The Indians minor leaguers took on the Rangers on Sunday, and there were plenty of noteworthy performances and some not so good showings. Tony was there to witness the action yesterday and provides all the stats for all four teams, and touches on the great day at the plate for the likes of Jose Ramirez, Dorssys Paulino, Manuel Boscan, Francisco Mejia and lots of others, and also gives his thoughts on some good and bad performances from some high profile Indians minor league pitchers.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown concludes with shortstop Francisco Lindor. In what was a very tight race for the top spot between Lindor, Trevor Bauer, and Dorssys Paulino, the crown as the top prospect in the Indians' system once again goes to Lindor. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the countdown this year, and as a special treat to give a sneak peak at the kind of detail the rest of the 59 players had in the countdown, today's report is non-premium so all can view. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
Happy St. Patty’s Day Tribe fans! The Indians made some decisions this past week which really helped define what the opening day bullpen will be for them, and Tony breaks down how it looks like it will be set up when camps concludes in two weeks. He also touches on the plan for Yan Gomes, the surgery for Frank Herrmann and much more. He is now out in Goodyear so expect tons of stuff this week on the site!
The Indians minor league teams were in action on Saturday against the Brewers, and Tony provides a recap of how everyone did in each game. T.J. House and Toru Murata were crisp in their outings for Columbus, Michael Goodnight struggled for Akron, Leonardo Castillo was perfect on the day for Carolina, Nelson Rodriguez showed the power (again) for Lake County, and tons more.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer. The Indians had strong interest in Bauer in the 2011 Draft, so when word got out that he may be available in the offseason the Indians pounced on the opportunity and acquired him from the Diamondbacks on December 11th. He is one of the best young pitching prospects in all of baseball and also has a very unique personality and pitching regimen. In yet another very detailed scouting report Tony goes into all the good he brings to the Indians - and some possible issues.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with shortstop Dorssys Paulino. Paulino is kind of the anti-Lindor as Francisco Lindor is a gifted fielder that has the potential to be a solid offensive contributor whereas Paulino is a gifted hitter that has the tools to be a solid defensive player. Tony goes into great detail why he is such a special hitter and what he may become, but also provides several areas of concern in this detailed scouting report.
Minor league spring training is in full swing, and over the next few weeks players will work their way to make a full season roster. With the new season on the horizon, Tony takes a look at the upcoming decisions with players and how several players will be handled this season. From that you can really get a good feel for their prospect value and who may stick around in the organization this season.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with second baseman Jose Ramirez. Some may be surpsied to see Ramirez this high, but if there was one player that caught the system by storm last season it was Ramirez and is a player that the Indians themselves did not really know what they had in him until June and July came around. All he does is hit and his impressive winter ball showing could land him in Akron to start the season. Tony talks about his exciting upside and areas of opportunity in this detailed scouting report.
On Tuesday the Cleveland Indians announced right-handed reliever Frank Herrmann underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in New York City. Dr. David Altchek performed a ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction on Herrmann, who will miss the entire 2013 season and has an expected rehabilitation period of 12-to-18 months.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar. Early on last season Salazar looked like a questionable roster move for the Indians the previous offseason, but by the end of the season when he was 100% healthy and the Indians took the kid gloves off he really excelled and showed his potential. Tony takes a look into what kind of pitching asset he is for the Indians, if he can start in the big leagues, and what problems may lie ahead in this detailed scouting report.
The prospect countdown is only the start of the ridiculous amount of coverage from rookie ball to Cleveland that is coming in 2013 here at the IBI. On Saturday, Tony heads out to Arizona for his semi-annual visit to the desert and will have all sorts of updates from minor league camp all next week plus other items from big league camp. He also provides updates on all the coverage, new features, and more at the IBI this year.
Left-hander Scott Kazmir has been the talk of Indians camp. Monday's game with the Angels was aired on tape delay by MLB Network at 3 am ET in the morning on Tuesday, and for a few Tribe fans that have MLB Network or who bothered to watch it live or DVRed it, it was the first chance to actually “see” him pitch. Tony watched the game and provides some objective commentary on how he really looked in his start.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with shortstop Ronny Rodriguez. Rodriguez has been one of the bright spots that has come out of Latin America the last few years as he has become one of the most athletic and exciting players in the Indians’ system. He still has a ways to go with the bat, but there is a lot of potential with his arm and bat, and Tony breaks it all down in this detailed scouting report.
On Monday the Indians announced several roster moves, the biggest of which was the addition of left-handed pitcher Rich Hill to the 40-man roster. His addition appears to have locked up a spot for him in the Indians' opening day bullpen. To make room on the 40-man roster the Indians placed right-handed pitcher Blake Wood on the 60-day disabled list.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Cody Allen. Allen is the most dominant and eye-popping relief pitcher the Indians have had come through their system in a long time as he breezed through four different stops last season hitting every level from High-A Carolina to Cleveland within three months. His rapid ascent up the system barely a year after being drafted was one of the biggest stories the first half of last season, and Tony touches on what kind of impact he can make in Cleveland long term and what he still needs to work on in this detailed scouting report.
The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with outfielder Tyler Naquin. Naquin had a solid professional debut last year, and from day one he showed some really good potential in center field with his speed and arm strength. The Indians really like his overall skill set as he is a multi-dimensional player that does a lot of the things needed at the Major League level to win games. Tony dives into those things he does well, talks about where he needs to improve, and much more in this detailed scouting report.
The 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!
