Indians Top 20 Prospects, Part 1

Written by: Al Ciammaichella on 4th March 2009

Indians Top 20 Prospects, Part 1 | read this item

People have different ways of looking at prospects. Some people value projection over performance, drooling over a toolsy 18 year old in the Dominican Republic who has never even touched U.S. soil, much less performed in a professional baseball league. Some go far the other way, looking at what a player has actually done on the field rather than what he may eventually become. I try to strike a balance between these two camps, but admittedly favor projection over performance when ranking prospects. Age is a major factor; there is a huge difference between a 20-year old hitting 20 HR in AA and a 24-year old doing the same. That being said, here is part one of my own personal top 20 list for a Cleveland organization that is deeper in minor league talent than it has been since the glory days of the mid-90′s. This was a challenging and fun list to put together. Several guys have flipped and flopped around this list, some more than others. It really goes to show how deep and talented the Indians system is that the #15-20 guys on this list would be in the top 10 for a lot of teams. Stay tuned for part two later this week.

11. Luis Valbuena-2B
Valbuena was acquired from Seattle this off-season in the Franklin Gutierrez deal. A middle infielder who was somewhat rushed through Seattle’s system, Valbuena got his first taste of MLB action last year as a 22-year old in Seattle (hmm, where have we heard that before?) Valbuena’s ticket to the majors is his bat, as his defense grades out at a tick above average at best. But his bat at 2B will play. Valbuena is a stocky kid, and reminds some of Ronnie Belliard, so that is something to keep an eye on. He is in an interesting situation, as the big league IF is very fluid, especially after DeRosa’s contract expires next year. It will likely come down to either Valbuena forcing Asdrubal to SS and Jhonny to 3B or Wes Hodges keeping Jhonny at SS and Asdrubal at 2B. Keep an eye on that battle at AAA Columbus this year.

12. Abner Abreu-3B
At this point, Abreu is all about projection…but what a projection it is! He signed with the Tribe as an UDFA out of the Dominican, and really opened some eyes as a 17-year old in the Dominican Summer League in 2007. He followed that up last year in the Gulf Coast league by hitting 11 HR in just 199 AB’s. His raw power ceiling is almost off the charts. An athletic kid, he can play pretty much anywhere on the diamond but the Indians will likely keep him in the IF to maximize his bat. He is slated to start 2009 at A Lake County, so make sure to get out to a Captains game and check him out.

13. Tony Sipp-LHP
Sipp is a guy I am higher on than most, despite his injury history. A power left-hander with three legit pitches, Sipp likely would have already made his MLB debut if not for Tommy John surgery in 2007. Sipp returned near the end of 2008 and was slated to play winter ball, but opted out due to some soreness in his shoulder. If healthy, Sipp could be the first lefty RP called up to Cleveland from Columbus in 2009.

14. Scott Lewis-LHP
The former Buckeye southpaw already had a successful MLB debut in 2008, but remains below the Rookie of the Year thresholds so he is still considered a prospect. Lewis is one of a host of “finesse” lefties that is fighting for the 5th spot in the rotation to begin 2009. Another Tommy John casualty, Lewis now sits consistently around 90 MPH with his fastball, but mixes in a changeup and a plus curveball to keep hitters off-balance. If he can put his injury troubles behind him, the pitcher we saw open his MLB career with 14 scoreless innings can become a fixture in the Indians rotation as soon as this year.

15. Carlos Rivero-SS
Rivero has been compared by many to a young Jhonny Peralta, and the comp fits. He is a big kid for SS, and clearly has power potential. His large frame may eventually move him to the hot corner, but even if it does his bat will play (sound familiar?) Rivero is much more projection than production at this point, but his ability to put the bat on the ball consistently as a 20-year old in A+ Kinston is encouraging. Rivero has only struck out 225 times in 1284 AB’s as a pro. He will likely start the season as the SS in AA Akron as a 21-year old.

16. Lonnie Chisenhall-3B
Chisenhall was a bit of a surprise as the Indians 1st round pick in the 2008 Amateur Draft, but signed quickly and hit the ground running in short-season Mahoning Valley. Travis Fryman was his manager for the Scrappers, which is great because he came up through the system with similar credentials. The Indians have officially announced that Chisenhall will move to 3B from his drafted position of SS, so he can put those questions behind him and concentrate on one position in the field. Regardless of where he plays defensively, his bat will be his ticket to the majors. Chisenhall hit .290/5/45 in Mahoning Valley in his 68 games there, and will start 2009 as a Lake County Captain.

17. Trevor Crowe-OF
Crowe was one of the top players in college while at the University of Arizona, and a 1st round draft pick of the Indians in 2005. Always a solid player, he has put together some solid seasons, but never really anything spectacular. Prone to both white hot and ice cold streaks, it is tough to know what you are going to get from Crowe from week to week. He is fast and athletic, and has seen time at all three OF positions in the minors. Crowe has a chance to be the 4th OF on the big club as soon as this year, depending on what happens with David Dellucci. Personally, I see nothing that the left-handed Dellucci provides this year that the switch-hitting Crowe would not, but can see the argument for keeping him in Columbus to get regular at-bats.

18. T.J. House-LHP
House was the Indians 16th round pick in 2008, and did not sign in time to see any action. Still, the lefty straight out of high school is worth ranking on this list. House did see some action with Team USA over the summer, and in limited action struck out 2 batters per inning (6 in 3 IP). House could be either a starter or a reliever depending on what the Indians decide to do with him, but will need to develop a 3rd pitch if he expects to start long-term. He has plenty of potential, and is an exciting young arm in the system.

19. Jon Meloan-RHP
Part of the Great Casey Blake Heist from the Dodgers last summer, Meloan is the very definition of a power reliever. For some reason the Dodgers ignored his success out of the bullpen and tried to make him a starter last year in AAA, with mixed results. The Indians put him right back home in the bullpen after they acquired him, which is where he should stay. In 120.2 IP out of the bullpen, Meloan has struck out 172 hitters. A big, strong kid with a closer’s mentality, Meloan should be slamming the door on rallies out of the bullpen for a long time. He and Adam Miller will fight for the last bullpen spot out of Goodyear, with the “loser” likely being the first right-handed option the Indians turn to from Columbus if and when the need arises.

20. Jordan Brown-1B
Brown is a tough player to get a read on and project. He has done absolutely everything the Indians have asked of him at the minor league level, compiling a .300 batting average and collecting an MVP award. The Indians have used him both at 1B and in the OF to increase his versatility, although he is much better at 1B than in the OF. He profiles very much like a Lyle Overbay type hitter; more of an average and doubles guy than a big bopper, but should hit 15 or so HR in the bigs if he gets his shot. However, with the glut of players at 1B in the organization both at the MLB and MiLB levels, Brown and his bat will really have to force their way to the Show. He has also had some trouble staying healthy, which never helps. Brown will be in the mix with Michael Aubrey at AAA Columbus, and if healthy could be in line for a call-up this year if someone on the big club gets hurt.

Topics: Abner Abreu, Carlos Rivero, Jordan Brown, Lonnie Chisenhall, Luis Valbuena, Scott Lewis. Jon Meloan, TJ House, Tony Sipp, Trevor Crowe

Michael Taylor says:

March 4, 2009 at 10:27 pm

Great list Al! I’m with you on Sipp! When healthy his numbers have been sick. I get excited to think of him matched with Raffy Perez as LH’s in the pen with Wood, Miller, Smith, Betancourt, Lewis, and even Meloan as RH’s. This bullpen runs deep.

Interesting to see Chisenhall @ 16. As talented as he is, I like to see more than a half a season before a guy hits a top-10 ranking myself – unless it is obvious that he belongs there. Chisenhall has a projectable bat, but will it be enough to be an above average major league 3B 3-4 years down the road? Its hard to say at this point. If he has another solid season and moves up to high-A and hits around .300 with some power numbers, I’ll start buying it.
Al Ciammaichella says:

March 4, 2009 at 10:37 pm

The half-season in Mahoning Valley combined with the position change kept him out of the top 10 for me. Now, if he puts up those numbers in Kinston next year, that would be something.
Cleveland Indians Top 20 Prospects, Part 2 : Baseball Digest says:

March 6, 2009 at 8:32 am

[...] Here it is…what you have all been waiting for. These players represent cream of the crop in the Indians farm system. Several should make their debuts in Cleveland this coming summer, so best to learn them now and be ahead of the curve when you see them on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. If you missed Part 1 yesterday, check it out here. [...]