Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017

The final positional minor league top ten list for the 2017 is this look at the Indians best left handed starting pitchers. Last season, four of the Indians top five starters were left handers, but since that post was made Adam Plutko and Shawn Morimando have made their MLB debuts and removed themselves from consideration and Justus Sheffield has been traded to New York. The Indians did replenish the lefties with three left handers taken in their first 15 picks in 2017 as well as a couple international signings, but things are definitely not as strong as they were last year. Making things even thinner was the trade of Thomas Pannone, who likely would have been #1 on this list if we wrote it in June, to Toronto for Joe Smith.

10. Yefferson Yannuzzi – 2015 International Free Agent – DSL Indians
by Joseph Coblitz

Ranked low based on lack of evidence rather than potential, Yannuzzi has destroyed the DSL to the point that it doesn’t seem fair. While he missed much of 2017 with injury, he has a 1.76 ERA this year and a 2.43 mark for his first two professional seasons. His K/9 rate rose above 9 this season while his walk rate remained about 6 per nine. Most impressively, not only has Yannuzzi not allowed a home run in his career, according to MLBfarm.com, he’s only allowed one deep fly ball ever.

While that seems positive, we’ve seen many players dominate in the DSL only to fail out quickly once they reach the US. There is such a disparate talent level in the Dominican Rookie League that a player who is slightly above average can look like a future super star. Keep Yannuzzi in mind for when he makes it to Goodyear (likely for 2018 Extended Spring Training), but let’s not proclaim him the next anything yet.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Polanco warms up during 2016 Minor League Spring Training. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

9. Anderson Polanco – 2011 International Free Agent – Not on Roster (Rehab)
by Justin Lada

The 6-foot-3 24 year old is still recovering from 2016 Tommy John surgery but remains an intriguing arm in a thinner system. He’s mostly been a reliever but did make 26 starts in 2015, his only as a full time starter. He struck out 119 in 126 innings but with a WHIP is 1.44.

Polanco has fared better as a reliever thus far in his young career, posting a 30.9% strikeout rate in 14.1 IP in 2013 as a reliever. In his one full season as a starter he still posted a 21.6% strikeout rate along with a solid 40% ground ball rate.

The tall, lanky lefty has a potential starters repertoire with a fastball that sits 91-93, an above average changeup that may be his best pitch and a breaking ball with average potential. He made it all the way to Double-A in 2016 as a starter and averaged just under a strikeout per inning and he got there despite not yielding what appear to be positive results. That could have just been based on a need for an arm but that while the results weren’t pretty, the stuff was there. Polanco has never shown consistently solid comment but it’s never been something alarmingly bad that can’t improve with experience and reps.

Polanco is still recovering and won’t find his way back to an affiliate until 2018 now and the Indians will probably be pretty careful easing him back in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them move him to the bullpen full time where his fastball can comfortably reach 94-95 in a one or two inning stint and he can feature the fastball and changeup exclusively and not worry about the currently fringy breaking ball. In the bullpen, Polanco can be more than a matchup lefty thanks to those two pitches but maybe the Indians will try to let him prove he can’t start before going that route. Either way, he’s on this list because of that upside of having what could be at least two plus pitches as well as being left handed and 6-foot-3.

8. Sean Brady – 2013 Draft, 5th Round – A Lake County
by Jay Alan

Lynchburg Hillcats starter Sean Brady has been with the Indians organization since the age of 18 out of Ida Baker High School in Cape Coral, Florida. Brady committed to play for the University of Florida, but the Indians, who drafted Brady in the 5th round of the 2013 amateur draft, offered him an $800,000 signing bonus to skip college, and it worked. One concern for Brady is his size. At just 6’0”, 175 lbs., which is essentially how big he was out of high school, many thought Brady may end up in the bullpen as he advances to the higher leagues, but that has not happened yet.

Brady spent all of last season with the Hillcats where he went 12-6 with a 4.95 ERA in 145.1 IP. Brady did have 118 strike outs, but unfortunately he also had a WHIP of 1.555, a career high.  After starting this season on the DL, he did not start his rehab assignment with the Arizona Indians until July 16th, so he has seen limited action this year. For his minor league career Brady has a win/loss record of 23-24 (skewed by a 7-12 record at Lake County in 2015) with a 3.90 ERA. He has accumulated 336 strike outs, 113 walks, 1.328 WHIP, and 2.97 SO/BB.

After his 12-6 record with Lynchburg in 2016, Brady could have possible seen Akron this year with the RubberDucks (AA), but unfortunately his injury meant he spent this year working his way all the way through the Arizona Rookie League, A, and now High A.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Aiken pitches in a game during the 2016 AZL season, his first back from Tommy John surgery. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

7. Brady Aiken – 2015 Draft, 1st Round  – A Lake County
by Jay Alan

Lake County Captains left handed starter Brady Aiken was the Cleveland Indians number one pick (17th overall) in the 2015 draft, receiving a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus. Aiken had been selected number one overall the year before by the Houston Astros, and had reportedly agreed to a 6.5 million dollar signing bonus, but after his physical with the club, there were worries about his elbow. Apparently the concerns were well founded because after elbow discomfort in his first start at IMG Academy, Aiken had to be repaired surgically. After Tommy John Surgery in 2015, and just 14 starts (46 IP) in a shortened 2016 between the Arizona Rookie League and Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Low A), Aiken is in his first full season in the Indians organization. Aiken started 2017 as the Indians #2 prospect, and #64 overall, but unfortunately his numbers haven’t quite been there this year. Fortunately he just turned 21 days ago so he still has plenty of time to put it all together.

In 24 starts this year Aiken has a 4.74 ERA with a win/loss record of 5-12. His 117.2 IP means that he is averaging just under five innings per start, but he is consistently reaching 85 pitches which is good news post-surgery. Control has been an issue for Aiken since joining the Indians organization. He has given up 88 walks and has a WHIP of 1.802. Fortunately for Aiken he is 6’4”, 205 lbs., left handed, a first round pick just two years ago, and 21, so he still has plenty of time to put it all together.

6. Luis Lugo – 2011 International Free Agent – AA Akron
by Caitlin Boron

The young Luis Lugo has crept into BurningRiverBaseball’s top ten, while it seems he has been pushed out of the top Indians prospects this season. He’s improved season by season, but is it enough to catch the eye of the Tribe?

Going back to 2014, his best season to date outside of the rookie league, Lugo has been both consistent and declining ever so slightly. His K/9 sat at a wonderful 10.4 in 2014, and have come down to a low 6.1 this season, and this trend can be seen through other stats as well going over the last four seasons.

This year, he’s putting together a season much like 2016, which could possibly land him back on the exposed market during the Rule 5 draft this off season if Cleveland doesn’t add him to their 40-man roster.

If Lugo does see the start of 2018 within the Indians system, I can see him starting his second season with the Akron Rubberducks, and depending on which way his progress goes, could end up in Columbus at some point next year. That would be the point to grab the attention of the Indians, if not out of the gate next season to prove you’re not just a future filler, but a necessity to the teams success. He has the potential to be this, Lugo just needs to push his way out of the mold he’s created to do so.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Tully pitches against the Korean national team during the 2016 Instructional League in Goodyear, AZ. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

5. Tanner Tully – 2016 Draft, 26th Round  – A+ Lynchburg
by Justin Lada

Tully has moved fast through the system in his first full pro season for basically one reason- command. The report on him coming out of college was that he was a control lefty, something the Indians have a lot of in their minor league system.

Only 6-feet tall, Tully fanned nearly a batter per inning during his stint with the Captains (76 Ks in 77 innings) mostly thanks to that command. He never hit above 89-90 on the radar gun but walked just 10. In the Midwest League, guys who can throw strikes and hit their spots more often than not have a lot of success.

Tully has jumped all the way to Double-A Akron this year for a few spot starts and will likely be in High-A Lynchburg’s playoff rotation. His strikeouts have dropped a ton since he moved up (13.1% at Lynchburg) and will continue to do so because he lacks velocity and a wipeout pitch to miss bats. Tully profiles better as a reliever long term, but for now the 22 year old Ohio State product and 26th round pick can give the organization innings as a starter in the similar molds of Ryan Merritt or a left handed Josh Tomlin with maybe lesser stuff and not quite the impeccable command. He could be a LOOGY down the road if the Indians move him to the bullpen thanks to his command but as I said, for now he’s a starter with a safe floor as an organizational arm but not much of a ceiling.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Kaminsky pitches during a 2017 minor league Spring Training game. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

4. Rob Kaminsky – From St. Louis for Brandon Moss – AA Akron (DL)
by Justin Lada

The Indians acquired Kaminsky from the Cardinals for Brandon Moss in 2015. At the time, the Indians were struggling, Moss was spooked by hitting in Cleveland for some odd reason and Kaminsky was the Cardinals #3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Thanks to the Cardinals have contractual control over Moss in 2016, the Indians were able to get Kaminsky, who was a groundball type pitcher most prospect evaluators had pegged for at least a midrotation arm thanks to that groundball ability.

Injuries to his back and arm have stopped Kaminsky from being able to deliver on that promise since coming to Cleveland. He made 25 starts in 2016 and posted a 3.91 FIP in Double-A Akron with a 54% ground ball rate. He made a change to his mechanics to help eliminate back pain that was plaguing him in 2016 and it worked. Howeverin 2017, Kaminsky has made one poor start and  has dealt with arm injuries. He’s currently in Arizona not throwing to batters and deciding the best course of action to move forward with his arm injury.

When healthy, Kaminsky has a solid fastball, sitting in the low-90s with a good curveball and changeup that can both get grounders. It’s unknown when we will see Kaminsky return to the middle of the diamond, but if he can do so healthy, he would give a big boost to the Indians pitching depth that it needs at the mid-upper levels with some upside, especially from the left side. If he can come back healthy, the curveball and changeup as well as his groundball inducing tendencies make him an interesting reliever as well.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Perez looks in for the sign during a 2017 Extended Spring Training game. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

3. Francisco Perez – 2014 International Free Agent – SS Mahoning Valley
by Joseph Coblitz

At just 19 years old, Perez is already pitching at his third level in the Indians minor league system and is struggling for the first time. His strike out rate has dropped significantly while his walk rate has gone up, essentially the entire reason for his increased ERA. This is the first season he has been extended as a long distance starter (5+ innings) and he’ll set a new high in innings by the end of the season, so some struggles are surely to be expected.

Perez’s top pitch is a curve ball that would be the envy of any pitcher short of Cody Allen and that has lead to about 60% of balls in play being hit on the ground. If he can get better of command of the strike zone (something that wasn’t as much of an issue, even in Extended Spring this year), Perez can be an elite starter.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Hentges pitches against the Reds during the 2015 Instructional League. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

2. Sam Hentges – 2014 Draft, 4th Round  – A Lake County
by Justin Lada

Hentges  is a 6-foot-6, 240lb lefty who can run the fastball downhill at hitters into the mid-90s at times with a breaking ball with tons of upside and feel for a changeup. That’s why I had him as the best lefty starter prospect in the organization. At age 20 last year, Hentges struck out 73 hitters in 60 1/3 innings at Low-A Lake County. Unfortunately he needed Tommy John at midseason in 2016 and is just now coming back, but looks to be doing well on that comeback trail, which is a relief because the Indians minor league pitchers coming back from Tommy John recently hasn’t seen a ton of successes.

The Indians 2014 4th round pick came from Minnesota, which hasn’t been a hot bed for pitching prospects for anyone, especially the Indians but he’s already filled out at age 21 with a mid-90s fastball and two other projectable pitches. The good thing for Hentges and the Indians is that he doesn’t turn 22 until midway through 2018 and should be in High-A to start the season hopefully. A lot of people were pretty intrigued with Hentges upside as a draft pick and his strikeout rate at Lake County in 2016 did nothing to deter that despite the ugly surface stats. His command should improve with time if his comeback from UCL surgery goes well and if he can get back to pre-TJ velocity and stuff and improves command (not the easiest task as other left handed TJ arms in this org have shown), look out. He still possible possesses the highest still realistic upside of any left handed pitcher in this organization at this time.

1. Juan Hillman – 2015 Draft, 2nd Round  – A Lake County
by Caitlin Boron

Juan Hillman isn’t the biggest or the best of the LHP prospects, however, he might be one of the better known ones within the Indians farm system.

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2015 MLB amateur draft, Hillman has been held to a high top-30 spot according to MLB Pipeline, currently ranked at #18. (Dropping from 11th in 2016, and dropping from 11th to 14th via Baseball America).

This year is Hillman’s first full-length season since being drafted, which could show an improvement on the young pitcher’s lack of stamina through a year. Normally, his spark tapers off towards the end, showing this is scouting reports, rookie ball and Mahoning Valley in 2016. After playing through 23 games, 12 in the first half, 11 so far in the second, it seems he is as stayed consistent if not slightly improved on his season in the second half which would show an improvement in his overall stamina.

That aside though, the pitcher is leading in quite few stats one wouldn’t want them to lead in, like runs (87), earned runs (82), hits (133), and home runs (19) through 123.1 IP.

The 20 year old Hillman has good stuff, a 3-pitch combo that’s caught the eyes of quite a few scouts, and has the potential to be a good middle-back of the rotation pitcher down the road. He will probably be in Lake County for another season which i believe he could benefit from greatly. It will give him another full season to work with, but at a level he can get comfortable in while figuring out what adjustments needed to be made and how to make them.

Top 10 Cleveland Indians MiLB Left Handed SP for 2017
Hillman making a warm-up throw from the 2015 AZL season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball

 

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