2011 Top 10 Prospects: Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins

Cleveland Indians: Top 10 Prospects

1. Alex White / SP / White had a great debut season. Some question whether any of his secondary pitches will develop into the out pitch that he needs, but he has great command and movement on his fastball, which could carry him far.
2. Lonnie Chisenhall / 3B / The future outlook remains true for Chisenhall; good but not great. While he has power, contact ability, and plate patience, nothing adds up to perennial All-Star.
3. Jason Knapp / SP/RP / Knapp’s elite velocity is completely back following a shoulder surgery that kept him out most of 2010. He did return in time to record 29 strikeouts over 16 Single-A innings. He is a supreme breakout candidate for 2011.
4. Drew Pomeranz / SP / Pomeranz faces too many question marks for a college hurler drafted at No. 5 overall. But Cleveland obviously feels that they have a lot to work with, and the team is willing to give him a year to prove doubters wrong.
5. Jason Kipnis / 2B/OF / While his defense is shaky and may keep him in the minors longer than anticipated, Kipnis’ bat came alive in 2010. He has good bat speed and above average power for a second baseman. It’s understandable why some have him rated higher than this, but his defense needs to settle down for him to move up. His offense could get lost in the crowd if he needs to switch to the outfield.
6. Nick Weglarz / OF / Weglarz has improved to the point where he deserves a shot at the big leagues. He still has untapped power and good patience at the plate, but the key to everything will be him staying off the disabled list.
7. Chun-Hsiu Chen / C / Chen has the skills to stick behind the plate, including a plus arm. To little fanfare, his offense took off in 2010, and his best tool, his power potential, finally surfaced.
8. LeVon Washington / OF / Washington is an offensive-minded outfield prospect. He has a good plate approach, speed, and some power to work with, although his tools are overblown by some.
9. T.J. House / SP / House had a solid year, although his secondary offerings, namely his slider, didn’t take the step forward they need to. His upside appears limited unless an out pitch develops.
10. Hector Rondon / SP/RP / Rondon had perhaps the most disastrous season of any top-ranked player in the minor leagues. It’s not time to give up yet, but it was finally revealed that Rondon’s injury required Tommy John surgery, leaving his future in jeopardy.

Cleveland Indians: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Carlos Santana / C
2. Asdrubal Cabrera / SS
3. Alex White / SP
4. Lonnie Chisenhall / 3B
5. Jason Knapp / SP/RP
6. Drew Pomeranz / SP
7. Jason Kipnis / 2B/OF
8. Carlos Carrasco / SP
9. Nick Weglarz / OF
10. Michael Brantley / OF

Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Prospects

1. Kyle Gibson / SP / It’s unlikely anyone envisioned Gibson having the kind of debut season he did. He put the injury concerns to rest and was able to show off his varied arsenal over three levels, culminating with three strong August starts for Triple-A Rochester.
2. Miguel Sano / 3B/SS / It’s hard to not be impressed with the rookie-league debut of 17-year-old Sano, especially from a power perspective. The tools are there across the board for a superstar future.
3. Aaron Hicks / OF / It was a solid season for Hicks, but everyone expects more from him, and for it to be coming at a level beyond Single-A. His walk rate is the most impressive stat he posts, which is good in a sense but surprising for a young man with his talent level.
4. Alex Wimmers / SP / Wimmers’ curveball is among the best in the 2010 draft, but he doesn’t have much else to work with, including below-average velocity at times on his fastball. His poise, command, and first-round draft status earn him extra points.
5. Ben Revere / OF / Revere’s stock is stuck in neutral. He makes good contact and has the base path skills to be a good leadoff man, but his walk rate isn’t improving and the little bit of power potential he once had is nowhere to be found.
6. Liam Hendriks / SP / By some accounts, Hendriks is no more than a junkballer with his varied repertoire, lack of an out pitch, and below average velocity. But a junkballer doesn’t sport a nearly 10:1 strikeout-to walk-ratio and 1.74 ERA over 108.2 innings.
7. Adrian Salcedo / SP / Salcedo found a step up in levels to be difficult in 2010. He really didn’t do a whole lot different compared to his breakout campaign in 2009, but he was unable to get away with leaving the ball over the middle of the plate, unlike 2009. He has good stuff and a bright future.
8. Max Kepler-Rozycki / OF / Kepler-Rozycki is another young, high-upside position player. Unlike most of his ilk, though, he hails from Germany and is sometimes referred to as the best baseball specimen to ever come from Europe. His bat is quick and he looks and carries himself like an athlete.
9. Oswaldo Arcia / OF / Wow, Arcia posted some great numbers in the Appalachian League. Despite his age, he isn’t overly toolsy, but his bat speed and power look legitimate at this point.
10. David Bromberg / SP / Billy Bullock nearly slid in here, but for a reliever to be in the top-10, he needs to have closer upside, and Bullock may not have that much talent. Bromberg has a lot to clean up, but still has some upside left in him. His curveball has the makings of an out pitch.

Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Delmon Young / OF
2. Kyle Gibson / SP
3. Miguel Sano / 3B/SS
4. Aaron Hicks / OF
5. Alex Wimmers / SP
6. Ben Revere / OF
7. Liam Hendriks / SP
8. Adrian Salcedo / SP
9. Max Kepler-Rozycki / OF
10. Oswaldo Arcia / OF


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Brandon
13 years ago

I find it very interesting that Cabrera ranks so high on this list. While he has a slick mit, is that enough to place him this high on the list? Certainly the other players, while potentially weaker major league ball players, have to have a higher ceiling the Droob.

R M
13 years ago

I think the Twins made a mistake not promoting Hicks.  His ridiculously high BB rate/high K rate looks like the classic sign of a player getting pitched around and swinging too much at what he does get because he’s bored.  He needs to be at a level where pitchers are challenging him, which I’m sure he will be in 2011.