Cleveland Indians Roundup: Indians Sign First Round Pick; Series Preview

The Cleveland Indians locked up their first round pick

The Cleveland Indians made news yesterday when they signed their first round pick, Will Benson. Benson, a high school outfielder, agreed to a $2.5 million signing bonus, which comes in nearly half a million dollars under the slot value. These savings should allow the Indians to lure other players from lower rounds who may not want to sign away their college years. This might be crucial for adding their 2^nd round pick, Nolan Jones, who is all but certain to require more than the roughly $1.2 million value with which his slot comes. 

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

As for Benson, he looks to be a hit-or-miss type of player for the Cleveland Indians. His 6’ 6” frame should fill out to give him some nice power, and he currently has great bat speed. This said, his approach can become overly aggressive and contact skills are not his forte.

The Cleveland Indians also opened a new series against the Chicago White Sox last night, and our own Matt Bretz previewed this three-game set. Jose Quintana and Trevor Bauer dueled it out last night in what turned out to be a close match. Both starters turned in excellent starts, with both holding the other team to just one run through the first six innings.

Marking the fourth straight start that he has pitched at least seven innings, Trevor Bauer put up another great start for the Tribe. He struck out nine batters through the first seven frames while walking just three. Not only did he continue to show better command, but he also worked quickly, averaging 16 pitches per inning. This is a vast improvement from the old Trevor Bauer, who would routinely use up 100 pitches to reach the sixth inning. The Indians would eventually win, thanks to a walk-off home run by Carlos Santana in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Tribe the 3-2 win.

Tonight will see Carlos Rodon and Danny Salazar face off. Salazar has been dominant so far this season, and he will look to continue that trend against the floundering White Sox. One thing to watch is whether he will cut back on the free passes that have propagated his last few starts.

More from around the American League Central:

Cleveland Indians Sign 2016 First Round Pick Will Benson – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians Prospect Watch: Will we see Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier in the majors this season? – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians-Chicago White Sox Series Preview – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians Win on Carlos Santana Walk-Off Home Run – Wahoo’s on First