clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Bradley Zimmer is our No. 2 Cleveland Indians prospect. Who should be No. 3?

Can Bradley Zimmer make an impact on the Cleveland Indians roster in 2017? Can he get his strikeouts under control?

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A former 2014 first round pick, Zimmer's 2016 campaign in the minors was a bit up and down. The left-handed 24-year-old slugged a career best 15 home runs spread between stints at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.

Let's start with the positives. Zimmer is a five-tool player with a great arm, incredible speed, excellent defense, solid contact rate and plus power potential.

Zimmer gets on base at a high rate, walking 13.9 percent of the time in 2016 while carrying a .218 ISO in Akron and a 136 wRC+. The former University of San Francisco standout also stole a career best 38 bases, although he did get caught 14 times.

His biggest problem, however, is strikeouts. Zimmer has increased his strikeout rate at every level he's played, culminating in a disastrous 37.3 percent strikeout rate during his 37-game stint in Triple-A Columbus last year.

The good news is Zimmer appears to be working on it. He dropped his strikeouts down to 27.4 percent during his time in the Arizona Fall League this year, also walking a ridiculous 20 percent of the time while tying for second in the league in home runs with four as his Mesa Solar Sox team won the AFL championship.

Depending on how quickly he can get his strikeouts under control and whether or not there are injuries, expect Zimmer to debut with the Indians sometime during the 2017 season.

* * *

WHO SHOULD BE THE NO. 3 PROSPECT FOR 2017?

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.

Greg Allen, OF (Age 24)
2016 (A+): 432 PA, 4 HR, 38 SB, .298/.424/.402, 139 wRC+
2016 (AA): 174 PA, 3 HR, 7 SB, .290/.399/.441, 138 wRC+

Former sixth-round pick who could debut in late 2017. Led all of minor league baseball in runs in 2016 and won the minor league gold glove for center field.

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 and will begin 2017 in Double-A.

Yandy Diaz, 3B (Age 25)
2016 (AA): 110 PA, 2 HR, 6 SB, .286/.445/.381, 144 wRC+
2016 (AAA): 416 PA, 7 HR, 5 SB, .325/.399/.461, 149 wRC+

History of excellent plate approach, finally found power last season. Should debut early in 2017 at third base or outfield.

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.