Cleveland Indians Top 5

As if proven veterans from C.C. Sabathia to Victor Martinez to Travis Hafner—and talented youngsters like Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera, too—didn’t produce a solid enough core to compete for many years to come, it appears that the Indians will still be finding ways to get better. With a farm system rich in talent and depth, featuring blue chippers like Beau Mills and Adam Miller, Cleveland has the look of a club that should be in contention for the better part of the next decade.

After going .319/.424/.699 and .355/.411/.675 in his freshman and sophomore seasons at Fresno State, respectively, Beau Mills had put his name on the map. But his trail did not cease there as the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder traveled to aptly named Lewis and Clark State for his junior campaign, where Mills posted a ridiculous .458/.556/1.033 vital line in NAIA play. With three stellar collegiate seasons under his belt, the Cleveland Indians made the Visalia, Calif. native the No. 13 overall pick in June. Mills went .261/.337/.424 through three levels, including a .275/.375/.500 showing in 48 High-A plate appearances. While he didn’t mash at his collegiate pace in his professional debut, Mills and his 42.2% XBH rate in the minors last season show that an imposing power stroke could be on its way to Jacobs Field shortly.

2. Adam Miller, RHP (11/26/84)

On the heels of a 2006 campaign in which he posted a stellar 3.65 K/BB rate and 1.12 WHIP, Adam Miller entered 2007 as the No. 27 prospect in all of baseball on our Preseason Top 100. And unfortunately for Miller, that’s where the positives of the ’07 season came to a close. A 6-foot-4, 200-pounder, Miller was forced to cope with a throwing hand issue and elbow inflammation, limiting him to just 65.1 innings on the season. When he was on the hill as opposed to the trainer’s table, Miller did post a 3.24 K/BB rate and 1.37 WHIP as he pitched through injury, suggesting that 2008 should have all the makings of a comeback season.

3. Aaron Laffey, LHP (4/15/85)

On Sept. 30, Aaron Laffey left the hill at Kauffman Stadium with two outs still on the table. Laffey had done his part to ensure a 4-2 victory over the host Royals in five innings of work, but the 6-foot, 185-pounder managed to walk away two outs away from losing prospect eligibility. Laffey earned his way into an Indians uniform by combining to post a 1.13 WHIP, 3.30 K/BB rate, and preserved his moniker as an extreme groundball pitcher with a 64% GB rate between Double-A and Triple-A. A 16th rounder in 2003, Laffey found success in his 49.1 innings in the Majors, posting a 1.34 WHIP and 65% GB rate to show that he has the makings to become a quality starter in the Cleveland Indian rotation in 2008.

4. Nick Weglarz, OF (12/16/87)

After being selected with the team’s third round selection in 2005, the Indians had a good deal of expectations for Nick Weglarz. Not among those expectations: missing the entire 2006 season with a broken hamate bone. But patience has proven to be a virtue, as the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder posted a solid .276/.395/.497 vital line in 439 Single-A at-bats in 2007. And patience has come to the forefront for Weglarz once again, as the Lakeshore Catholic (Ontario) H.S. product proved himself to be a nice combination of power (42.2% XBH) and discipline (82:129 BB:K). With his injury woes in the past, there’s no reason to expect anything but more of the same for the now 20-year-old in High-A and beyond next season.

5. Jordan Brown, 1B (12/18/83)

As a 23-year-old in Double-A a season ago, Jordan Brown put his .290/.362/.469 High-A showing from the season prior to shame. A 6-foot, 205-pounder, Brown impressed in the Eastern League by improving to a .333/.421/.484 vital line in 2007. While the University of Arizona product posted a very impressive 63:56 BB:K rate, Brown carries the caution flags of being a bit too old for his level and of producing little power (11 HR, 30.4% XBH in Double-A) at a slugging position. If he can fight his way through Triple-A quickly while turning some of his 36 doubles into homers, Brown should become a Major League first baseman.

Honorable Mentions:

Possessing a very deep farm system, the Cleveland Indians have at least five other prospects that could fight their respective ways into most team-by-team Top 5’s. Kinston (A+) will be holding onto a duel threat of middle infield talent in Jared Goedert (2B, 5/25/85) and Carlos Rivero (SS, 5/20/88) to open next season, while the trail of Scott Lewis (LHP, 9/26/83) to Cleveland should be a shorter one from Akron (Triple-A). Chuck Lofgren (LHP, 1/29/86) and Trevor Crowe (OF, 11/17/83) have become somewhat household names, but both have done so as very ordinary prospects to date.


Adam Loberstein can be reached at aloberstein@projectprospect.com.