Indians 2016 First-Year Player Draft Recap
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2016 INDIANS 2016 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RECAP CLEVELAND, OH - Information on Cleveland Indians 2016 First-Year Player Draft selections. Round 1 (#14 overall) OF WILL BENSON AGE/DOB: 17, June 16, 1998 High School: Westminster Schools (GA) SIGNED 6/17 BATS/THROWS: L/L HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-5/215 Attended The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound athlete played in 35 games across his senior season for the Wildcats, batting .454 (44-97) with 11 doubles, 8 home runs, 41 RBI and a 1.380 OPS (.566 OBP/.814 SLG). The left-handed batter and thrower also drew 29 walks against 11 strikeouts, going 11- for-12 in stolen base attempts. Benson was named to the 2016 Rawlings Perfect Game All-American First Team after appearing in the 2015 Team USA Baseball Tournament of Stars summer showcase, as well as the Under Armour All-America game last August at Wrigley Field in Chicago. His selection to the USA 18U National Team included a trip to the WBSC 18U Baseball World Cup in Nishinomiya, Japan…Benson, also a standout player on the Westminster basketball team, has signed a National Letter of Intent with the Duke University baseball program. From MLB.com on Benson Comments: It's almost impossible to discuss Benson with a scout and not have Jason Heyward's name come up as a comparison. They're both Atlanta-area high school prospects, left-handed hitters with similar builds at the same stage of their careers and outstanding athletes for their size. Benson led The Westminster Schools to the Georgia 3-A championship this spring, the Wildcats' first title since 1975. Benson's bat speed and strength give him well-above-average raw power, and the fact that he's more aggressive than Heyward bodes well for Benson's chances of tapping into it. He's at his best when he uses a short stroke, though he falls into the trap of trying to do too much at times. He hasn't had a great spring with the bat but still has enough offensive upside and all-around potential to go in the first round. A solid runner, Benson led the U.S. 18-and-under team with four steals in 14 games during the summer. Though he plays center field in high school, the Duke recruit will move to right field in pro ball and has the required arm strength for the position. He also has experience at first base. Round 2 (#55 overall) INF NOLAN JONES AGE/DOB: 18, May 7, 1998 High School: Holy Ghost Prep (PA) BATS/THROWS: L/R HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3/195 2016 graduate of Holy Ghost Prep (Bensalem, PA), where he posted a .636 average (28-for-44) with five home runs, 24 RBI and 26 runs scored in 19 games during his senior campaign, despite missing the start of the season due to a back injury. The left-handed hitter tallied 24 walks against just three strikeouts in 72 plate appearances for the Firebirds. Jones also doubled as right-handed reliever, working 8.0 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts over four appearances on the mound…The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Virginia commit led the Firebirds to back-to-back PIAA District 1 AAA postseason appearances, as Holy Ghost Prep won the title in 2015 & advanced to the semifinals in 2016. Jones was also named a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American. \From MLB.com on Jones Comments: The last time the state of Pennsylvania had a hitter get drafted in the first round was back in 2007, when Devin Mesoraco was taken by the Reds. This year, there could be two high school bats selected in the opening round, Alex Kirilloff near Pittsburgh and Jones, a talented infielder outside of Philadelphia. Jones' senior year started slow as he tweaked his back and missed the beginning of the season. As he returned, he was getting a lot of looks as he was thought to be one of the better pure high school bats in the country. Jones has good bat speed and excellent raw power from the left side. An average runner who might have slowed down a tick as he's added weight to his lanky frame, Jones has good hands and actions for the infield, though most see a move from shortstop, his high school position, in the future. Some feel the 6-foot-4 Virginia commit will profile well at third. But while he throws in the low-90s off of the mound, his arm action has others thinking that perhaps he'd profile best as a big offensive-minded second baseman or perhaps a left fielder. Competitive Balance Round B (#72 overall) C LOGAN ICE AGE/DOB: 21, May 27, 1995 College: Oregon State SIGNED 6/17 BATS/THROWS: S/R HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5/10/195 Finished junior year at OSU, batting .310 (54-for-174) with seven home runs and 39 RBI for the season in 54 games for the Beavers. He drew a team-high 37 walks, while also posting Oregon State's highest slugging percentage (.563) and on-base percentage (.432). He ranked second on the team in both RBI and home runs. The 5-foot-11, 191-pound catcher threw out 44 percent of base stealers last season (19-of-43) and committed just four errors on his way to being named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Ice was also named one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, which recognizes the top catcher the NCAA. MLB.com on Ice Comments: A three-year starter at Oregon State, Ice had two relatively non-descript seasons then picked the right time to figure things out. In a year lacking in the catching and college bat departments, Ice's strong year in a big program has put him in line to come off the board in the first few rounds. Ice might not have the offensive profile of some of the college backstops higher on this list, but that doesn't mean he's not without skills at the plate. The switch-hitter has shown a very good feel for hitting during his junior season, hitting for average and some extra-base ability, while walking more than he struck out. Compared to those offensive-minded collegians, though, Ice has a better chance to stick behind the plate. It's nothing fancy, but he has average receiving skills and an average arm that has been effective at times in controlling the running game. Names like Zack Collins and Matt Thiass will undoubtedly come off the board first, but a team could find value a bit later with Ice, who has a better chance of being a solid everyday catcher. Round 3 (#93 overall) RHP AARON CIVALE AGE/DOB: 21, June 12, 1995 College: Northeastern SIGNED 6/17 BATS/THROWS: R/R HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-1/210 Northeastern University. Civale went 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA (114.1IP, 91H, 22ER, 22BB, 121SO). The junior converted reliever ranked among the top 15 Division I pitchers in innings (2nd), strikeouts (7th) and ERA (13th). After the season he was named a 2016 Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American and CAA Co-Pitcher of the Year. From MLB.com on Civale A reliever for his first two years at Northeastern University in Boston, Civale moved into the rotation as a junior. The right- hander saw his stock rise considerably as he put up tremendous numbers as a Friday night starter in the Colonial Athletic Association. Civale fills up the strike zone with four different pitches. He lacks velocity, pitching mostly with an average fastball, though he was up to 93-94 mph in relief stints last summer in the Cape Cod League. His best pitch is his slider/cutter. It's a plus pitch thrown around 88 mph, but with slider action. Without it, he'd be a fairly pedestrian right-hander, given that his curve is fringy and he doesn't use his changeup much. Because of his pitchability and command, he has the chance to be a back-end starter, a poor man's Mike Leake. If a team wanted to put him in the bullpen and let him lean on his fastball-cutter combination, he could move quickly through a Minor League system. Round 4 (#122 overall) RHP SHANE BIEBER AGE/DOB: 21, May 31, 1995 College: UC Santa Barbara BATS/THROWS: R/R HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3/195 UC Santa Barbara. The 6-3, 195lb right-hander was recently named All-Big West First Team, going 11-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 16 starts (119.2IP, 112H, 38ER, 15BB, 96SO, 1.13 BB per 9.0IP). He led the Big West in wins and is the third-winningest pitcher in UCSB history (reached the seventh inning in all 16 starts). UCSB travels to Louisville this weekend in an NCAA Super Regional. From MLB.com on Krieger UC Santa Barbara had a pair of pitchers from its staff get drafted in the top five rounds in 2015, with Dillon Tate going No. 4 overall and Justin Jacome landing in the fifth. While you typically "Never Say Never" in the Draft, it's unlikely Bieber will land in Tate territory, but the three-year starter should hear his name called before Jacome did. Right now, Bieber is the epitome of the advanced, yet not exciting, college arm. A Sunday starter a year ago, the right-hander has served as UCSB's Friday night guy after a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer.