright changing a player’s position because they want to maintain trade value – and we’ve already seen that other teams value Chang.

Peyton (Cleveland): The Indians have enviable prospect depth in the middle infield. After Chang and Gonzalez, how would you evaluate Mark Mathias, Tyler Krieger and Willi Castro? Do any of them have the potential to become at least league-average starters?
Teddy Cahill: Those three players are all in a similar range. The full 30 hasn’t been finalized yet, but you’ll probably see all three of them in the 11-20 range in the handbook. Mathias is at the front of that group right now thanks to his hitting ability. His bat-to-ball skills are really good. He’s also already shown impressive versatility, playing second, third and short this year. Castro might have the most upside, but he’s also the furthest away.

Elliot (Youngstown OH): With Heller and Feyereisan dealt to the Yankees, are there any other bullpen power arms to look forward to?
Teddy Cahill: You’ve already seen Shawn Armstrong and Perci Garner in Cleveland. Cameron Hill had a strong year, finishing at Akron. Mitch Brown has struggled with his control as a starter, but he has a big arm that could play up in the pen. And Leandro Linares really took to relieving this year.

Jared (Ohio): Do you think Allen has a shot st the big league club sometime in 2017?
Teddy Cahill: Yes. If Greg Allen has another strong year next season, I expect he will make his big league debut. I wouldn’t expect him to be a regular quite that fast, but I think he plays for the Indians at some point next season.

Johnny (Cleveland): Kind of a tough year for Luke Wakamatsu but he's been in the Handbook before. Can we expect to see him in the top 31 again? How does he profile? Also, I know he was a 16th rounder, but does Mitch Longo project to develop into anything?
Teddy Cahill: Have to answer the #maction question. Mitch Longo is kind of interesting. He’s going to have to hit because he’s a corner outfielder without big-time power. But he had a nice debut in Mahoning Valley. I’ll be interested to see what he does in full-season ball. As for Wakamatsu, he’s on the edge of the 31 right now. I’m honestly not sure which way that’s going to fall, so you’ll have to get a handbook to find out. He was banged up a bit this year, but his tools are intriguing and he gets a lot of praise for his makeup and baseball IQ.

Ken (New Jersey): Hi Teddy, the chats are fabulous ! from what I recall in June, Benson was a reach at #14 overall. (didn't you think he might fall to the Braves at #40? ) despite his athleticism, isn't his app 40% K rate very worrisome ? thanks
Teddy Cahill: I would not describe Will Benson as a reach at 14. He (like all Atlanta-area players) was linked to the Braves, but they ultimately went heavy on prep pitching at the top of the draft. He was divisive as a prospect, but for those that believe in his hitting ability – as the Indians do – he’s a solid value at 14. He’s going to strike out. That’s probably always going to be there. So I wouldn’t be overly worried about that K rate yet. It is his professional debut, after all. He’ll need to improve it, but that’s just part of making the transition from high school to pro ball.

Michael Stern (Rochester NY): What can you tell me about Andrew Calica? The switch hitting OF put up some very good numbers in his first season and looks like he can really hit. Is he a legit prospect? Thanks for the chat!
Teddy Cahill: Andrew Calica, the Indians’ 11th rounder, is a legit prospect and there’s a pretty decent chance you see him in the 30. He’s a little tough to figure out because he never hit for much power at UC Santa Barbara, but adjusted his approach in pro ball and slugged .556 between Mahoning Valley and Lake County. Calica has a mature approach at the plate and has some bat speed. So when he started pulling the ball more as a pro, you saw more power. I think his game is still going to be more about getting on base and using his speed, but he’s not just slapping the ball the other way. I’m very interested to see what he does in his first full pro season.

Andy (Lancaster): Hi, cant help but notice Collins (Monday) and Mejia (yesterday) as catchers at the top of systems. How do these guys compare, how do you rank them vs. other catching prospects
Teddy Cahill: That is an interesting comparison, and one that I haven’t given a ton of thought to. But Zack Collins, the top prospect in the White Sox system, is a bat-first catcher, like Mejia. Collins is a lot bigger than Mejia and hits for more power and less average. Collins is about a year older than Mejia and lacks Mejia’s arm strength. I’d take Mejia over Collins. But those are two pretty good catchers coming through the minors in the AL Central.

Elliot (Youngstown OH): Quite a bounce-back season for Anthony Santander. He seems to have quite solid offensive tools, but I'm sorry to see he's now limited to LF. How close did he come?
Teddy Cahill: Santander is in the 11-20 range. It was a really nice year for him in Lynchburg, starting with the fact he was able to stay on the field. He has some of the best hittability in the system and combines it with some real power. He profiles well in left, but obviously that puts more pressure on his bat. Will be interesting to see how he handles Double-A next year.

Dan (Beeswax, NoneofYours): Was Bobby Bradley's 2016 better, worse or about what was expected? What do you think his ceiling is at this point?
Teddy Cahill: About what was expected, I guess. He had a strong year in Lynchburg and was named the Carolina League MVP. I know his raw strikeout numbers are jarring, but was 20 for most of the season, walked a bunch and still got to his power in a big way. His ceiling remains as an everyday first baseman in the big leagues and, as always, he’s going to have to hit his way there.

Rob (Toronto, ON): Aaron Civale seemed to have a strong debut. Was he able to improve on his pitch repertoire this year to help stick as a stater long-term, or does it look like he will be able to?
Teddy Cahill: Civale locates his fastball well and has a few different breaking balls. He’s working on his changeup, which he didn’t really throw much before pro ball. Developing that will be a key for him going forward to give him a weapon against lefthanded hitters. If he can do that, he’ll have the tools to advance as a starter.

Dave (Indianapolis): Indians defensive shortcomings in CF were evident in the World Series. From comments above, it seems that you believe Zimmer can handle the position and can I presume Allen can as well? Two shots at a 2018 solution?
Teddy Cahill: The Indians took center fielders with their top draft pick for three straight years from 2012-2014. Allen was picked later in the ’14 draft, and he’s the best defensive outfielder the Indians drafted in that time. So, yes, there are internal solutions on the way. And while Naquin needs to work on his defense, I wouldn’t write him off yet. But in the long run, you’re probably looking at Zimmer or Allen in center.

Frank (Indianapolis IN): How many of these guys are likely to make the BA 100?
Teddy Cahill: Up to six, I would guess. I think five for sure and Chang has a real chance, too. But the usual caveat that the Top 100 is not solely up to me obviously applies.

Brian (Ohio): Who are your two favorite under the radar prospects in the system? Can you give me one inside the top 30 and one outside?
Teddy Cahill: We’ll close here. I sometimes struggle with defining under-the-radar and the top 30 isn’t fully set yet (as I previously mentioned), but here goes. For likely inside the 30 – Micah Miniard, a tall righty who throws in the mid 90s with natural cut on his fastball. Outside the 30, I’ll say Sam Hentges, a big lefty who throws in the low 90s with solid secondary stuff. His star was definitely on the rise before he had Tommy John surgery this year.

Teddy Cahill: That’ll do it for today. Thanks for all your questions. If I didn’t get to your question, feel free to leave it in the comments and I’ll come back and answer it there. And come back to BaseballAmerica.com tomorrow for the Twins’ Top 10.