Let’s Go Tribe’s top Cleveland Indians prospects for 2017 voting

Happy New Year, Cleveland Indians fans! To celebrate, as we do every year at Let’s Go Tribe, it’s time to assemble our community top prospects list. Last year’s first few were pretty cut-and-dry, but I could see some surprises with fan favorites and some breakout seasons playing a part.

Here’s how this whole thing will work: Every Monday through Saturday, a new post with the previous day’s results will be posted as well as a poll for the next slot will at 10:00 a.m. ET. For the No. 1 through No.10 slots, you will have five prospects to choose from; 10 prospects to choose from for slots 11 through 20. The prospects up for a vote will be listed at the bottom of each post with a brief summary of their 2016 campaign and stats. Polls will close at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Feel free to comment, debate, argue, whatever in the comments, but keep it civil. No one is an idiot for valuing a prospect differently than you, but you’re free to try and change their mind nicely. You can also make suggests for the next prospect to be added to the list, but who gets added is ultimately up to the staffer writing the next day’s post.

glhf

Brady Aiken, LHP (Age 20)
2016 (R): 24.0 IP, 7.13 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 29.4 K%, 10.9 BB%
2016 (A-): 22.1 IP, 4.43 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 22.5 K%, 8.2 BB%

Stats do not mean much right now as he's working way back from 2015 Tommy John surgery. Expected to be full-strength for 2017, but no reason to rush. Very high ceiling.

Bobby Bradley, 1B (Age 20)
2016 (A+): 131 PA, 29 HR, 3 SB, .235/.344/.466, 121 wRC+

Twenty-seven or more home runs in first two full seasons in minors. Strikeout issues, but he's still only 20 in High-A.

Francisco Mejia, C (Age 21)
2016 (A): 259 PA, 7 HR, 1 SB, .347/.384/.531, 165 wRC+
2016 (A+): 184 PA, 4 HR, 1 SB, .333/.380/.488, 140 wRC+

Breakout prospect in 2016, carried a 50-game hitting streak that spanned Class-A and High-A. Nearly traded to Milwaukee in Jonothan Lucroy trade.

Triston McKenzie, RHP (Age 19)
2016 (A-): 49.1 IP, 0.55 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 28.7 K%, 8.3 BB%
2016 (A): 34.0 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 36.8 K%, 4.5 BB%

Quickly played his way out of Low-A despite only being 18 for much of the season. Pitched even better in Class-A with an unhittable fastball-changeup-curve combination.

Bradley Zimmer, OF (Age 24)
2016 (AA): 407 PA, 14 HR, 33 SB, .253/.371/.471, 136 wRC+
2016 (AAA): 150 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, .242/.349/.305, 95 wRC+

Former first-round pick who could debut in 2017. Strikeout issues persist at each level of minors. Slashed .257/.421/.514 in Arizona Fall League.