Cleveland Indians Roundup: Michael Brantley Unlikey to Open Season With Tribe; Prospect Countdown

Michael Brantley is unlikely to start the season with the Cleveland Indians

In prospect news, Matt Bretz continued his prospect countdown. Justus Sheffield took home the honors of the seventh spot. The Cleveland Indians drafted Sheffield 31^st overall back in 2014, and they signed him with a $1.6 million bonus. At just 5’10” and 196 pounds, some feared that he would be too small to become a dominant pitcher, but the lefty has since become a Midwest League All-Star. 

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Across 127 innings at Single-A, Sheffield racked up an impressive 138 strikeouts against just 38 walks. Not only did he post excellent peripherals, but also his earned run average of 3.31 agreed that he pitched at an excellent level. One knock on the stud is that he threw 12 wild pitches and balked twice, although those should iron out with more experience.

Also from the prospect countdown, Matt ranked Triston McKenzie as the sixth best prospect in the Cleveland Indians’ system.   McKenzie was only 17 years old when the Indians drafted him. Perhaps his $2.3 million bonus, which was $834,100 over the slot value, spoke to his talent level. As Matt noted, the right-handed pitcher had such a high value mostly due to projection of his talent. Teams assumed that his velocity would increase with age, and his curveball and changeup should support him along the way.

On a final note, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reported that Michael Brantley is unlikely to open the season with the Cleveland Indians. Brantley was hopeful to make it back for Opening Day, but that always seemed like a challenge given the severity of the surgery. A full recovery would have been a huge boost for a team that faced so many questions about its offense over the winter.

More from around the American League Central:

Cleveland Indians 2016 Top Prospects: #7 Justus Sheffield – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians 2016 Top Prospects: #6 Triston McKenzie – Wahoo’s on First

Michael Brantley Unlikely to Open Season on Time with Cleveland Indians – Cleveland.com