X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Cleveland Indians: Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

fantasy baseball prospects MLB prospects rookies call-ups

Marc Hulet ranks the Top 10 prospects in the Cleveland Indians' system for 2020 fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. All 10 players also appear among the best 250 dynasty prospects in all of baseball.

We continue our look of the best prospects in each MLB team's farm system with the Cleveland Indians. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking for sources of cheap production. It might also take older players longer to rebound from a long layoff meaning we could see more injuries and more roster moves. We might even see expanded rosters, at least in the early going.

One important question to ask is: How will a long layoff affect prospects? One has to assume the more advanced prospects prior to the work stoppage will be at an advantage, while the more “toolsy but raw” type could be hurt with the lack of repetition and in-game action; throwing or hitting in simulated environments just doesn’t match up to the real thing. Many prospects will have to work jobs during the pandemic just to make ends meet, while players who signed for large bonuses will have an advantage. Other prospects that lack strong discipline and commitment to their craft could struggle to stay in shape.

We won’t really know what the layoff impact will have on baseball in general until things start ramping up. But we do know that a strong prospect pool will continue to be an important element for a successful baseball franchise. We're looking at the Top 10 (or more) dynasty prospects in each organization with an eye to discovering which organizations are best positioned to succeed with their player development when games resume. Make sure to check out all of our prospect content, including Top 50 for 2020 and Top 250 for Dynasty Leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Quick Synopsis

Cleveland’s system has some intriguing young players, but the majority of the talent is found below Double-A. It’s a middle-of-the-pack system that could trend up quickly if some of the players develop as the organization hopes.

 

1. Nolan Jones, 3B

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 28
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

Raw power and strong on-base numbers are Jones’ calling cards. To fully tap into his potential, the young infielder needs to make adjustments to his swing to hit balls in the air more consistently. He also needs to be a little less passive at the plate as he can let too many hittable pitches go by, which leads to high strikeout rates. Over the past two seasons, he’s walked 185 times but also struck out 279 times in 246 games.

 

2. George Valera, OF

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 60
2020 LEVEL: A-
MLB ETA: 2023

Valera held his own in 2019 as an 18-year-old playing against mostly college graduates in short-season A ball. He struggled to hit for average against the much older pitching last season, but showed a solid approach at the plate and should hit for a good batting average in time. He’s also willing to work the count and has the potential to hit 20-30 home runs in a season as he matures.

 

3. Triston McKenzie, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 89
2020 LEVEL: A+
MLB ETA: 2021

Based on talent alone, McKenzie could be first on this list. He’s very athletic with an excellent pitcher’s frame, but repeated injuries have clouded his future. McKenzie hasn’t thrown a competitive pitch since mid-2018 due to forearm and serious back issues. At this point, he’s a wild card.

 

4. Brayan Rocchio, SS

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 116
2020 LEVEL: A-
MLB ETA: 2022

I expected a huge breakout season from Rocchio in 2019. He’s shown flashes of being a plus hitter, but he struggled out of the gate as an 18-year-old in short-season A ball. The encouraging news is that he was able to make adjustments and hit .283 with a .763 OPS in the final month of the 2019 season against much older competition. He has plus bat speed and could become a home run threat as his body matures.

 

5. Bobby Bradley, 1B

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 125
2020 LEVEL: AAA
MLB ETA: 2020

Bradley put an exclamation mark on his fifth straight Minor League season with at least 23 home runs by breaking the 30-homer mark for the first time. He’s one of the strongest players in the Minors and if he ever clues in that he doesn’t have to sell out for his power, he could be a solid big league contributor. However, he currently strikes out far too much and whiffed at a 33% clip at Triple-A in 2019. His willingness to take a walk helps offset the low batting average and gives him additional value in on-base leagues.

 

6. Tyler Freeman, 2B/SS

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 134
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

Just 20 years old, Freeman is already pushing for a promotion to Double-A. He has average tools across the board, save for his plus hitting ability which has helped him hit more than .300 as a pro. Freeman isn’t flashy, but he could hit .280 or better for 30+ doubles, 10-15 home runs, and a handful of steals upon his eventual arrival.

 

7. Aaron Bracho, 2B

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 149
2020 LEVEL: A-
MLB ETA: 2022

Bracho is similar to Freeman in that he’s a well-rounded player with mostly average tools across the board. He’s not quite the natural hitter that Freeman is, but Bracho has a little more power potential. In his pro debut as an 18-year-old in Rookie ball, the middle infielder posted a BB-K of 28-29 in 38 games so he has the potential to have increased value in on-base leagues, too.

 

8. Ethan Hankins, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 159
2020 LEVEL: A-
MLB ETA: 2022

Hankins possesses an impressive 6-foot-6 pitcher’s frame and can dial his heater up into the 94-97 mph range. He has a four-pitch mix with three possibly grading out as above-average. His command and control both need polish, but he does a nice job of keeping the ball down and avoiding the long ball when everything is clicking.

 

9. Daniel Espino, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 163
2020 LEVEL: SS-A
MLB ETA: 2023

Espino isn’t as physical as Hankins, but he has similar stuff. He can fire his heater in the mid-90s and backs it up with two breaking balls that show plus potential. A 2019 first-round Draft pick, the teenager overpowered hitters in rookie ball with 34 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.

 

10: Bo Naylor, C

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 177
2020 LEVEL: A+
MLB ETA: 2022

Naylor was a 2018 first-round Draft pick out of Canada but has a fairly advanced bat for a cold weather prospect. He’s the brother of Padres’ prospect Josh Naylor and is the better athlete of the two -- at least until the rigors of catching wear him down. The young catcher needs to slow things down at the plate and continue to gain experience against pro pitching as he looks to cut down on the swing-and-miss tendencies. But with maturity, there could be 15-20 home runs in his bat.

More Prospect Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF