Cleveland Sports Forum

Tuesday efforts by our prospects:

CLE MAJ Bradley, Bobby 1B 1 0 0 2 .000
CLE MAJ Chang, Yu 2B 1 1 1 2 .357
CLE MAJ Haase, Eric C 0 0 0 0 .375
CLE MAJ Johnson, Daniel PR-RF 1 1 0 0 .143
CLE MAJ Mercado, Oscar CF 2 0 1 1 .353
as usual no pitchers; Hentges, JC Mejia, are the only Top 30 prospects in big league camp]

Triston McKenzie has been shut down for time being with an upper back strain.

McKenzie was shut down and missed the start of last season too due to forearm tightness.

This is why I have always said I prefer bigger thicker pitchers. Tend to be more durable. Might be my imagination but has always seemed to me the thinner pitchers get injured more often.

HB - we'll call that the "Bartolo effect" - the closer they get to Bartolo the better. Worked for him!

Well Bartolo may be pushing it. Thick yet not bad enough to have to ride the pink bike every spring!

Sam Hentges is pretty big and thick: 6-6 245. That keep him from needing TJ surgery but he's recorded from that and ready to star with Akron this summer.

Other top starting pitching prospects:

Luis Oviedo 6-4 170 19 year old
Ethan Hankins 6-6 200 18-year-old who's had some arm issues
Lenny Torres 6-1 190 18-year-old
Aaron Civale 6-2 215 old guy, age 23
Juan Carlos Mejia 6-4 240 age 22
Carlos Vargas 6-3 180 19 years old

then there are the little guys

Eli Morgan 5-10 190
Justin Garza 5-10 170
Kirk McCarty 5-10 185

Not talking about height, just their build.

5'10" 190 is not thin.

Ideal weight for a guy 5'10" is something like 175 (give or take, quick math off my head) to give you an idea.

our prospects in action on Sunday:

CLE MAJ Clement, Ernie PR-SS 2 1 0 0 .333
CLE MAJ Johnson, Daniel PR-CF 2 1 1 1 .222 2B (2)
CLE MAJ Mercado, Oscar CF 3 2 3 3 .417 2B (1), HR (2) [I still suppose he'll open in Columbus, but why not bring him north? that would mean no job for Naquin who is out of options, but also hasn't shown much since August 2016]

I kinda think that an outfield made up of Martin, Moncado, Allen, Johnson, and Naquin/Bauers might just be better than we think. No big mashers, but if they can get on, they all have the kind of speed that could be entertaining.

Allen and Martin and Mercado and Bauers seem like a competent group to me. Good speed and defense and barely acceptable offense; cumulative WAR or such metrics for the group would still probably be well sub-par for major league outfield, however. They wont' keep Johnson to start the year; don't think he's had any AAA ball yet. I've had it with Naquin; he had about six terrific weeks in 2016 and has not adjusted to the adjustments made against him ever since. Zimmer will return in awhile and although I'm not convinced he's going to be a star, either, he will add more defense and speed [and strikeouts]

Recent Tribe Top 10 prospects demoted yesterday: Justus Sheffield by the Yankees; Willi Castro by the Tigers.

Zimmer will become a first baseman! Mark these words!

Hate to say it but I'm not sure Zimmer will ever hit enough to play anywhere but CF. His swing has too many holes.

I really wish someone would make him watch some Ken Griffey Junior tape. Have him stand straight up and take a shorter smoother swing.

Right now his tall frame is crouched and he takes a long violent swing that has many many holes.