Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Cleveland Indians prospect watch: 5 players whose stock is surging

By Nick Dudukovich

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 20: A view of the Cleveland Indians batting helmets before their game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on April 20, 2012 in Oakland, California. the Indians won the game 4-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 20: A view of the Cleveland Indians batting helmets before their game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on April 20, 2012 in Oakland, California. the Indians won the game 4-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 01: Members of the grounds crew clean the pitcher’s rubber before a game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Yankees at Marlins Park on April 1, 2012 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 01: Members of the grounds crew clean the pitcher’s rubber before a game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Yankees at Marlins Park on April 1, 2012 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Shane Bieber, SP, +5 spots (Preseason 16, currently 11)

It’s hard to ignore the rise of Shane Bieber, who played at three levels last season.

The 22-year-old began the 2017 campaign in low A with Lynchburg, got a promotion to high A Lynchburg before closing out his season with Class AA Akron.

Bieber, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, throws in the low 90s, but his slider offers tons of promise. With it in his arsenal, Bieber accumulated 183 strikeouts in 197 innings.

And talk about Command. He’s issued just 12 walks through 1 1/2 seasons of professional baseball.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Bieber included in a trade as one of those prospects you’ve never heard of, if Cleveland, does in fact make a deal during the offseason.

Media reports indicate the Tribe won’t be active chasing big-time free agents, so a trade is the more likely avenue for the Indians to accumulate talent.

Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto recently wrote about how interested clubs were in Bieber, which was covered on the Factory of Sadness.

Bieber opened the 2017 season as the Indians 16th rated prospect, per MLBpipeline.com. He finished the campaign 11th. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him open the season at Akron, and if all goes well, he could be promoted to Class AAA Columbus by the All-Star break.

Home/Cleveland Guardians