2016 Draft

OK, Indians fans will be talking about this for weeks, hopefully months, and dreaming on "for years" so let me be one of the first to proclaim:

THIS COULD BE THE BEST DRAFT IN CLEVELAND INDIANS HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!

OK, there.  I said it.

Once in a while the plan comes together perfectly.   You take some high risk guys early, one of whom you have to go way overslot to sign.  You sprinkle in some low risk college pitchers, go back to some higher risk hitters, sprinkle in some college seniors and a few flyers in later rounds who you can sign to reasonable bonuses based on them (a) wanting to turn pro and (b) them having to accept a lower bonus due to their circumstances.

...and then they all advance....very quickly.

Let's look at this draft:

1. Will Benson - Not going as fast as we would like but he has started an upward trajectory...finally.  This works for this pick because...

2. Nolan Jones - The guy who took a large, overslot bonus to sign is moving quickly and looking very good.

2b. Logan Ice - Here's your first 'clunker' although I don't know how you can call a guy who is playing in AA in his 4th year a clunker.   Yeah, it is likely that Corey Kluber is as good a hitter as Ice and, therefore, no way would any major league teams be able to carry his anemic hitting at the big league level, but it was, and continues to be, a good gamble.

3. Aaron Civale - The first of the college pitchers, he has trailed slightly behind Bieber but, except for his ST injury this year, he might have been in the majors before Zach Plesac.   He is solid but what separates him from Bieber is Bieber's velocity spike once he turned pro.  Civale hasn't had that and so will have to continue to be very fine to be successful.  Whereas Bieber looks good his second time around the league, Civale will likely struggle a bit.   Still, he's in the majors and helped us immensely to the win yesterday.

4. Shane Bieber - What can you say?  The classic he's-a-solid-pitchability-guy-who-if-he-had-a-tougher-fastball-he-could-be-a-star guy who actually developed that fastball...and he is on the way to being a star or, at least, a solid, Dave Burba-like starter.

5. Conner Capel - Spiked fast in his development which allowed us to use him to get Oscar Mercado.  Enough said.

6. Ulysses Cantu -

7. Michael Tinsley

8. Andrew Lantrip

9.  Hosea Nelson

10. Samad Taylor - Did well early in his career and was wasted, uhhh, traded along with Thomas Pannone for Joe Smith, who didn't impact the outcome of the 2017 playoffs...at all.

11. Andrew Calica - Doing OK as a 4th outfield type, major leaguer until he got hurt this year.

12. Zach Plesac - Like Adam Plutko before him, a flyer who signed with the Indians.   Plesac had TJ surgery but the Indians took the risk and now they are getting rewarded.  

After Plesac we signed Mitch Longo, Gavin Collins, Ben Krauth, Trenton Brooks, Ben Krauth, Raymond Burgos, Dakody Clemmer, Skyler Arias, Jonathon Laureno, Tanner Tully and Ryder Ryan, the latter having been traded and now pitching at AA.

Note that all of these guys, 4 years later, are STILL in the Indians system and working their way up the ladder.  Yeah, not all of them are going to be major leaguers but they are ALL still working their way up the ladder, each showing some level of promise along the way.

That's 23 guys who we drafted and signed in 2016 who are still either with us or who have been traded for veterans and are still playing and advancing with other organizations.  In fact, except for Mike Leftkewicz and James Rudlegde, I don't see another guy they signed from this draft who they have cut four years after the draft.  23 out of 25 still player.  That, in itself, is truly amazing.

But if you dig deeper you find the following guys who were drafted in 2016 and, as high schools decided to go the college instead of signing.: Pedro Alfonseca and Mike Amditis went to college and were subsequently drafted by the Indians.  Will Crowe, Austin Shenton, Kramer Robertson, Blake Sabol, Chris Farish and Danny Sinatro went to college and were later drafted and are playing for other teams.

So,  in summary, here is what we have from the Indians 2016 draft...already:

3 - major league starting pitchers

4 - players who are/will be in the major league teams top 20 prospect lists

16 -  other guys still playing minor league ball for the Indians or who were used as trade bait and are playing for other organizations.

Plus, for the flyer picks in later rounds who almost NEVER sign as they are going to college and won't except the small bonus they can get if they are drafted after the 10th round:

2  - guys later drafted again, and signed this time, by the Indians.

6 - guys who went to college and were later drafted and are now playing for another organization.

31 of 41 picks, almost exactly 3 years later, are playing in pro ball with a bunch of those having already made it to AA or above.

Truly amazing.