A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season

Bo Naylor
Round 1, Pick 29: Bo Naylor – C
AZL Indians 2

Naylor signed late in the year, making his professional debut on July 7th and was slowly introduced, but the 18 year old immediately caught up with the rest of the class. While it doesn’t show up in the stat books, Naylor had serious warning track power that will likely turn into home run power as he gets a little older. He did have a couple go over the fence in addition to three triples and three doubles. He also was a surprisingly adept base runner, stealing five bases with just one time caught (although he was caught at a very unfortunate time in the play-offs).

Naylor is a good game caller and receiver behind the plate, but also worked out at third base to increase his versatility and get him the maximum amount of at bats.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Hankins stands at Goodyear Ballpark while on the disabled list early in the 2018 AZL season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 1, Pick 35: Ethan Hankins – RHP
AZL Indians 2

Coming off an injury sustained during his senior year in high school, Hankins was held out of play until August 23rd, less than a week before the Arizona League wrapped up. He ended up making two starts and pitched well, allowing four hits in three innings while striking out six. The 18 year old right hander will likely pitch in extended spring training in 2019, then could stay around for a second season in the AZL or head to Mahoning Valley.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Torres pitches for AZL Indians 2 against AZL Indians 1 on the road at Goodyear Ballpark. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 1, Pick 41: Lenny Torres – RHSP
AZL Indians 2

The final Indians first round pick of 2018 made just six appearances for the AZL Indians, but may have been the top pitcher on the club. He’s only 17, but already has a mid-90’s fastball and an advanced slider that allowed him to strike out 22 batters in 15.1 innings. Throwing hard is one thing, but what was really impressive about Torres was his command and maturity on the mound. He walked just four batters this year including his play-off start where he went four shut out innings, struck out four and allowed just two hits.

Torres’ poise on the mound during that game was impressive, but what we had come to expect during his short time with the team. Unlike Hankins, he was able to stretch his arm out to four innings per start, something that could help him start next season at a higher level despite his young age.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Sandlin delivers a pitch for his first of four teams in 2018, the AZL Indians 1. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 2: Nick Sandlin – RHRP
AZL Indians 1, A Lake County, A+ Lynchburg & AA Akron

Immediately following the pick of Sandlin on draft day, there was speculation that he could join the Indians in Cleveland as early as this season. While this speculation was based more on the Indians struggling pen than reality, Sandlin still advanced as far as any rookie in recent memory as he pitched just three games in Arizona (4 K’s, 2 H, 0 BB or R) before skipping Mahoning Valley and going straight to Lake County. He stayed there a bit longer, posting a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings while striking out 15.

That was enough for Sandlin to make another jump, this time to Lynchburg where he allowed his first walk of the season on August 14th, his 18th professional game. He only pitched 6.1 innings (10 K’s, 1 R) for the Hillcats, however, before being promoted a final time to Akron. There, he finally hit a wall as he allowed 8 hits in 4.1 innings and five earned runs. Despite this, he still averaged nearly two strike outs per inning and walked just one batter, giving him three on the season in 24 innings. Overall, he had a 1.1 BB/9, a 13.5 K/9 and 3.00 ERA (1.37 below AA). Expecting him in 2018 was a pipe dream, but by the end of 2019 is a very real possibility. He will likely start the year in Akron, but will be 22 when the season begins and is already near MLB quality.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Palacios watches a foul ball during his brief time with the AZL Indians 1 in 2018. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 3: Richie Palacios – 2B
AZL Indians 1, SS Mahoning Valley & A Lake County

Arguably the most impressive start of any Indians player drafted in 2018, Palacios started in Arizona and played just five games (hitting two home runs) before his promotion to Mahoning Valley. There, he hit another two home runs, knocked out a 17 game hitting streak and was promoted a second time after just twenty more games.

Palacios ran into some injuries in Lake County, but played in 20 more games batting .300/.317/.425. This gave him a .361/.421/.538 line for the season across three levels with six home runs and seven steals in eight attempts. He should probably start 2019 back in Lake County, but could easily reach Lynchburg by mid-season next year. It’s an extremely small sample size, but Palacios could be a true five tool player at second base.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Scott pitches for the AZL Indians prior to his first of three promotions in 2018. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 4: Adam Scott – LHRP
AZL Indians 1, SS Mahoning Valley, A Lake County & A+ Lynchburg

Sandlin’s left handed counter-part, Scott struck out 14 in 7.1 innings in Arizona before a quick promotion to Mahoning Valley. He was not as dominant there, allowing four earned runs in 11.2 innings, but still was promoted to Lake County after just nine career appearances. He would make only five more appearances there before jumping to Lynchburg. Despite his short period at each level, he struck out at least 14 at all of his first three locations, leading to 47 strike outs in 37 innings overall. Scott pitched his best with the Captains, although had such a small sample size for each team it’s hard to say where he should stay. I expect him to begin the 2019 season with the Hillcats with a possibility of a quick move to Akron if he repeats his early success.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Kwan takes a lead off first while playing for AZL Indians 2 during the 2018 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 5: Steven Kwan – CF
AZL Indians 1 & SS Mahoning Valley

I really like Kwan defensively and think he has the traits that would make him an elite right fielder, although he was used exclusively in center in his first season. He has a great arm, good speed and is a reliable contact hitter. For the moment, he hasn’t shown much power although he did get a late start due to hamstring issues. He had one of the most advanced approaches at the plate of all the AZL hitters this year and will likely start in Lake County next season.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Delgado makes contact during a 2018 AZL Indians 2 game. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 6: Raynel Delgado – SS/2B/3B
AZL Indians 2

In my own assessment of the Indians 2 season, I named Delgado the team MVP, both for his prowess at the plate and in the field. He has a strong throwing arm and is best suited for third base, although he played all three skill infield positions.

At the plate, he hit .306/.409/.382 with 10 doubles and 10 steals. While he is far from a power hitter, Delgado does a great job waiting for his pitch and driving it to the outfield. His .406 BABIP isn’t sustainable, but he has such a solid skill set that I still expect his numbers to improve next season.

Round 7: Cody Morris – RHP
Did not play in 2018.
A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Royalty starts a game for the AZL Indians 1 during the 2018 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 8: Alex  Royalty – RHSP
AZL Indians 1 & SS Mahoning Valley

It seems the train of relievers who excelled in Arizona and were quickly promoted never ends and Royalty certainly should be included among that group. He didn’t allow a run at his first stop, pitching 7.2 scoreless, allowing four hits and striking out 13. Unlike Scott and Sandlin, he didn’t get past Mahoning Valley, however, and he finished the regular season with 22.2 IP overall, a 1.59 ERA, 5 walks and 29 strike outs.

Round 9: Brian Eichhorn – RHP
Did not play in 2018.
Round 10: Robert Broom – RHRP
AZL Indians 2 & A Lake County

The 21 year old reliever pitched just 5.1 innings in Arizona before skipping Mahoning Valley and going straight to Lake County. Once there, he pitched even better than he had in Arizona, striking out 30 in 23 IP. Over the season, he allowed just four runs and 16 hits between the two levels for a 1.27 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

Round 11: Jack DeGroat – RHP
Did not play in 2018.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Ponticelli pitches for the AZL Indians 1 during the 2018 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 12: Thomas Ponticelli – RHSP
AZL Indians 1 & A Lake County

While he doesn’t blow you away, Ponticelli has great command and he walked just four in his first 28.1 professional innings between Arizona and Lake County. Ponticelli started off slow, pitching just an inning or two in his first few appearances and allowing six runs in his first 4.2 IP, but allowed just two more earned runs over his next 23.2 IP including his only start in Lake County. By the end of the season he was regularly going three innings per appearance and he finally hit four in his last start. He has the makings of an end of the rotations starter, so I expect him to continue to work on his length next year in Lake County.

Round 13: Kyle Marman – RHP
Did not play in 2018.
A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Holland heads back into the dugout after an inning in center field for the AZL Indians 2. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 14: Korey Holland – CF
AZL Indians 2

Holland was a late signing, joining the Indians about a month after games had started. While he started off 1 for his first 20, he quickly took off after that and batted .297/.459/.365 for the rest of the season. He is a speed first player (7 steals in eight attempts), but even so his lack of power surprised me. Holland is just 18 and will likely develop more power as he ages and I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed on in Arizona next year until he advances a little more as a hitter. He is a fine, but not outstanding defender.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Lavastida looks on as the AZL Indians 1 pitchers warm up in the outfield prior to a game at Goodyear Ballpark. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 15: Bryan Lavastida – C
AZL Indians 1

The primary catcher out of the gate for the AZL Indians despite being a 19 year old, Lava had a really solid season both at and behind the plate. He reached base in more than 40% of plate appearances and caught 30% of attempted base stealers, giving him value from each side. He did not show much power and was too aggressive on the bases given his complete lack of speed. Given his age and placement among the other catchers at the level, Lavastida is a borderline candidate to either stay in Arizona to start next year or head to Mahoning Valley. Either way, I don’t see Lavastida as a high ceiling player, despite his good first season.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Cardenas follows through on a hit during the 2018 AZL Indians 1 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 16: Ruben Cardenas – RF
AZL Indians 1 & SS Mahoning Valley

A very advanced 20 year old hitter, Cardenas hit 15 doubles this year including two after his promotion to Mahoning Valley. He didn’t have an assist this year, but has a strong arm in right field and is a very reliable fielder overall. Offensively, he brings everything you could want with speed, power, patience and a high contact rate. His final line between the two levels was .308/.415/.455 with his numbers improving after promotion despite facing more difficult pitching.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Jenkins pitches in relief for the AZL Indians 1 in 2018. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 17: Liam Jenkins – RHRP
AZL Indians 1

At 6’8″, Jenkins was the tallest player taken by the Indians in 2018 and he uses all of that length when delivering a pitch, giving him a very different look from the many side arm relievers the Indians used during the Arizona League season. Despite this and his advanced age (21), he had one of the worst seasons among AZL Indians relievers. After a 3.07 ERA through his first 9 appearances (14.2 IP) including 25 strike outs and 9 walks, he allowed 7 runs over his last 7.1 IP for a 4.91 season ERA. There isn’t a great reason for the late season failure beyond a drop in control as he walked seven, hit three and struck out 12 during those final five appearances.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
McCarthy pitches in relief for AZL Indians 1 prior to his promotion to Lake County in 2018. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 18: Shane McCarthy – RHRP
AZL Indians 1 & SS Mahoning Valley

McCarthy was essentially two different pitchers this year. First, a reliever for the AZL Indians 1 who struck out a batter per inning, didn’t walk batters often, but allowed quite a few hits, then a starting pitcher for Mahoning Valley who didn’t strike out as many, but didn’t give up many hits or walks. He was averaging more than two innings per appearance in relief, so the move to the rotation wasn’t out of nowhere and his success there could make it semi-permanent. He finished the season with a 1.00 ERA in relief (27 IP) and 0.64 as a starter (14 IP).

Round 19: Antoine Duplantis – Did Not Sign
A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Miednik heads back into the dugout after pitching a scoreless inning in his professional debut. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 20: Jake Miednik – LHRP
AZL Indians 1

Miednik was one of three lefty relievers drafted by the Indians in 2018 to play for Indians 1 in Arizona, Miednik was inbetween the near submarine Rholl and the more upright Lingos. He had a tremendous season, allowing runs in just two of 13 appearances and at least one strike out each time he went to the mound. Overall, he finished with a 1.93 ERA, 12.1 K/9 and just two walks in 18.1 innings. At 22, Miednik should probably skip Mahoning Valley and go straight to Lake County next year. In fact, the main reason he didn’t this year is likely the extreme success of Sandlin and Scott early on.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Rodriguez lounges with Hector Figueroa in the bullpen. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 21: Eric Rodriguez – C
AZL Indians 1 & A Lake County

Rodriguez is a defense first catcher and was considered the Indians 1 back-up behind Lavastida prior to his call-up to Lake County. Defensively, he caught 50% of attempted base stealers (15 of 30), an incredible feat in a league where players generally can run wild. He also committed just one error and permitted four passed balls, making him the top defender on either AZL Indians team.

At the same time, he was the worst offensive catcher without any particularly impressive skill at the plate. Defense is often the hardest part of a catcher’s training at the rookie level, so he should have it easier than some as he only needs to work on his offense. He will likely get a chance to improve on his hitting in a second season in Arizona in 2019.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Lingos turns towards first before firing a pitch. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 22: Eli Lingos – LHRP
AZL Indians & SS Mahoning Valley

It certainly seemed like the Indians were looking for relievers with odd deliveries this year in the draft and Lingos has the oddest. He begins each pitch staring between first and second base and doesn’t appear to even see the catcher until the ball is about to leave his hand. This deception worked well for him as the lefty struck out 47 in 32 innings between Arizona and Mahoning Valley. At 22, he probably should have started the season with the Scrappers, but once he was promoted he saw his hit and walk rates increase significantly while his strike out rate dropped. He’s an interesting find, but not as polished as most of the other relievers in this draft and should probably start 2019 back in Mahoning Valley.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Farhat stands at the plate for AZL Indians 1 during the 2018 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 23: Cody Farhat – CF
AZL Indians 1

Farhat only played 20 games this year, but still managed his first professional home run as well as five doubles and three steals. Although he’s already 21, and played adequately, he doesn’t stand up to the rest of the outfielders in this draft, particularly Wilson, Engelmann, Cardenas, Holland and Kwan. As with the other players who aren’t at the high end of prospects in this list, this isn’t a knock, just a way of pointing out that a center fielder who hit .271/.363/.414 was the sixth best outfielder that was drafted in 2018 and played for the AZL Indians.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Pinto pitches in relief for AZL Indians 1 at Goodyear Ballpark. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 24: Aaron Pinto – RHRP
AZL Indians 2 & AZL Indians 1

A six foot right hander, Pinto tucks into himself so much during his delivery that you would think he was 5’6″. He started with team two, but moved to one after others were promoted out of Arizona. Between the two teams, he pitched 27.2 innings with a 1.95 ERA and 30 strike outs. He walked just five all year and one was intentional. Regularly used for multiple innings, Pinto allowed 6 hits and one run during his seven appearances of at least two innings (16 total IP). He also was featured extensively during their lone play-off game, pitching from the 6th into the 10th, allowing one unearned run and two hits while striking out 5 in 3.2 IP.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Rholl follows through a pitch from the 2018 AZL season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 25: Kellen Rholl – LHRP
AZL Indians 1

Of all the elite relievers to grace the fields at Goodyear Ballpark this year, Rholl was the one who impressed me most (Scott, Sandlin and others were promoted too early to get a good look). With an extremely low release point, Rholl’s fastball has both rise and sink, giving hitters a look they don’t see often. His slider is extremely effective against right handers as well as lefties, although when it doesn’t break, he can get hurt by it. Rholl has good command and struck out 24 to 13 walks in 20.2 innings this year. He had a 1.31 ERA overall and was not used in a typical LOOGY fashion, often going multiple innings at a time.

I hope the Indians continue to use Rholl against all hitters for the time being, but he could have a great MLB future as a LOOGY as evidenced by his one hit allowed to a left hander all season in 18 plate appearances.

Round 26: Gunner Halter – Did Not Sign
A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Turner runs to first on a second inning single during the AZL Indians 2 play-off game against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 27: Gionti Turner – 2B
AZL Indians 2

An 18 year old out of Arkansas, Turner had a tremendous season hitting .296/.348/.396 including a team high 10 doubles. He was an aggressive base runner, stealing 9 bases, and an even more aggressive fielder. His speed, good reaction time and strong arm could lead him to be an outfielder eventually, a position he played more regularly towards the end of the season. For more on Turner, check out my full length profile on him from earlier this season.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Wilson leads off second after doubling in the AZL Indians 2 play-off game against the Dodgers. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 28: Billy Wilson – CF
AZL Indians 2 & SS Mahoning Valley

There is too much to say about Wilson in such a small space, especially considering that he was a 28th round pick. It’s possible he took that as motivation as he wore #28 on his jersey in Arizona as he set a new AZL Indians record with 10 home runs (which was immediately broken by Miguel Jerez), stole 15 bases and played the best outfield defense seen in Arizona in years. He tried to single handedly win the AZL Indians 2’s second play-off game with two doubles in the first two innings, adding to his seven in the regular season. At 22 years old, Wilson could start 2019 in Mahoning Valley or Lake County.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Herrin stands on the mound during a 2018 AZL Indians 1 game at Goodyear Ballpark. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 29: Tim Herrin – LHRP
AZL Indians 1

From an ERA standpoint (6.16 in 19 IP), Herrin had the worst season of any player taken by the Indians, but that shouldn’t be taken as a negative. He struck out 22 batters and walked eight, allowing 29 hits, so while he was a little hittable, his underlying stats show that he was still a solid reliever (3.70 FIP, 3.30 xFIP). Ultimately, two bad appearances marred his overall numbers as he allowed 10 runs and 12 hits in 2.1 innings compared to 3 runs and 17 hits in his other 16.2 innings.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Smith mans third base early in the AZL season before his promotion to Lake County. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 30: Connor Smith – IF
AZL Indians 1, A Lake County & SS Mahoning Valley

Smith’s early season promotion directly to Lake County came as a surprise despite a solid .292/.381/.404 line in Arizona and he was quickly bumped back down to Mahoning Valley when he was no longer needed. There, he survived through 19 games, but didn’t excel the way he had in Arizona. He played significantly at second, short and third and was dependable at all three positions, giving him the opportunity to get at bats as a utility man if nothing else.

A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Engelmann stands at the plate during the final match between AZL Indians 1 and Indians 2. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 31: Jonathan Engelmann – OF
AZL Indians 2 & SS Mahoning Valley

Yes, Engelmann was a 21 year old playing in a league that averages closer to 19, but after his season it’s amazing that 942 players were taken before him in the draft. He missed some time due to injury in the middle of the season, but following his return on August 8th he hit .400/.464/.740 with four home runs including one in each of his last two games with the AZL Indians 2 and his first game in Mahoning Valley. That doesn’t include his great postseason, however, and his 3 for 5 game against the Dodgers in the Arizona League semi-finals. Overall, he hit .322/.412/.551 between the two levels.

Round 32: Andrew Eyster – Did Not Sign
A Class Above the Rest: How the 2018 Draft Performed in their First Season
Schneemann fields a ball at third base during the 2018 AZL Indians 1 season. – Joseph Coblitz, BurningRiverBaseball
Round 33: Daniel Schneemann – 2B/3B
AZL Indians 1

Schneemann had a very impressive season considering how late he was taken in the draft, becoming the Indians 1 most reliable defender at both second and third base. While he doesn’t have much power, he has a good line drive stroke and knowledge of the strike zone, leading to 22 walks compared to just 37 strike outs in 161 plate appearances.

Schneemann wraps up a draft that had more talent from pick 20 on than I’ve ever seen. In fact, there wasn’t a single player drafted in 2018 who had a truly bad rookie season. While this doesn’t guarantee anything in the future, it’s certainly a positive sign, as is the amount of players already promoted, particularly those promoted to Lynchburg and Akron in just their first season.

No players chosen after round 33 signed with Cleveland.

Round 34: Spencer Schwellenbach
Round 35: Casey Lugumina
Round 36: Jose Gutierrez
Round 37: Timothy Borden
Round 38: Zack Gelof
Round 39: Kaleb Hill
Round 40: Braxton Cottongame
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