Cleveland Sports Forum

I want to see if I can get to see that Scottsdale team next month civ. Do you know are all the Tribe players on that team?

Indians: Is Nolan Jones going to be able to live up to the hype?
by Chad Porto12 hours ago Follow @ChadNerdCorp

Nolan Jones had a bad 2021 but can he rebound next season?
The Indians will soon become the Guardians and part of that change will see a new influx of minor leaguers getting called up to the majors. Not a surprise to say that, it happens every year. Yet, one name that many thought they’d see at some point in 2021 was Nolan Jones. Jones was in Triple-A Columbus, playing third base and outfield for the Clippers. During the offseason, he was expected to be called up to the major league roster at some point in 2021.

That never happened and instead, Jones struggled down in Columbus, hitting .238, with 13 home runs, 48 RBI, and an ungodly 122 strikeouts in just 341 at-bats. Jones had nearly as many strikeouts (122) as he did hits (81) and walks (59) combined (140). He was absolutely awful at the plate.

Only Bradley Zimmer and Franmil Reyes had more strikeouts between Triple-A and Major League players.

The Indians shouldn’t give up on Nolan Jones just yet
Yes, Zimmer never panned out and Bobby Bradley looks like he’s going to be more of the same (99 strikeouts in 74 games), so there shouldn’t be a lot of optimism around the hitters in the minors. They’re all struggling save for a handful of guys.

Yet, the reason for hope isn’t the talent themselves, but so much the guys that may be joining them. The Indians let go of their hitting coach, and it seems very likely that by the time Spring Training ends, the minor league hitting coaches may either get help or get replaced as well. There have been shakeups in the minors over the last few years, and at the start of 2022, we should know who’s coming back.


If the Indians are able to get a good hitting coach in there, much like how Carl Willis became synonymous with getting the most out of his pitchers, then the Tribe may be better than ever. The raw potential is there, they just need better coaching. Having that many guys with so many strikeouts is a systematic issue within how they’re being taught and coached.

So that can be corrected.

Jones still has a chance to rebound and lie up to the expectations the organization has for him. It’s too soon to say that he can’t be the next star of the team, after all, Jose Ramirez didn’t have a breakout year until he was 24. Jones is just 23. Jones could easily enter next year as a rookie and roast opposing hitters, but he’s got a lot of work to do to prove he can be that guy.

For the sake of the team’s future, let’s all hope he’s up to the task.

this guy exaggerates both the good and the bad. I certainly agree that Nolan Jones disappointed but he was NOT

" absolutely awful at the plate"

His OPS was an acceptable 787. He still walks a ton. Just under 1/2 of his hits were for extra bases. For the first time in his career his averages vs LH were virtually identical to those vs RH.
He was absolutely awful in May with a 638 OPS. The next 3 months he was absolutely OK. Like Jose Ramirez his batting average does not fully reflect what he accomplished. Too many strikeouts remain his biggest problem.

267-51-67-42 20 2B 1 EB 12 HR 43BB/83 K 251/355/491 846 OPS.
I really would recommend you skip that guy's postings; he knows less than you and I

Are all the Tribe AFL guys on the Scottsdale team?

Upon further review I see there are only 6 AFL teams. And Scottsdale has 5 MLB teams' prospects.

So 6 times 5 = 30 MLB teams total. That answers my question then.

in which case I refuse to answer

Richie going long ball

CLE AFL Richard Palacios, 2B 4 1 1 1 .304 HR (2),
CLE AFL Tanner Tully, LHP 3.1 4 4 4 1 1 5.68 L (0-1)

Tanner going home

I PROBably posted this when BA first published it last month, but in case I didn't and in case you're wondering who should be protected this winter
'
4. Steven Kwan, OF, Indians
Age: 23

A fifth-round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, Kwan has had a strong track record of hitting for average and getting on base at just about every level. What changed this year is he added power. Kwan has hit .345/.419/.559 between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus with a career-high 10 home runs in only 63 games, with most of his damage coming at pitcher-friendly Akron.

Kwan’s strike-zone awareness and pure contact skills are among the best in the Indians organization. He was previously a slap hitter in college and the lower levels of the minors, but he added a leg kick to get into his lower half more this season and began showing surprising pull-side power. He’s an above-average runner and instinctual defender in center field and has the athleticism to play all three outfield spots, although his below-average arm will limit him in right.

Kwan’s contact skills, athleticism and newfound power have made him a likely major leaguer in most evaluators’ eyes. He’ll start off in the majors as a bench player and has a chance to grow into a starter if he can maintain his power spike.

no transactions reported yet for the roster moves that will be forthcoming shortly.

I am eagerly awaiting the disappearance of Kyle Nelson, Cam Hill, Scott Moss, Alex Young;
compared with the numerous kids I'm eager to see added to the roster, I am happy to bid farewell to Nick Wittgren, Daniel Johnson, Brad Zimmer, probably Oscar Mercado, ditto Harold Ramirez.

There is the question of what to do with guys out of options who either must make the team next year of be released at that point; that includes JC Mejia who has a possible future but probably not next year

Richie Palacios, Cleveland’s third-round pick in 2018, is off to a good start with the AFL’s Scottsdale Scorpions. He’s hitting .304 (7-for-23) with three doubles, two homers and six RBI. He’s slashing .304/.429/.696 following a regular season that saw him hit a combined .297 (106-for-357) with 33 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 48 RBI at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus.

Palacios is an infield-outfielder, but is playing the outfield in Arizona. Greg DiCenzo, Class A Lake County’s manager for the last two years, is Scottsdale’s manager.

In the instructional league, outfielder Steven Kwan and middle infielder Brayan Rocchio stood out. During the regular season Kwan hit .328 (97-for-296) with 15 doubles, four triples, 12 homers and 44 RBI for Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus. Rocchio hit .277 (122-for-441) with 26 doubles, five triples, 15 homers and 63 RBI at Class A Lake County and Akron. They’ve eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December.

Among the younger players in camp, outfielder Will Brennan and Angel Martinez were impressive. During the season Brennan hit .285 (111-for-388) with 28 doubles, six homers and 50 RBI at Lake County and Akron. Martinez hit .241 (91-for-377) with 20 doubles, six triples, seven homers and 46 RBI at Class A Lynchburg.

Monday in Arizona. Richie as usual with a good day at the plate. He certainly belongs on the 40 man roster

CLE AFL Richard Palacios, 2B 5 1 2 1 .323 2B (4)

He's a left hand hitter who played primarily 2B in Akron, but has been mostly in the OF this winter.
He certainly makes Zimmer and Johnson expendable.

Don't be overly impressed with good hitting in the Arizona Fall League. Notorious for awful pitching....everybody hits.

If Richie hadn't hit so well in Akron and Columbus I'd be less impressed

Yesterday in the desert:

Richie Palacios 4 0 0 0 .286 BB(6),, SB(2)
Mike Amditis 3 0 0 0 .100 BB(2)

Not sure if they need to protect 20 year old who's not played in AA yet but Tena is a good player

CLE AFL Jose Tena, SS 3 1 1 0 .286 2 BB (4),


Tully is here, I assume, to give him a sunny fall vacation before he's released
CLE AFL Tanner Tully, LHP 3.1 7 3 3 1 6 6.52 L (0-2

Casetta-Stubbs is here to get some innings in after a largely injured regular season
CLE AFL Damon Casetta-Stubbs, RHP 1.2 1 0 0 1 1 0.00

Another good day at the plate for Richie Palacios [they list him as 2B ,but that's not necessarily where he's playing; i've heard he has been mostly in the outfield; I've found boxs scores and stats once or twice but don't have the page bookmarked so it's a struggle to locate it again. Looks like the best place to find it as Baseball Reference

CLE AFL Richard Palacios, 2B 5 2 2 0 .300 3B (1), BB (7), 417 OBP 500 SLG
CLE AFL Mike Amditis, C 5 1 1 0 .120

Much better pitching although the cumulative ERAs will remain astronomical

CLE AFL Aaron Pinto, RHP 1.1 2 0 0 0 1 16.20
CLE AFL Matt Turner, LHP 2 0 0 0 0 1 9.00