Cleveland Indians prospect list: #15 Carlos Moncrief

Moncrief is old for a prospect (he turned 26 this past November) but there's a reason why: for his first two professional seasons, he was a pitcher. He moved from the mound to the outfield in 2010, and moved up the ladder with solid, though not spectacular results. His tools kept him a viable prospect despite those rather lackluster numbers, and that patience was rewarded with a breakout 2013 season in which he hit .284/.354/.470 in the Eastern League, not exactly a hitter-friendly league. In 2014 he moved to Columbus, and now appears to be on the cusp of helping the major-league club.

What makes Moncrief a tantalizing player is that he has all the tools/skills you'd like a corner outfielder to have: an excellent arm, good range, and raw power. And although he's probably not going to be a base-stealing threat in the majors, Moncrief won't be a liability on the basepaths, either.

Moncrief is currently on the 40-man roster, meaning that he's just a injury away from playing in Cleveland. The problem for him, though, is that time isn't on his side. At this point in his career, what you see from him now is probably what you're going to get, and the Indians are suddenly awash in upper-level outfield prospects. Moncrief wouldn't seem to fit on the current roster as a reserve outfielder (he hits left-handed, and shouldn't be playing center field). He's going to have to impress this spring in Arizona and in Columbus, and hope that an opportunity presents itself.