Tribe Prospect Countdown: #23 RHP Bryce Stowell

6'2", 205 lbs, 25 in 2012

2011 Stats (A- Mahoning Valley/ A Lake County/ AA Akron): 1-1, 2.09, 1.09 WHIP, .159 OBA, 4.9 BB/9, 13.3 K/9

You want heat?  Stowell can b-ring it.  Consistently in the mid-to-high 90s, he has been known to hit triple digits with startling regularity.  Bryce also offers a heavy slider that causes a truck load of swinging strikes.  Check out those K numbers.  The issue with Stowell, who progressed all the way to AAA in 2010, is one of health.  Over the past three season he has missed time with bicep tendinitis, an elbow strain and, most recently, shoulder fatigue, all in his pitching arm.  The shoulder issue came to a head during last season's spring camp and led to a horrible outing (IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB) with the MLB squad that included a mammoth home run.  The combination of injury and ineffectiveness contributed to an extended absence due to "personal issues."  Reading between the lines, the dude was dealing with some psychological issues.  No judgment or shame, but recurrence is a concern.  Some may point to Bryce's control (4.8 BB/9 for his career) as an opportunity area and I would agreed, but only in an academic sense.  The guy allows few enough hits (.208 career OBA, .174 over the past 2 years) that his WHIP (1.28 career) remains reasonable.  Should he transition to the bigs in the same manner, I have no worries about the number of men he puts on base.  If Stowell can stay healthy (he has pitched just one full season as a pro), then he will be a viable relief option for the Indians as soon as 2012.  If not, he will go down as another huge arm that could never harness his massive potential.

Up Next: #22 OF Nick Weglarz

Tribe Prospect Countdown: #24 Jordan Henry

6'3", 175 lb, 23 in 2012
Bats: Left, Throws: Right

2011 Stats (AA - Akron): .256, 33 RBI, 33 SB, .633 OPS, 1.09 K/BB

Yeah, Jordan Henry does not hit for a lot of power.  In fact, he has compiled 1363 professional PAs without jacking a single long ball.  Over that same span, he's rapped just 31 doubles and 6 triples.  No, Jordan Henry does not really tear the cover off of the ball.  What he does do, and with surprising regularity prior to 2011, is get on base and set the table for the hitters behind him.  More precisely, in 183 career games, Henry hit .317, scored 125 runs and stole 51 bases.  That includes a half season at Akron in 2010, during which Jordan went right ahead and hit an even .300.  Now, he won't put butts in the seats and he likely won't find too many gaps, but, if Scott Podsednik can have a 10+ year MLB career then so can Henry.  What is simply unacceptable in the .280 slugging percentage that he posted last season.  If Jordan is going to be Jordan and do it in a way that can help a big league team, that .280 needs to be his batting average.  Now, if he can produce at that level then the path to the lake front is fairly clear for this true leadoff hitter.  If you accept, as I do, that, even if he can regain his health, Grady Sizemore will never again be a reasonable #1 guy, then only Ezequiel Carrera stand between Henry and the bigs.  While Zeke does have a bit more power, that is not the true concern.  First off, Henry is freaky fast, having been timed at 6.5 seconds in a 60 yard dash.  More importantly, and in stark contrast to Carrera, Jordan has tremendous bat control and is quite selective at the plate.  The result is an excellent bunter.  Henry is clearly proficient at what he does.  If his numbers return to form, he will be an MLB option by the second half of 2012.

Up Next: #23 - RHP Bryce Stowell

Tribe Prospect Countdown: #25 IF Cord Phelps

6'2", 200 lbs, 25 in 2012
Throws: Right, Bats: Switch

2011 Stats (AAA Columbus): .294, 14 HR, 63 RBI, .868 OPS, 1.75 K/BB
2011 Stats (Indians): .155, HR, 6 RBI, .494 OPS, 2.13 K/BB

When the Indians called Cord up on June 8th, a full month and a half before Jason Kipnis, it was not because the organization felt that he was more Major League ready.  It was not because Phelps could theoretically fill-in at any of the three infield positions.  He played only second for the Tribe.  The rationale was to prevent happening to Kip exactly what has befallen the young Mr. Phelps.  Coming off of his first 35 MLB games, Cord has shown a complete inability, both offensively and defensively (5 E, -4 Runs Saved, -0.4 Defensive WAR), to play the game at the highest level.  He now finds himself squarely behind the 8-ball, entering a make or break season.  I still have confidence in Phelps offensive approach and his intangibles.  Notice the small difference between his K/BB ratios despite the catastrophic drop in all of his other metrics.  This confirms something that we already knew: Cord is an intelligent batter who swings at good pitches.  Obviously, the guy has some work to with squaring up the ball, but this is often the last piece to fall for big league success.  He is a hard-nosed player who always gives the proverbial 110%.  Cord is a ballplayer's ballplayer, an asset in the clubhouse, the kind of guy for whom you want to find a roster spot.  Still, with Kipnis firmly entrenched at second (hopefully for the next 15 years), Phelps will be fighting for a utility spot.  This is a battle that I believe he will ultimately lose to Jason Donald.  The deciding factor is defense.  Donald is capable at all three infield spots and showed great promise in the outfield during the Arizona Fall League.  Cord, on the other hand, adventured away from second for the first time in his pro career in 2011.  While he performed serviceably at short, the handful of innings he tried at the hot corner were less than stellar.  With the game trending toward 13 man pitching staffs (I kid you not, Tony LaRussa did it en route to the World Championship), the utility spots lose all discretion.  You need a back-up catcher, a pinch-hitter and a defensive sub/pinch-runner.  The ability to effectively cover both infield and outfield spots will become increasingly desirable in a bench player.  Again, advantage Donald.  Even if the Tribe carries 13 hitters, it will likely take an injury to get Phelps back to lakefront.  Long story short (too late), when this happens, Cord has to show up with the stick or a once promising future will descend in the dreaded purgatory of the failed prospect.

Up Next: #24 - OF Jordan Henry

P.s. I had to type this twice because Blogger crashed.  My brain hurts from remembering.

Tribe Prospect Countdown: #26 RHP Jake Sisco

6'3", 185 lbs, 20 in 2012

2011 Stats (Rk Arizona): 2-4, 5.24, 1.66 WHIP, .303 OBA, 4.5 BB/9, 8.1 K/9

The Indians selected Sisco in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft after he dominated the JUCO level (11-1, 1.66, .189 OBA, 10.3 K/9).  Jake features a 92-95 mph fastball and a secondary arsenal (slider/curve/change) that he worked hard to develop this past summer.  That sort of tinkering led to some elevated walk totals during his half season in the Rookie league.  Although Sisco was drafted as a starter, he did make four relief appearances last season and actually projects better out of the 'pen.  The word on the street is that he will likely advance to A- Lake County to begin 2012 and do so as a reliever.  His solid 1-2 punch (fastball-slider), combined with above average velocity (which should continue to increase as he adds bulk to his lanky frame), would allow Jake to a better opportunity to separate himself from the herd of excellent right handers in the Indians organization.  While his numbers last year leave something to be desired, they are not cause for worry.  The myriad of transitions that Sisco has undergone over the past 18 months allow him some leeway, plus his groundball ratio (1.23 GO/AO) was solid and, hey, you gotta love his strikeout totals.   In case you have noticed a difference in tone here, youth breeds hope and Jake's ceiling is pretty damn high.

Up Next: #25 - IF Cord Phelps

Tribe Prospect Countdown #27 RHP Toru Murata

6'0", 175 lbs, 27 in 2012

2011 Stats (A+ Kinston): 3-2, 2.36, 0.95 WHIP, .208 OBA, 1.8 BB/9, 10.5 K/9

I struggled with the inclusion of Murata.  Does a fully formed, 26 year old foreign import truly rate as a prospect?  In the end, I decided not to think too hard about it.  Toru, who will begin 2012 in AA, will certainly be an option for the Indians in 2013, if not this coming season.  His 2011 numbers speak for themselves, although they were against younger competition and he did miss much of the middle months with right arm soreness.  Murata's fastball velocity is a pretty standard 92, but this is no four-seamer.  In fact, it's not even a this, it's a these.  Toru features both a forkball and a cutter, complimented with the usual curve/slider/change mix.  As he progresses towards the bigs, he will likely play as a reliever and two or three of these will become afterthoughts as the organization hones his focus on his best offerings.  You may wonder about his delivery, since he hails from the Far East.  Not to worry, the motion is compact and, frankly, reminds me of former Seattle closer Kaz Sasaki.  BIP wise, Murata does allow quite a few fly balls (0.73 GO/AO), you have to respect limiting the opposition to just 2 home runs in nearly 50 innings pitched.  Perhaps his most marketable skill is his pinpoint control, exemplified by a 58:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.  With an effective US season under his belt, truncated as it may have been, Toru now needs to show the ability to stay healthy and maintain his performance against more polished hitters.  His age is the only reason that Murata is so far down this list.  Thus, if he can advance quickly next season, he will become a much more heralded asset.

Up Next: #26 RHP - Jake Sisco

Tribe Prospect Countdown: #28 RHP Kyle Blair

6'2", 236 lbs, 23 in 2012

2011 Stats (Rk Arizona/ A- Lake County): 3-5, 5.16, 1.48 WHIP, .259 OBA, 4.4 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

2011 was a lost season for this 2010 4th round pick.  Kyle came out of the University of San Diego as a nearly fully formed product and expectation were high.  Although his fastball has a somewhat pedestrian velocity (90-92), Blair effectively uses three off-speed pitches.  His slider is the true out pitch and, without getting into minutia, is seen by most as a Major League ready swing-and-miss offering as of now.  In addition to the plus slide piece, Kyle employs a change that has plus potential and a 12-6 curve that can be simply devastating at times.  Given all of the polish, he was expected to make a brief stop in Eastlake last spring before joining the Kinston starting rotation.  Unfortunately, injury and inconsistency intervened.  After being sidelined with a right knee issue, Blair did not start again after June 26th, the Indians organization choosing to reduced his workload and pitch him from the pen.  Even before the stint on the DL, he was not performing to expectation, with his lack of command the greatest concern (15 WP & 40 BB in in 82 IP).  Kyle has had a history of injuries, as an oblique strain at USD retarded the development of his fastball control.  As a high-floor, low-ceiling kind of guy (by that I mean that he is about as good as he is going to get); he must produce now.  Despite his underwhelming 2011, Blair will likely start next season with the newly affiliated Carolina Mudcats (replacing Kinston).  The formula for success is simple: stay healthy, spot the fastball and get that WHIP down (by this I mean reduce walks, there is nothing wrong with 81 H in 82 IP).  If Kyle can follow the script, there is no reason that he cannot be at AAA by the end of 2012.  If not, his future will become quite limited.

Up Next: #27 - RHP Toru Murata