Indians: 4 minor league players who could be future All-Stars
By Chad Porto
The Indians have some great potential All-Stars to keep an eye out for.
The Cleveland Indians have had to make a lot of call-ups this year due to the injuries the Tribe has suffered. They’ve all but exhausted their Triple-A farm club in Columbus save for one or two, but Double-A and Single-A have a lot of interesting talent to keep an eye on. That’s why today we’re looking at four minor-league prospects who could be All-Stars in the Indians’ future.
Now, obviously, this could change as the years go by, but from what we’re seeing in 2021, these four prospects have shown hints at being a great prospect. Now, some will just default to the status quo of “Bo Naylor” or whomever else is in the Top 10, but remember, Corey Kluber was never considered a top prospect. So how high one ranks on an arbitrary list really doesn’t factor into player here.
Honorable Mention
3B Nolan Jones (AAA) – 23 years old
2021 stats: 56 G, 189, AB, 5HR, 25 RBI, 32 BB .228/.352/.418
The third base prospect is only getting an honorable mention due to his uncharacteristically low 2021 output. He’s a career .275 hitter in the minors, but after a bad 2019 fall league where he only hit .200 in 15 games, and now 2021 where he’s hitting just .228 through July 10, it’d be fair if you had concerns.
Despite his ability to play the outfield, there’s a reason why Jones hasn’t been called up just yet and it’s not just because of contractual or money reasons. It’s because the Triple-A coaching staff doesn’t think Jones is ready. For someone who’s seen as the best prospect in the Indians’ farm system by the most respected baseball scouts, Jones has got to start performing better.
What he needs to work on: Offensively consistency is his biggest issue. He needs to be able to be the guy on a team.