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November 20, 2009

Future Shock

Indians Top 11 Prospects

by Kevin Goldstein

Five-Star Prospects
1. Carlos Santana, C
Four-Star Prospects
2. Lonnie Chisenhall, SS
3. Alex White, RHP
4. Jason Knapp, RHP
5. Nick Hagadone, LHP
Three-Star Prospects
6. Hector Rondon, RHP
7. Lou Marson, C
8. Jason Kipnis, OF/2B
9. Carlos Carrasco, RHP
10. Michael Brantley, OF
11. Zach Putnam, RHP

Four More:
12. Jess Todd, RHP: Todd is a short, squat reliever acquired from the Cardinals, and one who reached the big leagues in short order, but his ceiling is probably as a seventh-, maybe eighth-inning set-up man.
13. Nick Weglarz, OF: Two years of non-performance have dropped him significantly, as a ton of walks can only get you so far. As a first baseman or left fielder, Weglarz needs to show more.
14. T.J. House, LHP: He was an over-slot lefty from 2008 who showed solid stuff in his full-season debut; he’s a good breakout candidate.
15. Jason Donald, SS: He's always been a bit overrated, and profiles best as a nice utility type.

1. Carlos Santana, C
DOB: 4/8/86
Height/Weight: 5-11/190
Bats/Throws: S/R
Drafted/Signed: Dominican Republic, 2004 (Dodgers)
2009 Stats: .290/.423/.530 at Double-A (130 G)
Last Year’s Ranking: 2

Year in Review: One of the top catching prospects in the game, Santana only helped his reputation with a monster showing in his first year at the upper levels.
The Good: Santana's bat is so special that if he was a first-base prospect, he'd still be elite. His approach is big league-ready, as he never swings at a bad pitch. As one scout put it, "When he does finally swing, special things tend to happen." His power is plus to plus-plus to all fields, and for a player with his strength, he maintains an outstanding contact rate. He's a solid defender with above-average arm strength.
The Bad: Santana still has a lot of work to do in the areas of catching that are difficult to measure on the stat sheet. He needs to call a better game, improve his game management, and improve his English-language skills in order to communicate better with pitchers and coaches. His release is a bit long, which makes him easier to run on. His intensity works against him at times, as his tendency to overreact to calls and stare down umps can grate, even on his own teammates.
Ephemera: The wide-bodied Santana played two games at second base in the Gulf Coast League during the 2005 Gulf Coast League season, and a third game there as late as 2008 at High-A Inland Empire. While he played five positions as a Dodger, he's only caught since coming to Cleveland.
Perfect World Projection: All of the tools and skills are there for Santana to be a perennial All-Star.
Path to the Big Leagues: Lou Marson will start ahead of Santana on the organizational depth chart, but that won't last long.
Timetable: Santana will begin the year at Triple-A, but he should reach the majors at some point during the second half of the 2010 season. New manager Manny Acta, as well as the recently hired Sandy Alomar Jr., are both Latin American-born players who turned into leaders, and they could prove to be essential mentors for Santana.

2. Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B
DOB: 10/4/88
Height/Weight: 6-1/200
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Signed: 1^st round, 2008, Pitt CC (NC)
2009 Stats:.276/.346/.492 at High-A (99 G); .183/.238/.387 at Double-A (24 G)
Last Year’s Ranking: 10