First, the joke goes that it is always the darkest just before everything goes totally black. For the Indians of this week, the expression reverts back to the original expression: its always darkest right before the dawn. After two straight 13-0 losses to maybe the worst team in baseball the Indians won 4 straight...albeit while playing the likely two worst teams in baseball, the Orioles and the Royals. Still, it puts the Indians 10 games over .500 and 6 games behind the Twins. Now, this is sometimes where the team like the Indians, making a run to catch up to a team way in front of them, run out of steam and start to fall back. Sometimes they hit a lull and then continue their climb back to the top and, very rarely, all the pieces keep coming together and they just steamroll by their competition.
We'll see what happens as the Twins are crushing the Rangers tonight.
Second, our 2019 HS hitter draftees are starting to hit. We will keep watching that situation develop.
Third, I know this is early in the season but I can't remember a season where the Indians AZL team(s) have looked so devoid of talent. Yeah, they are doing well but really, are ANY of these guys performing like stars in the making? Last year we had a number of guys who looked like studs but, right now, there isn't anyone who is a true prospect and not just an overage player doing anything on the AZL teams. Even their best hitter this year, Yainer Diaz, is just repeating the AZL league after hitting .355 there last year. Even Aaron Bracho is looking like a suspect more than a prospect. And none of their pitchers even look promising, let alone dominating, except, of course, for those overage college pitchers.
Fourth, Mahoning Valley, in contrast, has a lot of interesting players and pitchers. I really like their hitters and, although some are having their ups and downs, it is easy to project about a half dozen or more of their young hitters turning into major league players down the road. If the Indians do make July trades for veterans (I really hope not) look for a lot of the trade bait to come from this team.
Fifth, there are lots of interesting pitchers in the minors. It is a shame that James Karinchak and Nick Sandlin are injured as they were both on the fast track to get to the majors. It would have been refreshing to see those guys in the ML bullpen for years starting this month or in August. Right now, however, it is hard to even imagine either of them making a significant contribution for anything but a small part of 2020, let alone this year. Even with their bad luck, other guys are stepping forward and we may see them in the majors as early as the middle of next season. Kyle Nelson, Adam Scott, and Eli Morgan may be the next wave of guys after Bieber, Civale and Plesac to make their impact in the majors for the Tribe. And I WISH the Indians would just move Sam Hentges to the bullpen. I think he gets to the majors next spring if they just make that change.
Sixth, the international signing deadline is puzzling to me. Baseball America doesn't even make top 20 lists for the Latin American league because it is so hard to predict what these players will turn out to be. Still, the Indians best prospects from the last couple of years are getting in their reps and showing some glimpses of star power so we will see. However, this year more than the last few we will have to count on the Indians' Latin scouts to have found gems that other teams has missed. Why do I say that? When your top international signee is the 24th best prospect in this year's crop it doesn't make it seem like there is any star power there. Yeah, you can sign these guys in droves but when you are trading away international bonus money I fear that it means that we are going cheap internationally which bodes badly for an organization that isn't exactly killing it in the draft. I hope I am wrong but initial reviews of the Indians 2019 international signees is not that good compared to the rest of the league.
Well, we have two more games against the dangerous Reds and then it's time to celebrate our first all-star game in while, our 3 all-stars and our HR derby contestant. Go Tribe. .
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