2021 Minor League Thread

[Gson]

He does come across as "small" looking but is a double machine - I think he currently leads our minor leaguers in doubles. Will some of those start going over the fence? I think so - his makeup/profile and his amazing performance after missing competitive baseball for 2 years should have most of screaming for him. Yet he seems to continue his flight under the radar.

Owen Miller, Tyler Freeman and Richie Palacios all are lining up to be our 2nd baseman... My thoughts?

Palacios ends up in the OF, Owen Miller goes super utility and Freeman at 2nd. No reason to hang onto Cesar. Lets see if Miller can play second the rest of the year.

he's like a mirror image of Mookie Betts.. same kind of body and countenance.. EZ to like... a lot..

 

[Criznit]

That or call up Gimenez and slide Amed over to 2B. They could deal Amed as well if they wanted as well. Seems like a lot of moving parts though. I have no fucking inclination as to what this organization is going to do.

I guess they could see if Amed can play 2nd, but I rather they put him in CF/LF and give miller a shot at 2nd and Gimenez at short. Even Chang might get a crack at 2nd or if things get wild, at SS.. Oh and Clement is yelling "Hey Criznit don't forget about me you dope!"

I kind of want to move on from Amed. I know there are some who think we are underestimating him, but frankly he is doing exactly what he has always done. Is a breakout there? Maybe but, I rather see if that breakout belongs to someone in AA/AAA.

 

[Benway]

I prefer Amed Rosario to stay at short... in another city!

 

[CDAV45]

I guess they could see if Amed can play 2nd, but I rather they put him in CF/LF and give miller a shot at 2nd and Gimenez at short. Even Chang might get a crack at 2nd or if things get wild, at SS.. Oh and Clement is yelling "Hey Criznit don't forget about me you dope!"

I kind of want to move on from Amed. I know there are some who think we are underestimating him, but frankly he is doing exactly what he has always done. Is a breakout there? Maybe but, I rather see if that breakout belongs to someone in AA/AAA.

Unless they get a CF that can mash, I don't ever want to see Amed in a corner OF...........ever. His bat is barely profiling for an up the middle player. I know profiling isn't always the best way to maximize a roster, but in the words of our wonderful President......."C'mon man". I'm ready to move on from him as well because I don't think he could win the CF job over Zimmer or Mercado at this point. I'm so sick and tired of all these marginal players TBH.

 

[MadThinker88]

Here is the updated minor league position played tracker..

Minor league appearances only		2021 season			Thru:	7/25/2021
Name	C	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF	LF	CF	RF	DH
Arias, Gabriel			9	16	39	0				5
Benson, Will						54	15	19	20	9
Bracho, Aaron		12	21	10		0				11
Bradley, Bobby		23				0				3
Brennan, Will						59	12	47		2
Clement, Ernie			6	5	1	5	5			3
Delgado, Raynel		3	23	22		0				10
Diaz, Yainer	34	2				0				22
Fermin, Jose			10	21	13	0				2
Freeman, Tyler			7	7	26	0				1
Gimenez, Andres			14		27	0				4
Gonzalez, Oscar						56	24	1	31	10
Johnson, Daniel						45	1	19	25	4
Jones, Nolan		1		42		19			19	7
Lavastida, Bryan	35					0				11
Martinez, Angel			34	3	20	0				2
Melendez, Andres	31					0				12
Mercado, Oscar						43	16	24	3	2
Miller, Owen		7	22	8	5	1	1			6
Naylor, Bo	44					0				1
Noel, Jhonkensey		9		12		0				6
Nova, Victor			1	14		23	23			14
Palacios, Richie			41			18	6	9	3	5
Pries, Micah		8				11	5	1	5	9
Rocchio, Brayan			13	12	36	0
Tena, Jose			11	13	36	0
Valdes, Yordys			11	14	30	1	1
Valera, George						37	7	7	23	1
Zimmer, Bradley						16	3	6	7	2

 

[Martyinnewyork]

Thanks for that Mad! Interesting that Angel Martinez is playing mostly 2B…

 

[MirORich]

So basically almost every one of the large number of SS we’ve drafted and signed internationally gets cross trained at 2B, SS, and 3B from pretty early on for maximum flexibility as they move up the ladder?

 

[sportscoach]

So basically almost every one of the large number of SS we’ve drafted and signed internationally gets cross trained at 2B, SS, and 3B from pretty early on for maximum flexibility as they move up the ladder?

Essentially, which some people on the boards don't like at all since they feel it hurts bat progression... Personally I think that allows them to keep moving up the ranks as long as their bat keeps progressing so no one who can hit is blocked....

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

I found this column in Fangraphs about how coaches are teaching hitting these days in an effort to "fight back" against the pitching dominance. I don't think it's behind the pay wall. I thought this thread is the logical place if anybody wants to read it.

Fire Up the Machine: How Teams Are Teaching Hitting in a Pitcher’s World

Pitching is ahead of hitting right now. Here’s how teams are teaching their hitters to fight back.

blogs.fangraphs.com

I hope the Indians are making their young hitters practice hitting high fastballs off pitching machines and they're also emphasizing laying off the low breaking stuff. That's pretty much the whole enchilada right now - gas at the top of the zone and breaking stuff in the dirt. McKenzie and Morgan got the memo.

 

[CATS44]

I found this column in Fangraphs about how coaches are teaching hitting these days in an effort to "fight back" against the pitching dominance. I don't think it's behind the pay wall. I thought this thread is the logical place if anybody wants to read it.

Fire Up the Machine: How Teams Are Teaching Hitting in a Pitcher’s World

Pitching is ahead of hitting right now. Here’s how teams are teaching their hitters to fight back.

blogs.fangraphs.com

I hope the Indians are making their young hitters practice hitting high fastballs off pitching machines and they're also emphasizing laying off the low breaking stuff. That's pretty much the whole enchilada right now - gas at the top of the zone and breaking stuff in the dirt. McKenzie and Morgan got the memo.

"It starts with identifying players who can hit for contact...."

Sound like anybody we know?

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear....and you can't make a good hitter out of a kid who can't hit a baseball.

From this article there is no way to tell if the Indians are one of the orgs that are leading the charge in this new approach to teaching hitting, but they are ahead of the curve in drafting the kind of batter that has the best chance of developing into a productive MLB bat.

And as has been the case thru the history of baseball, the new ways are often the old ways, recycled and dressed up. It used to be that the evolution of a batter was making contact first, driving the ball second, launching the ball last.

Somewhere, Charlie Manuel is chuckling.

 

[DerekG123]

Pete Halpin... I'm thinking he might climb the ladder of success pretty quickly. Been a while since we had a 21 year old phenom knocking on the major league door but he might be that guy

 

[xmasbuck]

"It starts with identifying players who can hit for contact...."

Sound like anybody we know?

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear....and you can't make a good hitter out of a kid who can't hit a baseball.

From this article there is no way to tell if the Indians are one of the orgs that are leading the charge in this new approach to teaching hitting, but they are ahead of the curve in drafting the kind of batter that has the best chance of developing into a productive MLB bat.

And as has been the case thru the history of baseball, the new ways are often the old ways, recycled and dressed up. It used to be that the evolution of a batter was making contact first, driving the ball second, launching the ball last.

Somewhere, Charlie Manuel is chuckling.

what? the Indians are drafting hitters? when? who?

 

[CATS44]

what? the Indians are drafting hitters? when? who?

Read the article and then look at all the contact hitters we have drafted or signed as international free agents over the last several years...or otherwise acquired.

Freeman
Rocchio
Bracho
Miller
Martinez
Halpin
Sanquinton
Palacios
Tolentino
Fermin

All came with plus hit tools and contact skills.

 

[sportscoach]

what? the Indians are drafting hitters? when? who?

We drafted some hitters here and there and a lot of our internation signings have been position players. Look at our top prospects and you will see what I mean...

 

[cliffdawg]

Pete Halpin... I'm thinking he might climb the ladder of success pretty quickly. Been a while since we had a 21 year old phenom knocking on the major league door but he might be that guy

What’s cool he just turn 19……