Cleveland Sports Forum

Supplmental Pick:

31. INDIANS: With its second pick of the day, Cleveland would prefer a college bat before they are all gone. North Carolina prep first baseman/outfielder Braxton Davidson also could fit for teams looking for an advanced bat.
Projected Pick: OF Derek Fisher

Latest Baseball America Mock Draft gets the Tribe a 5-11 lefty:

21: INDIANS: No potential first-rounder has more on the line in regional play than Texas Christian lefthander Brandon Finnegan, who hasn’t pitched past the fifth inning in a start since April 17 and missed a couple of starts as well. A good start this weekend could push the 5-foot-11 southpaw back up the first round.
Projected Pick: LHP Brandon Finnegan

31. INDIANS: Cleveland has a weakness for college corner bats, and Reed fits that profile perfectly.
Projected Pick: 1B A.J. Reed


Here's the entire Mock Draft 4.0.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/mo ... m-fiction/

BA changes its Tribe pick every time, but they do seem convinced we will start with a college pitcher and follow with a 1st baseman. We've had remarkably little success with either college pitchers (Sowers, Huff, even Guthrie until we traded him) or 1st basemen (Peoples, Mills, etc) I guess we figure this time we finally know better what's out there.

Good luck.

Look at our team guys. We are loaded with young everyday players especially when you add Lindor, Naquin and Frazier as the contracts for Bourne, Swisher and Cabrera expire. Our pullpen is very solid and pretty young with good right/left balance.

It's all about starting pitching and the Indians need LEFTY's

I'm hoping in this draft we go out and get BIG, hard throwing left handed pitchers especially the high school kids in the first 4/5 picks who can develop!

Pluto excited about the draft:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here comes the Amateur Baseball draft. Most of us would have a hard time naming even five players who will be picked in Thursday's first round. OK, how about three? And there are 40 rounds.

The Indians have three picks in the top 38, including Nos. 21, 31 and 38.

Cody Allen was a 23rd round pick by the Tribe in 2011. Catcher Yan Gomes was picked in the 10th round by Toronto in 2009. Both defied the odds by making the Majors.

Here are a few things you should know:

1. A first-round pick has a 68 percent chance of playing in the Majors. The Indians have four former first-rounders on their current roster: Nick Swisher, David Murphy, Lonnie Chisenhall and Trevor Bauer.

2. For a second rounder, it's 49 percent. The second-rounders on the Tribe roster are Nick Hagadone, Bryan Shaw, Jason Kipnis, Jason Giambi and Justin Masterson.

3. Rounds 3-5, it's 32 percent. The Tribe players in this category are Zach McAllister (3rd round), Michael Bourn (4th round) and Corey Kluber (4th round).

4. Rounds 6-10, it's about 20 percent. For the Indians, there's Michael Brantley (7th round), Mike Aviles (7th round) and Yan Gomes (10th round).

5. For rounds 11-20, it's about 10 percent. The Indians grabbed T.J. House in the 16th round and Josh Tomlin in the 19th round. He's in Class AAA, but Vinnie Pestano was a 20th-round pick.
Josh Tomlin was picked in the 19th round -- the 581st player selected -- in the 2006 draft.

6. After the 20th round, it's between 5-to-9 percent. The Tribe has Cody Allen (23rd round) and Scott Atchison (49th round in 1998, back when the draft had 54 rounds).

7. For a non-drafted American player, it's less than 4 percent. John Axford is the only non-drafted player on the big league roster. Axford actually was drafted earlier in his career, declined to sign -- then later signed as an "amateur free agent," according to the Tribe media guide. Remember, Latino players don't have to go through the draft.

8. These stats can be deceiving. They include players who simply appeared in a Major League game. But the Tribe took Trevor Crowe (2005), Jeremy Sowers (2004) and Michael Aubrey (2003) in the first round. So they count among the 68 percent who made the Majors. But none had significant big league careers.

9. In 1998, the Tribe took C.C. Sabathia with the 20th pick in the first round. He became an All-Star. Of all the players drafted by the Tribe after 1998, only Jason Kipnis made an All-Star team with the Tribe. Latino players signed by the Tribe such as Victor Martinez and Fausto Carmona made All-Star teams.

10. It's so hard to find impact players in the baseball draft. The search humbles even the best teams and scouting staffs. On the current Tribe roster, the only players drafted, signed and in Cleveland now are Chisenhall, Kipnis, Tomlin, House and Allen. The Tribe is picking at Nos. 21, No. 31 and No. 38 at the top of this draft.

THE FIRST ROUND

Let's break it down even more with help from a tremendous article by Cliff Corcoran written for CCNSI in 2013. Corcoran examined all picks in the first round between 1990-2010. That's 21 years of first rounders for every team in baseball. So we are considering more than 600 first-round picks.

In this quick tour of the first round, I'm looking at the Tribe picks still active in the farm system or who were traded. I'm starting in 2008 when Brad Grant took over as scouting director to make the draft picks.

IF YOU WANT TO GET IT RIGHT: Have the first pick in the draft. That's because 18-of-21 of the players picked No. 1 have played at least five years in the Majors, 11 of them made All-Star teams. That's the highest percentage of five-year players and the most All-Stars.

SECOND IS VERY GOOD: There were 17 players who were selected No. 2 who played five years. Eight of them made All-Star teams.

TAKING THE FIFTH: There were 11-of-21 fifth picks who have played five years, and six have made All-Star teams. The Indians have picked No. 5 twice in the last four years. In 2010, Drew Pomeranz was the No. 5 selection. It took time, but the lefty from Mississippi is 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA for Oakland. He was 4-14 in Colorado from 2011-13, and the Rockies wrote him off and traded him. The other recent Tribe player picked No. 5 is Cliff Frazier. At 19, he's in his second pro season, batting .249 (.698 OPS) with Class A Lake County. Also picked at No. 5 have been All-Stars Ryan Braun, Buster Posey and Mark Texeria.

PHENOM AT #8: That's what the Tribe hopes for with Francisco Lindor, the No. 8 pick in the 2011 draft. He is batting .279 (.767 OPS) with four homers and 32 RBI. The gifted shortstop is believed to be the youngest player in the Class AA Eastern League. He's a 20-year-old switch hitter. If he eventually makes the All-Star team, he will be only the third player picked No. 8 since 1990 to do so. The other two are Todd Helton and Felipe Lopez.

PROMISE AT #15: It's Tyler Naquin, selected there in 2012. He's batting .307 (.780 OPS) with two homers, 21 RBI and 12 steals at Class AA Akron. He's 23 and has become an excellent center fielder. The Tribe also selected Alex White at No. 15 in 2009. By 2011, White was in the Majors with the Tribe. Along with Pomeranz and some others, he was traded to Colorado for Ubaldo Jimenez. White struggled with the Rockies, was traded to Houston and now is out for the year because of elbow surgery.

GOLD AT #29: Or at least a big leaguer, as in the Tribe's Lonnie Chisenhall. The shocking stats are that only 4-of-21 players picked here have had careers of at least five years. Only two made All-Star teams. In his fourth year of trying to stick in Cleveland for an entire season, Chisenhall appears to have figured it out. He's hitting .363 and alternates between first and third base. In the previous parts of three Tribe seasons, Chisenhall was a .244 hitter, including .225 last season. The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright is the best No. 29 pick in this span.

PICKING AT #21: This is the Tribe's first pick in this draft. There have been 12 players here who played at least five years; two made All-Star teams. Corcoran listed Jake Westbrook at the top No. 21 pick since 1990.

ALSO AT #31: If the Tribe finds an All-Star here in this draft, it will be the first since 1990. Only six players have had careers of at least five years. Corcoran writes that Jarrod Washburn is the top selection at No. 31.

BOTTOM LINE: The draft is very risky business, the failure is extremely high -- even for those in the first round.

Brad Grant talks to all of his staff and the rest of the front office in the Indians war room for the draft. (Photo: David A. White)

Brad Grant talks to all of his staff and the rest of the front office in the Indians war room for the draft. (Photo: David A. White)

By Tony Lastoria

June 3, 2014

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The 2014 MLB Draft is just two days away. This is an exciting and unique draft for the Indians as they don’t have a top 20 pick but they have three first round picks and will make four selections on the first day for the first time in franchise history. With four picks in the top 61 overall, they have a unique chance to acquire some considerable impact talent from a draft that is considered pretty deep and much better than last year’s crop.

As I do before every draft, I had a chance to sit down with Indians Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant and have a long conversation about the process with preparing for the draft, managing all of his scouts and the information that comes in, and a bunch of other topics pertaining to the draft itself. He really provides some candid insight into their process from start to finish and the responsibilities of everyone involved.

As always, I opted for a Q&A format in order to provide Grant’s unedited responses in full.

Q: The draft is rapidly drawing near. Excitement has to be brewing for you and the rest of your staff and the organization for it to finally be here.

Brad Grant (BG): We have been at it for a while. I started the calls to the area guys last Wednesday, so we have been going at it for some time. We should have some fun as we have some picks this year, so it should be enjoyable.

Q: This is the culmination of a significantly long process that really began at the conclusion of last year’s draft. How quickly do you get going into the process for the next year’s draft?

BG: We immediately roll into it. The first summer showcase starts on June 15th. Literally our scouts will come out of meetings and this year will go to St. Pete for the first high school showcase and jump right back into it. The summers are obviously extremely important for us, especially with the high school players to get them against the best high school competition and in multiple games.

Q: Is the summer showcase circuit a great chance to evaluate some of the top high school players?

BG: Yes, they are all going into their senior year in high school. There will be some sophomores and juniors mixed in, but what happens in those showcases is the best players from around the country all come together and play games against each other so you are seeing the best hitters compete against the best pitching and vice versa. It gives you the quality of competition from around the country that varies from state to state, so this is an opportunity to see the best against the best.

Q: Is this also when you really begin to hone in on the high school talent for the upcoming draft?

BG: Yes, we scout that year’s draft class so we don’t start when they are sophomores or freshmen in high school. With the college guys it is different because if we are in there seeing NC State or the University of North Carolina we are going to scout the freshmen and sophomores who are in there at the same time – especially the major programs – and a lot of those guys we have already scouted at the high school level. But at the high school level we usually don’t begin to truly scout and identity that player until their junior year in high school. Then the process really starts with us in that summer or their junior year going into their senior year.

Q: In addition to the high school showcase circuit there are also a lot of other things to follow at Team USA being put together, the college summer wood bat leagues kick into gear, and other scout based teams are in action. It makes for a pretty hectic and busy schedule for you and your scouts in June and July doesn’t it?

BG: Yes, the Team USA tryouts will begin for the summer teams. We will get up into Cape by the end of June as well and we will hit the Northwoods League, the California League and all of the other collegiate wood bat leagues as well.

Q: How much do you watch Team USA?

BG: We will watch all of the tryouts and follow them and then travel with them. A lot of our international scouts will pick them up once they get overseas and match them up against some of the international teams as well. So, we will watch them in the tryouts and play until they start to travel and continue to scout them when they get overseas as well.

Q: August would seem like a time when things slow down a little for you and the rest of your staff.

BG: It varies for different states, but once we get into August that is when things will start to slow down a little bit. But the fall leagues will start for the colleges and the high schools out in California will play on scout teams and stuff like that year round. There is never really an end to it.

Q: Once late-September rolls around you pool together all of your staff for year-end meetings in Arizona at the Goodyear complex. Is this a time for you to catch your breath as a group and get on the same page and really map out the next six to seven months leading up into the next draft?

BG: Yes, that is our chance to meet as a group. We meet obviously for the draft [in June] and once it is done we jump back out and start right back at it, so that is the opportunity for us to kind of regroup, sit down and go through philosophies, go through changes and go through things we want to adjust. It also allows us an opportunity to spend time with our development staff and other things as well.

Q: So, it seems you really only get together as a group in person two times a year, the week leading up to the draft and the two weeks or so in late September and early October. Your staff really has to be self-motivated and disciplined since they are out on their own so much.

BG: Yeah, as a group those are the two main times we really get a chance to see each other. That is the difficulty of the scouting side of it as those guys are out on an island and off by themselves. They really don’t have a connection to the front office like on the minor league side where the staff is always together in the clubhouse. Our scouts are out on their own. They have to be self-motivated and do all of the things they need to do on their own and get done what they need to get done. Really, we only have the chance to see each other twice a year at the draft and Instructional League. Part of the goal of having cross-checkers and part of my role and John Mirabelli’s role is to spend time with them too at the same time to help them and create that culture where they feel connected to the front office.

Q: What kind of direction is given to them?

BG: There is definitely direction and communication on a daily basis of where they need to go and what they need to get done, but they kind of direct that too. They start the process as they are the ones who are out there who identify the player and they are the ones who put the players on the boards, so they have to be ones who go out and find that player first. Once the player is identified by them then the cross check system will come into play and that is when I will tell the different cross-checkers where to go. If he doesn’t identify a player as a guy we need to see, then that player never has a chance to be drafted.

Q: Things are pretty quiet for you in November and December, but in January things heat up with more showcases and the start of the junior college season. Then things really kick in once February rolls around as the four-year colleges and high schools will start to play. Is this the time when you really start to whittle down the prospects and finalize your evaluations on players?

BG: When we really start to put them under the microscope is from February until the middle to end of May. We have a draft that takes place during our season which is unique to major sports, so we have to scout right up to the end of it. We are at games as late as we can possibly be.

Q: You brought in your cross-checkers last week and then all of your area scouts over the weekend. What are you doing to prepare for the draft?

BG: Now it is bringing all of that information together. Our scouts do a tremendous job of gathering as much information as they can. It starts with the evaluation they have to get right. Once it is done it is adding all of the layers on top of the evaluation and the information on top of it to make a good decision and bringing it all together in the end. We will start conference calls with area scouts and talk about their top players and get a chance to hear it from them and all of the different information they have been able to put together on a player during the course of the year. After that cross-checkers and front office staff will put the board together. We will stack about 150 players and then bring our area scouts back in to help us with putting the second part of the board together. We end up having around 800 players on our board so the more people we have involved in the process to help us process all of that information the better.

Q: You oversee and manage the entire operation. You obviously cannot possibly see every player so you need to rely on your scouts and the rest of your staff to be an extension of your eyes. In the end, all of the decisions on who to pick ultimately lie with you. How do you go about making those decisions?

BG: It is taking on all of that information and listening to all of the different opinions and then applying all of that information into a decision. Ultimately, somebody has to put it together and make a decision on how it is to be prepped out. That is part of it. Ultimately, in the end, I have to make the decision on how it goes, but there are a lot of people involved with putting it together and putting the process together. It is not something one person can do, so you rely on your entire staff and take in all of the information, process it and then try to make the best decision for the Cleveland Indians.

Q: You have been having long 12-15 hour meetings a day for the past week or so to prep for the draft. What is going on in the room during those meetings?

BG: We are walking through each individual player. We are talking though all of our different evaluations and talking about all of the different information we have acquired and then trying to put the players in order based on all of that information. We walk through each player individually and talk about them in a systematic process and then try and put them in the best order that we can.

Q: Has it always been like this with the year-round process? It seems like 10 years or so ago things were not so stretched out all year as they are now.

BG: It has definitely changed over the course of the years. About 15 years ago once you finished the draft you rolled right into pro scouting. You would go to all of the minor league parks and do the pro scouting and then once that finished you would go back to the amateur side of it. Now every team has a professional scouting staff that just covers the minors and major leagues and the amateur staff usually stays separate. There are so many showcases and summer leagues and so many things going on now that it truly is a year round job. You don’t break off a bit at all. You are watching amateur players for a full year and then going onto the next cycle.

Q: So what are your thoughts on this draft?

BG: I think there is depth to this year’s draft that there are a lot of players that are good players. We are fortunate to have four picks on the first day. I think there is depth where there are good players, so from pick #21 to #61 there is a lot of players who have good talent. They are similar in talent so we should be able to get good players with all four of those picks.

Q: Last year once you made fifth overall pick you were done. You did not have a second round pick so you did not pick the rest of the first day and had to sit around until day two. It was a very defined first day. This year things are much more volatile and you will be active and involved on day one all the way to the end with four picks. Is this exciting?

BG: It definitely is. Last year we picked at five and then waited until the second day to pick. We saw a lot of players fall off the board and a lot of time and energy that was spent on those players we just watched it go away (laughs). To have the four picks and be able to balance it out and be active all the way through the first day is exciting. With the depth of this year’s draft I think we will be excited about the players we are able to acquire.

Q: Is there any general approach to the picks this year?

BG: It is what it available at the time of each pick. I have always expressed and it is kind of cliché, but you don’t want to draft towards need and you don’t want to draft toward the depth of a system or depth at the major league side as that can change all of the time. You want to go after the best layers and add the best players you can to your system.

Q: This is the third year of the bonus pool system. Your approach has differed a little in each of the first two years. Do you feel comfortable with the bonus pool setup now and feel comfortable with how you use it?

BG: You are always trying to find ways to maximize value and we will continue to search for those ways. The more you go through that process the more comfortable you will become with it. We will continue to search for ways to make sure we are maximizing value with each pick.

Q: I say this half-jokingly because I know you are aware, but I have to ask anyway of the unique situation you are in with three first round picks. Do you understand just how important it is to get these picks on the first day right?

BG: We obviously feel the importance of it. Our scouts have felt the importance of it too. We spent a lot of time acquiring a lot of information on a lot of players where in the past we may have been able to say that player may not be able to fit for us because we pick at five and then don’t pick until the second day. This time we have to spend a lot of time on a lot of players. We certainly understand the importance of this year’s draft and having the opportunity to have three first round picks. The higher you pick in the draft the higher the percentage chance of finding one of those [major league] players is. To have multiple picks in the first 75 picks does increase your odds, so getting those right is extremely important. The time and energy we have put into it should hopefully help us add some impact players to the system.

Q: When the draft ends on Saturday do you sleep for a week or does the never-ending cycle of the draft pull you back in to start preparations for the 2015 Draft?

BG: I wish that was the case (laughs). You still have negotiations, you still have to make sure your players get signed and there is still a lot of management and direction that goes on after it. About two weeks after it I stick my head in the sand (laughs) but then it all starts again.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Here's a mock draft collection of guesses. The real thing is tomorrow.

21. Cleveland Indians: Projected Picks

RHP Erick Fedde, UNLV (1): Callis
LHP Brandon Finnegan, TCU (1): Manuel
OF Monte Harrison, Lee's Summit (Mo.) West HS (1): Wells
RHP Luis Ortiz, Sanger (Calif.) HS (1): Law


Previous Pick: LHP Kodi Medeiros, Waiakea (Hawaii) HS

Perhaps the best pure athlete in this year's draft, Missouri's Monte Harrison is one of the more raw—but intriguing—prospects available. Per B/R's Adam Wells:

“
The Missouri high school star has a commitment to play wide receiver at Nebraska, so it's not surprising that he has tremendous running speed and covers a ton of ground in center field.

Harrison will slide down the first round because of questions about his bat. The focus on two sports means he's missed precious at-bats, so his approach and pitch recognition are lacking. He's got bat speed, good hip rotation and wrist strength, though he doesn't make good use of his strong lower half in the swing. There's plus raw power in the bat just waiting to come out with the right development.
”
You could certainly make a case for the Indians to take California prep arm Luis Ortiz or one of the college pitchers still on the board, but Harrison's potential upside may be too great for them to pass on here

Aaron Nola (Photo: LSU Athletics)

2014 MLB Draft: Jeff's Big Board 2.0 - The final edition

By Jeff Ellis

June 4, 2014

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With the draft set to kick off in 24 hours, here is my final Big Board.

Some of these write-ups are the same from my previous Big Board because nothing really happened with them, but for others who had significant changes or dropped – like Grant Holmes – then the write-ups have been changed accordingly.

I am still a fan of this draft, but there is little doubt it appears to be a bit weaker than it was when my last Big Board was up as injuries have hurt the top end. Still it is a deep draft especially with prep arms, which should allow the Indians to add a lot of depth to their system.

So here it is my, personal top 43 in what is in my opinion the best draft since 2011.

(Note: PR stands for previous, as in where they were ranked on the last Big Board)

1. Brady Aiken, LHP, HS, PR 1

Aiken has drawn some Kershaw comparisons this season. He was always a great athlete with a clean motion and good mechanics. Then this year he showed up and starting hitting 97 and sitting in the mid 90’s. He was always a top 10 guy to me, but the velocity spike makes him number one on my board.

2. Carlos Rodon, LHP, NC State, PR 2

Rodon has not been as dominating this year as last year; his stuff doesn’t seem quite as sharp or devastating. Yet I can’t drop him any farther. He is not having a bad year, just not a great one. Left-handed pitchers who throw hard and have a chance at three plus pitches are not easy to find. A year ago he looked like the next David Price, so he stays at two.

3. Tyler Kolek, RHP, HS, PR 4

When it comes to Kolek it’s all about projection. He hits triple digits and is built like a linebacker. There are some command issues, which is why he isn’t as high on my board. There is a chance Kolek turns into a closer, but it’s hard to just watch Kolek for any extended period of time without seeing what he could be with an Archie Bradley type of arm and build.

4. Nick Gordon, SS, HS, PR 6

Gordon is the son of Tom Gordon and the brother of Dee Gordon. He is already much bigger than his brother, and seems like a lock to stay at shortstop. I don’t see a single below average tool to him and I think he could even develop above average power for his position. He could end up a plus defender at shortstop with one of the best arms at short in baseball. When you add in a plus hit tool and the ability to come close to 20 home runs, well that is a package that is going to be hard to pass on.

5. Alex Jackson, C/OF, HS, PR 7

Jackson has plus right handed power and there is a chance he could stick behind the plate. I think he moves to the outfield just to get his bat to the majors quicker, but if I ran a team I would play the long game and see if Jackson could end up the best hitting catcher in baseball. His power is plus and the profile behind the plate is just too good to pass on.

6. Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco, PR 5

There is no prospect on this list I was more wrong about in October than Zimmer. I saw a guy who was a better Naquin with plus speed. I was more than a little wrong. Zimmer is the younger brother of Royals top prospect Kyle Zimmer and is every bit as good a prospect as his brother. Zimmer is huge at 6-feet-5, but has 65-70 grade speed. His power is starting to emerge this year, which with his size was always the hope. Now he looks like a potential five tool centerfielder to me, a Grady Sizemore-lite type of guy.

7. Grant Holmes, RHP, HS, PR 3

Holmes was a guy I might have been overzealously high on. I thought his size was a non-issue, but we saw that this was an issue as he wore down as the year went on. Early in the year he was hitting 98 and as the season went on he ended up working lower to mid-90’s. I am still a fan because Holmes is a pitcher not just a thrower who will strengthen a program. He is a very consistent pitcher with advanced secondary stuff for a high school kid. I am still a fan and I wonder where he ends up falling on draft day.

8. Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina, PR 9

So how does Hoffman get higher even though he was injured recently? Well he was pitching really well before his injury and the upside is still better than anyone in this class. In a way his injury adds value because it drops his signing bonus a ton. In the draft being a cheaper sign is a huge bonus for a team. Tommy John doesn’t matter as everyone comes back and by next May he will be ready to go. So all Hoffman really misses is like 20-30 innings of baseball in a rookie league this year.

9. Touki Toussaint, RHP, HS, PR 18

Toussaint was the front runner to be the top pick in this draft two years ago. He struggled over the summer and disappointed the year before. Yet he has finally turned it back around and there is a chance he could be the best player in this draft when it’s all said and done. His command is the only thing that could stop him from being a front line ace type of starter.

10. Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU, PR 17

Nola is still a guy I am not as high on. There is a ton of value in him as I do think he could make a team out of spring training next year. I could even see a time line like Mike Leake and I think Leake is a good comparison in terms of upside and college production. I just don’t see the massive upside I would like to see in a top 10 pick. He is here mostly because he is a near finished, safe product who is a major league guarantee.

11. Brandon Finnegan, LHP, TCU, PR 10

I am a big Finnegan fan and I am dropping him a slot because of the arm issue combined with the high flame out rate of TCU pitchers. I think the Scott Kazmir comps are dead on and fair as both were smaller lefties who could bring it at high velocity. As long as there are no injury issues the floor with Finnegan is backend bullpen pitcher. I think you give him every chance to start and think he could be a front line pitcher. He has the two big red flags with his size and injury issues, but especially mid first round the talent is worth the risk to me.

12. Kyle Schwarber, 1B/C, Indiana, PR 11

It is all bat when it comes to Schwarber. He has plus power, an excellent eye at the plate and a plus hit tool. If you can find a place for his bat then he is going to bring a lot of value because he can rake. I think there is an outside chance he could catch maybe one or two times a week, play first, and DH or maybe even play left field. I have been a fan for a while and think he goes in the top 20 almost purely as a bat.

13. Max Pentecost, C, Kennesaw State, PR UR

So somehow I left Pentecost off my last list and no one called me on it. This is a huge miss. Pentecost is a true catcher with plus speed and above average batting practice power. If he can pull it all together he should be a top three player at the catcher position. I don’t have another sure fire catcher who carries a round one grade. He could end up being the first catcher who hits lead off since Jason Kendall.

14. Michael Chavis, 2B/3B, HS, PR 20

This might be too low for Chavis who has legit plus power and could play up the middle. He has played mostly third this year, but his future might be at second and some places have thought he could even be a shortstop. He is the same size as Clint Frazier and while not as good an athlete I think his power is close to Frazier’s. He could be a very special bat up the middle. I see a power bat with good athleticism that could play up the middle and I don’t get how he is not in every top 15.

15. Kyle Freeland, LHP, Evansville, PR 16

The reports on Freeland of late have been glowing. He supports plus command and three pitches which all look above average to plus. He was ninth on the BA board which caused me to reevaluate my own look at him. Plain and simple he looked better stat-wise than he had at the start of year. Pitching for Evansville it is hard to get tape on Freeland, so I have to use scouting reports and numbers, and both are glowing. Here is a lefty with okay velocity, good size, and excellent control. He is going in round one.

16. Trea Turner, SS, NC State, PR 14

It’s been a down year for every top player on the NC State team. I was a big Turner fan to start the year as he has a plus hit tool, 80 grade speed and the fact he was a plus defender at shortstop. I mean there is not much more you could want in a prospect. This year has been rough, but he finally started to rebound over the past month and teams are hopping back on. It is so hard to find a good shortstop even with the questions on Turner. After having a down year he is still going to be a top 10 pick.

17. Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford, PR 12

Here is a 6-feet-5 lefty who hits the high 90’s from time to time. He has had control issues over the years, and is still walking too many batters, which has raised some concerns. He has walked 22 in only 46 innings. Newcomb seems to be gaining steam and is a likely top pick now. He is a big lefty who throws in the mid 90’s. He is still developing and is a very interesting talent.

18. Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, HS, PR 22

Reid-Foley is one of the most consistent and steady high school arms, if not the most steady in this class. He has the size and stuff to be a prototypical number two/three. He is the safest high school arm to me, and I think there is still some projection in his arm. I heard reports that he had gained a little velocity this year. He doesn’t have the major upside of the other arms I had before him, but he is the top guy in that next tier of high school arms.

19. Michael Conforto, OF, Oregon St, PR 21

If you want a safe pick here is your guy. Conforto’s power is down this year but he has shown no one in the college game is better at getting on base. If this was the late 90’s he would be ticketed to the A’s. He still could go to several teams who value a safe bat as last year we saw a similar OBP safe bat go sixth in the draft to Miami. I will say this, for as great as his stats were, you do have to worry a bit about a guy with a .377 BABIP for his college career.

20. Ti’Quan Forbes, SS, HS, PR 19

I am a lot higher on Forbes than most, but I see a big kid who should stick at shortstop and if he does move it’s because of size not lack of ability. He is extremely young for this draft class, one of the youngest in the entire class. I don’t see a single skill that projects out as a negative and think he could have an above average hit and power tool. There might not be a worse position offensively in baseball than shortstop, so the ability to find a player with an above average bat for any position would make that player in the upper third of shortstops in the game.

21. Erick Fedde, RHP, PR 26

Fedde’s injury stinks, but it means he is a cheaper sign than he should be. He was finally turning the corner when he was hurt and I think he was a slam dunk top 10 pick then. So in a way it might be silly to drop him this far, yet at the same time he is still losing a year. Fedde wasn’t a top 10 guy to me and a healthy Fedde would have been in the 10-13 range, so the injury means he falls close to 10 spots and could be a steal that saves a team money as he has zero leverage.

22. Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Wichita State, PR 31

Gillaspie is from a baseball family. His brother is the starting third baseman for the White Sox and his father made it all the way up to AAA. Gillaspie has been a known player but he exploded on the scene this year. His average jumped up 90 points, which was aided by a 90 point jump in BABIP. Yet it’s more the excellent eye he shows at the plate along with his power that will excite teams. His slugging jumped up this season and his walk to strikeout rate was better than two to one. He is going to stick at first, but with his switch hitting, power stroke, and eye at the plate he could move quickly for a team.

23. Luis Ortiz, RHP, HS, PR 15

Ortiz has dropped a lot more on a lot of boards, the reason being he had some arm fatigue which caused him to be sidelined and he isn’t as exciting as some of the other arms. He has great secondary stuff for a high school player and maybe the best slider in the high school class. He doesn’t throw super hard, but seems as long as he is healthy to be a pretty solid bet to be at least a middle of the rotation pitcher.

24. AJ Reed, 1B/LHP, Kentucky, PR 28

Reed had a monster year for Kentucky and went from a guy where teams debated if his future was as a pitcher or a hitter to being a hitter. He led the nation in home runs and has massive power from the left side. Some places say his power is a 70 grade, though I think more 60 or 65, but either way it is extremely legit. On top of this he also led the SEC in walks and nearly doubled his walk total from a year ago. He is an emerging hitter who will be hard for a team in the 20-30 range to pass on.

25. Chase Vallot, C, HS, PR UR

Vallot is a guy I finally got around to seeing and he could be a guy I am underrating. He has an extremely quick bat which in turn generates massive power from the right side. In a class that lacks catching and right handed power, Vallot stands out. His arm is above average, but defensively he is likely to be average at best, yet with his bat he still has a ceiling of a top five player for his position. Another big bonus is that he is extremely young for his class. Even as I write this I want to move Vallot up more.

26. Monte Harrison, OF, HS, PR 39

I had not seen a lot of Harrison before my last board and now I see why people are high on him. He is a major upside gamble. It can work out great, I mean, look at Matt Kemp - or you end up with Bubba Starling or Courtney Hawkins. He doesn’t scare me as much as Hawkins, but Harrison does have some concerns. He is a mega athlete who is a four star football recruit. Here is one of the bigger boom or bust guys in this class.

27. Alex Blandino, 2B/3B, Stanford, PR UR

I am not sure what I was thinking leaving off Blandino the first time around. I feel like I really have been over thinking on Blandino. His numbers jumped this year and the best part is that his BABIP didn’t have an equally as high jump. His power jump is intriguing because Stanford is notorious for messing with swings and end up stopping power development. A lot of what I said about Chavis goes here in terms of positional value and power projection, and as a bonus he would provide right-handed power from up the middle.

28. Nick Howard, RHP, Virginia, PR UR

I never thought Howard would be the first guy from Virginia on my board. He was a two-way player at Virginia who has been mostly a pen arm as a pitcher. This year he is hitting 98 and already flashes a plus breaking pitch. I might be overrating him but I am intrigued by the chance that he could be converted to a starter. He has two plus pitches and has never fully concentrated on pitching. There is upside in his arm, which is why there has been talk that he might end up going as high as the teens.

29. Keaton McKinney, RHP, HS, PR UR

Keaton is a guy who I am much higher on than most as I am not sure he makes anyone else’s top 30. McKinney is huge at 6-feet-5 and already has a heck of a changeup. I get he doesn’t throw super hard, but with his size and being a cold weather arm he seems like a guy who is very likely to get a velocity jump. I am just intrigued by the combination of size and current secondary stuff. He needs a lot of coaching and might be a bit further away but I think he has big time upside.

30. Matt Imhof, LHP, Cal Poly, PR 25

Imhof has really burst onto the scene this year. He had a solid junior year then did well for Team USA last summer, yet he was not really considered a first round type until this year. He has been battling with Finnegan for league leader in strikeouts. He doesn’t throw as hard, but is huge at 6-feet-5 and sits in the mid to low 90’s. He is a big lefty with some projection and who has shown improvement this year.

31. Derek Fisher, OF, Virginia, PR 27

Fisher hit well when he came back from injury. I am intrigued still by the hit tool and power potential. Fisher is a good athlete and could be a complete player with some pop in the outfield, but I do worry about a guy who has hit less home runs in his career than Reed hit this year by a pretty significant number. His numbers are down a bit in general, but the tools will be enough to encourage some team to jump on him in the 30’s.

32. Braxton Davidson, 1B, HS, PR 30

Davidson might be the best pure hitter among any of the high school players. He has not had a great spring, but many places list his hit and power tools as a plus skill. He is not the best athlete so the question is can he play outfield or is he merely a first baseman, which hurts his value. His hit tool can play anywhere, but if he can be an outfielder he would have a lot more value. First basemen are the offensive guard of the MLB draft. Some places describe him as a top 10 pick in three years.

33. Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt, PR 7

I wasn’t huge on Beede, but I finally bought in last time and put him up where he was on most boards because it seemed like he was turning it around. Then the implosion happened. He has all of the tools but things haven’t worked out of late. I am more concerned with the reports of character issues after dealing with and seeing some pitchers who aren’t dedicated to the game. The red flags scare the crap out of me, but there is little doubt he has the talent to be much higher.

34. Derek Hill, OF, HS, PR UR

Hill is another guy I really hadn’t seen much of before the last board. He has great speed, excellent defense and a solid hit tool. He could be a future Gold Glove leadoff man, but at the same time that doesn’t personally get me interested early. If I am drafting a bat in the top 30, then I want a guy who has some future potential power production. Hill might end up the top defender from this class, but just not enough for me to rank him higher.

35. Mike Papi, OF, Virginia, PR 23

Papi is a highly productive player in college, who had somewhat of an in season slide. He has issues, I am not sure where he will play and he is not a great athlete. He just hits the ball and has an excellent eye. He doesn’t get cheated, and preforms every time out. He is the type of guy who just seems like he will get the dreaded intangible label to explain why a guy who his limited athleticism has been such a devastating college hitter.

36. Michael Gettys, OF, HS, PR 32

Here is a guy with plus bat speed and has all the tools to make teams sit in awe. The issue for everyone is his hit tool. He could be a superstar or he might never hit enough to get to Double-A. Some say worst case he is a fourth outfielder, but his hit tool looks like best case it would be a slightly below average tool.

37. Marcus Wilson, OF, HS, PR 29

Wilson is very similar to Derek Hill to me. He has plus bat speed and plus foot speed. The difference is he has a chance to develop power as well. I think his bat will be good enough to play all three outfield spots. He has a lot of growing to do yet as a player, but I am intrigued by his mix of skills and ability.

38. Mac Marshall, LHP, HS, PR 24

Another projectable pitcher and when you are left-handed playing for a top program and showing two above average pitches with a chance for a third, well, then you are ticketed to go in the first round. He was in the mid 90’s earlier this year but dropped back to low 90’s. I am still a fan. He is a big athletic lefty with some upside.

39. Jacob Gatewood, 3B, HS, PR 33

Gatewood is a lot like Gettys, but with more power and less speed and defense. Gatewood has had a rough spring, which has caused him to drop from a sure fire top five pick. He might have the best power in the entire class, but his story is very reminiscent of Joey Gallo a few years ago. Both had massive power, but both had major questions about their ability to hit. I am always very leery of high school kids who struggled to hit in high school because it is only going to get harder.

40. Michael Kopech, RHP, HS, PR 41

Kopech is widely considered the second best arm in Texas this year. He is a big righty who has seen his velocity creep up to the mid 90’s. His velocity increase along with his quick arm actions made me take note. I think those two things along with his size could signal even more velocity growth down the road. I also like his secondary pitches and think he could end up with three solid above average offerings. A nice upside pick for a team late in round one or early to mid round two. I feel like a year ago he would have been a sure top 30 pick.

41. Foster Griffin, LHP, HS, PR 34

Griffin is another big lefty in this class. He doesn’t throw super hard, but with his 6-feet-5 frame it seems likely that he will be able to add to his velocity. He has been slowly rising on boards this spring; the reason is all about his projection. It is the same story as quite a few guys I mentioned before as a good athlete and size equals projection. Griffin is a guy who is getting squeezed a bit because how deep the pitching is in this draft.

42. Jake Stinnett, RHP, Maryland, PR UR

Part of the value of Stinnett is tied to the fact he is a senior sign who will save a team some money by drafting him early and signing him. He is a legit pitching prospect with a heavy sinking fastball, which sawed off bats in the ACC, well at least figuratively did. He came out of nowhere to solidify himself as a day one selection this year.

43. Luke Weaver, RHP, Florida State, PR 13

Weaver was once a guy on the top 15 bubble and I refuse to give up on him in spite of his recent performance. His velocity is down and his pitching has become extremely inconsistent of late. There are size concerns as well and these three points could lead to a big drop for Weaver. I am still intrigued by his athleticism, mid 90’s arm and limited experience. I think a part of his drop is thanks to fatigue after a summer with Team USA and a long season with Florida State this year.

Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffmlbdraft, or email him at jellis121@yahoo.com

Predictions change again:

21: INDIANS: Howard would be in play for the Indians, who could relieve him or shift him back to starting. They also have been tied in to bats such as Hill and Wall, as well as Georgia prep infielder Michael Chavis. The prep bat that is falling appears to be Missouri prep outfielder Monte Harrison.
Projected Pick: 2B/3B Michael Chavis


Virginia closer Nick Howard, who checks many Angels boxes as a power arm who could move quickly, as well as a player who could help a big league team that needs bullpen pieces Projected at 15.

Florida prep second baseman Forrest Wall. While they have strong conviction in Wall’s bat, he’d be the first high school second baseman ever drafted this high. Projected to the Mets at 10

OF Derek Hill projected to go to Giants at 14.

Not just do the names change but so the positions we are drafting for: 1b/2b/3b/LHP/rhp have all been suggested. I guess it will be the "best available player"

How to watch 2014 MLB Draft online with live streaming

By Nick Bond @THEN1CKSTER on Jun 5 2014, 8:00a +

Follow SBNation.com on Twitter
Like SBNation.com Facebook

The draft is back on MLB.com and MLB Network this year, with coverage of every pick for all 40 possible rounds.

With stars like Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper headlining recent MLB drafts, what was once the domain of baseball's nerdiest has become a must-see event for everyone, from seamheads to people who haven't watched baseball since Tom Seaver pitched.

The "stars" of the show this year are the Houston Astros, who will be the first organization ever to pick first overall in three consecutive years. This year is the fifth time the team has picked first overall -- having done so previously in 1976, 1992, 2012 and 2013 -- which ties it with the San Diego Padres and New York Mets for the most all-time.

The Draft will be streaming live in its entirety at MLB.com, with just the first 74 picks being shown live on MLB Network. Don't worry if you can't be in front of a TV screen or lack the necessary bandwidth to stream the coverage from your computer, there are other ways to keep up with the draft this weekend .

MLB.com Live Coverage

June 5

6 p.m. - Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com

7 p.m. - Live Draft (Rounds 1-Comp. B) on MLB Network and MLB.com
June 6

1 p.m. - Live Draft (Rounds 3-10) on MLB.com
June 7

1 p.m. - Live Draft (Rounds 11-40) on MLB.com

You can also track each pick by following @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter. If you're running errands over the weekend and are tired of filtering through unwanted Tweets, you can also follow along on the MLB At Bat app by finding the Draft Tracker under the "More" tab on your iPhone or Android.

Also be sure to check out our great 2014 MLB Draft coverage.

When I read Pluto's article, I wonder why we didn't go after Nelson Cruz.

Grant talks draft ahead of Thursday’s first round




Two 2011 draft picks have struck out a combined 60 batters as part of the Indians MLB-leading 527 strikeouts this season. The duo has combined to go 3-3 in 34 appearances and 48.0 innings during the 2014 campaign.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected right-hander Trevor Bauer with the third overall pick (1st round) in the 2011 draft. Teammate and fellow right-handed pitcher Cody Allen was chosen by the Indians with the 698th overall pick (23rd round) in the same draft.

On June 28, 2012, Bauer became the first member of his draft class to make it to the Major Leagues. Just 22 days later, Allen was promoted as the second player from the 2011 draft class to make his big-league debut.

This season, on May 16, Indians 2013 draft pick and southpaw Kyle Crockett made his Major League debut at Progressive Field, becoming the first member of the 2013 draft class to play at the Major League level. Crockett allowed just one run in 4.1 innings over the course of his first stint with the club.

Needless to say, draft picks have the potential to impact the organization’s Major League team quickly after being drafted.

“It kind of worked out for me — the opportunity, the need,” Allen said. “I was older. I was able to get pushed; relievers can be pushed more than, say, a shortstop. I think 85% of guys that are drafted have the physical ability to play in the big leagues.”

Today, the Indians will make two selections in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as well as one pick in the compensation round. With the 21st, 31st, and 38th picks, Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant said the Indians believe they have an advantage as far as the number of high-quality picks available.

“To have four picks on the first day (see chart above) is unique; it really gives us an advantage, especially in this year’s draft,” Grant said. “This is something we haven’t had over the past few years. Looking at this year’s draft class, there is a lot of depth.”

Grant said the scouting department has 800 total names on the draft board this year, and they have scouted nearly 150 prospects.

Cross-checkers, Grant said, have played a significant role in this year’s draft. A handful of cross-checkers scout on a national scale, while others are assigned a specific region of the country. The Indians have hired additional cross-checkers since the previous draft, ultimately expanding their staff and increasing their knowledge of the prospects.

“Our area scouts will see each player four to five times, and the cross-checkers will average another three to five times,” Grant said. “So the amount of information we are gathering is pretty significant.”

Grant said scouts begin following many college prospects during their high school careers, and they continue to gain more information as they progress through their college career. In order to draft a high school player, he said, it is critical that the player is mature and is open to developing his skills within the organization.

“There’s a lot more inherent risk in drafting a high school player because you have a lot less information on them,” Grant said. “In college, you have a lot more statistical information, more life lessons that they’ve been through, more maturity, so there’s a lot more information available for the college player.

“We’re going to try to maximize our value. We’re going to try to be creative in our thinking and in our ability to gain as much talent as we possibly can. The draft’s going to dictate which way we go, who we take, and what we do, but we’ve shown we have the ability to be creative.”

Fans are encouraged to tune in to MLB Network to watch the first round of the 2014 draft. All other rounds will be live on MLB.com. Fans should follow @MLBDraft for draft coverage on Twitter.

Cleveland Indians 2014 Draft Picks (Day One)

No. 21 – first round
No. 31 – free agent compensatory pick (Jimenez)
No. 38 – competitive balance
No. 61 – competitive balance

–TribeVibe contributor Megan Golden

Bradley Zimmer

Pick: 21st Overall (1st Round)

Pick By: CLE

Position: OF

Born: November 27, 1992

School: University of San Francisco

Class: JR

Height: 6'5"    Weight: 205

Bats: L    Throws: R

Comments: Zimmer's older brother Kyle went fifth overall in the 2012 Draft and reached Double-A in his first full pro season. Bradley won't go quite that high but looks like a first-rounder and also could move quickly through the Minor Leagues. He performed well last summer, leading the U.S. college national team with 11 steals and winning playoff MVP honors in the Cape Cod League. Zimmer has a nice package of tools, with his bat standing out the most. He has a sweet left-handed stroke, and he manages the strike zone and recognizes pitches well. His body has enough strength and leverage to possibly produce plus power if he were to add some loft to his swing, though he's content to spray line drives all over the field for now. He enhances his solid speed with keen instincts, which make him an asset on the basepaths and in the outfield. He has a chance to play center field, and if not, his strong arm will fit well in right.

6. Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco, PR 5

There is no prospect on this list I was more wrong about in October than Zimmer. I saw a guy who was a better Naquin with plus speed. I was more than a little wrong. Zimmer is the younger brother of Royals top prospect Kyle Zimmer and is every bit as good a prospect as his brother. Zimmer is huge at 6-feet-5, but has 65-70 grade speed. His power is starting to emerge this year, which with his size was always the hope. Now he looks like a potential five tool centerfielder to me, a Grady Sizemore-lite type of guy.

(From the above IBI post)