CLEVELAND: Only a select few of an organization’s top draft picks have any name recognition.
In the Indians’ organization, even fantasy leaguers might be at a loss when it comes to the next big up-and-comers.
That’s because the four best players in the Tribe’s farm system last season, according to Baseball America, were either promoted to the major leagues a little earlier than usual (third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis) or dealt at the trading deadline (starting pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz).
“When you lose those four top-caliber pieces like that out of the minor leagues, you can’t immediately replace them,” Indians farm director Ross Atkins said. “So we need to find a way to help someone who’s not that caliber yet reach it and infuse talent in other ways.”
Not only will the Indians likely be a relatively young team again this season, but they will be rebuilding the farm system, as well.
Without the aid of Google or a smart phone, not many fans will know who has the better fastball — Juan Diaz, Thomas Neal or Austin Adams? The answer is Adams, the only pitcher of the three.
Most probably don’t even know who the other two players are. Diaz was the shortstop for the Aeros last year and Neal, an outfielder, joined Triple-A Columbus in August as part of the Orlando Cabrera trade with the San Francisco Giants). Adams, a right-hander, went 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA with the Aeros last season.
So it goes for the 11 participants in the Indians’ annual Winter Development Program at Progressive Field.
“The names may not be considered as household in the baseball world and the rotisserie world and they’re not quite as big as they were a year ago,” Atkins said. “But the talent is there and the opportunity is going to be there. So the performance and then the opportunity will meet at some point and we’ll find out just how good these guys are.”
Until then, no one knows who might become the next big thing for the Indians from this young group of relative unknowns: right-handed pitchers Adams, Rob Bryson and Tyler Sturdevant; left-hander T.J. McFarland; catchers Chun Chen and Roberto Perez; outfielders Aaron Cunningham, Tim Fedroff, Jordan Henry and Neal; and shortstop Diaz.
Fireballer
Adams, a converted shortstop, has the best fastball of the group. Despite being only 5-foot-10, Adams, 25, hit 100 mph several times last season with the Aeros.
“People ask me how I throw so hard [for my height],” Adams said. “I don’t know how I throw that hard, either. But luckily, I was blessed with a good arm and good genes from my dad, my uncle and my granddad.”
The Indians’ fifth-round pick in 2009 out of Alabama’s Faulkner University, Adams struck out 131 in 136 innings last year and tied for second in the Eastern League in wins. Baseball America has him ranked as the Tribe’s eighth-best prospect overall and fourth-best pitcher heading into the 2012 season.
“Austin’s fastball just continues to go up and up and up,” Atkins said. “His first year in Mahoning Valley he was hitting 96 [mph] and now he’s up to 100 and throwing consistently 96, 97 mph every outing.”
Big leap
Another young pitcher that made a big jump last season is Sturdevant, a 6-footer who was the Tribe’s 27th selection in 2009. Between time at high Class-A Kinston, the Double-A Aeros and Triple-A Columbus, Sturdevant, 24, was 7-3 with a 2.65 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 74‚ innings as a reliever.
“He’s got a big fastball with a cutter,” Atkins said. “He’s a great athlete with a good delivery who overpowered [batters] throwing in the upper 90’s. He really had a very strong finish last year against good hitters, as his fastball/cutter combo has been dominating in the minor leagues.”
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Stephanie on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sstorm13. Follow Beacon Journal sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
