Indians nab speedy outfielder in second round By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:12 AM ET + 4 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Without a first-round pick in the MLB Draft this year, the Indians had to cast a wider net in order to find their top selection. On Monday night, as names came off the board in 's annual amateur showcase, Cleveland found its man in prep outfielder Quentin Holmes.

The Indians were thrilled that one of the Draft's fastest players was still there for the taking at pick No. 64 in the second round.

"We couldn't be more excited to be able to take Quentin," said Brad Grant, the Indians' senior director of amateur scouting. "It was tough for us to predict who was going to be down there." The Indians took Holmes out of Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, which is located in East Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y. That makes the fleet-footed outfield prospect the highest player taken out of a New York City high school since 1996, when Jason Marquis was picked in the first round by the Braves. The Indians took a long, hard look at Holmes, who was scouted heavily by Cleveland area scout Kevin Kanen. With the uncertainty that comes with picks beyond the first round, the Indians were attracted to Holmes' athleticism. They pegged him as a 70-grade runner (80 being the highest level), with plus defense in center field. Offensively, Holmes' high-contact approach made him look like a future top-of-the-order hitter. "The big attraction with Quentin is his speed," Grant said. "He was kind of a fixture on the showcases this past summer, and he actually set the [Perfect Game] nation 60-yard dash record with a 6.19 [seconds]. He's a fun player to watch. He's a great person on and off the field." The 64th slot in this year's Draft comes with a value of $969,900. While Holmes is committed to Mississippi State University, Grant expressed confidence in the Indians' ability to sign the outfielder and get him into their system later this summer. This year's Draft was a little different for the Indians, considering the club's top selection came in the second round for the first time since 1999. Cleveland forfeited its first-round pick this past winter due to signing free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year contract worth $60 million. The Indians did not take losing their first-round slot lightly, but coming off a World Series appearance, Cleveland wanted to seize its chance to sign a premier player like Encarnacion to boost its lineup. Helping matters is the fact that the Tribe has an additional early-round pick: No. 71 overall in Competitive Balance Round B before the Draft's third round. Cleveland picked prep shortstop Tyler Freeman with that selection. The Draft continues Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The Indians have had success in the second round in the past. Most notably, Albert Belle was picked by Cleveland in the second round of the 1987 Draft. In terms of career WAR, current Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis -- a two-time All-Star -- ranks second to Belle in franchise history among second-rounders. Kipnis was taken with the 64th overall pick in the 2008 Draft. Holmes, who will turn 18 on July 7, played varsity baseball all four years in high school, hitting .420 with seven home runs, 18 extra-base hits and 33 runs scored as a senior. The outfielder also stole 22 bases in 23 attempts. He was a 2017 Rawlings Perfect Game Preseason All- American, a member of the under-18 U.S. National Team last summer and was the 2016-17 Gatorade Player of the Year for New York. "We've spent a lot of time with these guys," Grant said of Holmes and Freeman. "We put our time down into this [second-round] range, and I think the relationships we built with both of these guys really shined through and we're definitely excited to be able to have them.

Tribe pleased to get Freeman at pick No. 71 By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 2:06 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Indians did their homework on Tyler Freeman. After getting extensive looks at the high school shortstop, Cleveland kept coming back to his advanced ability to hit. The Indians felt that could overcome any other questions that might exist at the moment.

So when the 71st pick came up in the MLB Draft on Monday night in Competitive Balance Round B, the Indians grabbed Freeman out of Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Once Cleveland signs Freeman -- the club is confident it can, even with him committed to Texas Christian University -- the plan is to start him off as a shortstop in the farm system.

"We felt like he still has upside left at shortstop," said Brad Grant, the Indians' senior director of amateur scouting. "We can continue to get him better there and continue to advance him there. I think the thing that obviously stands out, though, is the bat. That's the top thing that stands out." The selection of Freeman came after the Indians took prep outfielder Quentin Holmes -- considered one of the fastest players available in this Draft class -- with the 64th overall pick (second round). Cleveland did not have a first-round pick due to the free-agent signing of slugger Edwin Encarnacion over the offseason. The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. For the remainder of the Draft, Cleveland will have the 27th pick in each round. Due to the unpredictability that comes with not having a first-rounder, Grant had his scouts really hone in on players projected for the end of the first round and the rounds that followed.

Mike Bradford, the Indians' area scout for Southern California, spent time getting to know Freeman both on and off the field. John McDonald -- a special assistant to player development and a Minor League infield coordinator for the Indians -- spent time with the high school infielder, too. Their respective reports made it clear that selecting Freeman at No. 71 had upside. Freeman, 18, led all California high schoolers with a .526 (51-for-97) average during his senior season, amassing four homers, four triples and eight doubles along the way. The right-handed batter is known mostly as a high-contact, line-drive hitter, but there is a belief that he can grow into more power as he develops. "An unbelievable offensive-oriented player," Grant said. "He brings a lot of offensive tools to the game. He's going to be out and be able to hit and then power should come in the future. We're going to start him off at shortstop and let him play there, and we look forward to getting him out and into our system." Jordan Bastian has cover

Indians select OF Quentin Holmes, SS Tyler Freeman in MLB Draft The Indians on Monday night selected outfielder Quentin Holmes and infielder Tyler Freeman with the No. 64 and No. 71 selections in the amateur draft, respectively.

The Indians did not have a first-round pick due to the the signing of Edwin Encarnacion last December.

Holmes, who won’t turn 18 until July 7, is a speedy prep outfielder who in his senior year at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in New York hit .410 with 18 extra-base hits and 22 stolen bases on 23 attempts. He was named the 2016-17 New York Gatorade Player of the Year and was a 2017 Rawlings Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American and a member of the Under-18 U.S. National Team in 2016.

Holmes was ranked as the No. 33 prospect in the draft, per MLB.com. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Mississippi State and is considered one of the fastest players in the draft.

“The big attraction with Quentin is his speed,” said Brad Grant, Indians senior director of amateur scouting. “He’s a 70-runner [on an 80-grade scale]. He also has the potential to be a plus defensive player and a very contact-oriented bat. He was kind of a fixture in the showcases this past summer and set the [Perfect Game National] 60-yard dash record with a 6.19. He’s a fun player to watch.”

Freeman, 18, hit. 526 to lead the state of California to go with 16 extra-base hits and 36 RBI in 30 games with Etiwanda High School. He was named a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American.

Freeman has played shortstop but could be moved around the infield as he progresses. He has signed a National Letter of Intent with Texas Christian.

Per Grant, Freeman is an “unbelievable, offensive-oriented player” who still has upside at shortstop defensively. It’s possible he is moved around the diamond as he progresses, but the club is attracted by his offensive potential.

“I think the thing that obviously stands out, though, is the bat,” Grant said.

Indians’ recent highly touted picks progressing as team sits out first round of MLB amateur draft CLEVELAND: When the Indians selected pitcher Triston McKenzie with the 42nd pick in the 2015 amateur draft, they knew the lanky right- hander had the potential to rack up at a high rate with a promising fastball-curveball combination and strong leverage because of his taller frame.

In what will essentially be his first full season in the minor leagues after pitching 83ѿ innings between Low-A and Single-A last season, McKenzie is delivering on that potential. In 64Ҁ innings for High-A Lynchburg, McKenzie this season has a 2.51 ERA and 84 strikeouts, an 11.9 K/9 rate.

The Indians did not have a first-round pick in Monday night’s amateur draft after losing that selection as compensation to the Toronto Blue Jays for signing free agent Edwin Encarnacion. Their first selection was at No. 64 overall.

McKenzie, selected in the 2015 competitive balance round and the No. 3 prospect in the Indians system according to , already stands 6-5 at 19 years old. And he’s been opening some eyes with that rate.

“The numbers have been really good,” Brad Grant, the Indians senior director of amateur scouting, said. “He has not hit any adversity yet, he just fights right though it. And the great thing about him is he consistently leverages the baseball down in the zone and he’s able to command that fastball, and the breaking ball and changeup play.

“We’re going to keep on pushing him and keep on trying to get him to hit that adversity, but who knows? We’ll see. [If] he keeps doing what he’s doing, we’re in a good spot.”

Brady Aiken, a former No. 1 overall pick who needed Tommy John surgery, was selected by the Indians at No. 17 in that year’s draft. He’s now ranked No. 4 among Indians prospects, one slot behind McKenzie. It was a bold selection, with the injury concerns giving Aiken as high of a ceiling but as low of a floor as anyone in the first round that year.

Aiken is still recovering from that surgery, which often requires an extended rehab process. For Single-A Lake County this year, Aiken has a 5.72 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 61ѿ innings. He hasn’t yet gotten out from under the cloud ligament replacement surgery casts over young pitchers.

As pointed out by Grant, Aiken’s velocity is just starting to return. But his command — he’s walked 40 batters this year — has not, as control is often what pitchers have the toughest time regaining.

“He’s still having some up-and-down inconsistencies to his outings,” Grant said. “He’s put some really good ones together and then a couple that are down. He’s just trying to find that consistency to it. You gotta remember he hadn’t pitched for two years, and he’s still trying to work through that. But the flashes are in there.”

Will Benson, the Indians’ top pick a year ago, hasn’t quite taken off this season either. The Indians have Benson in extended spring training, saying they’re in no rush to push him through the system just yet.

An athletic outfielder who’s still only 18 years old, Benson ranks No. 7 in the Indians system.

“If you take a look at his swing and where his swing is now, where his launch position is, where his timing is, he’s made a lot of good adjustments and looks very good,” Grant said. “He’s driving the ball extremely well, putting up some power numbers and is still showing the plate discipline that he’s had in the past.”

Not having the luxury of a first-round pick, the Indians will have to rely on a talented class with the picks they do have, along with the progression of recent first-rounders such as McKenzie, Aiken and Benson.

The knew who they liked deep in the draft, but would they be there? BY PAUL HOYNES, CLEVELAND.COM [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians, without a first-round pick in this year's draft, changed eye levels when it came to scouting the country for players.

They took a look at the premium players such as Royce Lewis, the high school shortstop who was selected by the Twins as the first pick in the country, but they didn't invest much time or energy. They concentrated on the belly of the draft where they knew their first two picks would be - No. 64 and No. 71.

Late Monday night they selected school players Quentin Holmes and Tyler Freeman with two picks. They were familiar with both players.

Holmes is a center fielder from Queens, N.Y. with speed. Freeman is a shortstop from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. They sent former Tribe infielder John McDonald to California to work with him.

"The big attraction with Quentin is his speed," said Brad Grant, Indians senior director of amateur scouting. "He's a 70 runner (80 is the top grade for Tribe scouts). He also has the potential to be a plus defensive player and a very contact-oriented hitter.

"He was a fixture on the showcase circuit this summer and set the PG (Perfect Game) national 60-yard dash record with a 6.19. He's a fun player to watch and a great person on an off the field. We couldn't be more excited to take Quentin at 64."

Holmes, 6-1, 175 pounds, bats and throws right-handed. He scored 33 runs and stole 22 bases in 23 attempts for Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School.

He's also a baseball rat. His father and him built a batting cage in their backyard a couple of years ago when it became clear the basketball court wasn't needed. Not only does Holmes use the cage, but he and his father have opened a hitting school.

Freeman, another right-handed hitter, led all California high school players with a .526 (51-for-97) batting average at Etiwanda High School. He had eight doubles, four triples, four homers in 30 games this year.

Etiwanda, with Freeman and his brother, Cody, forming the double play combination, won the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Southern Section Division title this year at Dodger Stadium. He was named Baseline League MVP.

"He's an unbelievable offensive oriented player," said Grant. "He brings a lot of offensive tools to the game. He should go out and hit and the power should come. We'll start him out at shortstop and let him play there."

Holmes has signed a letter of intent to Mississippi State University. Freeman has done the same with TCU.

"It was tough for us to predict who would be down there (in those rounds)," said Grant. "But to get both those players, both with athleticism, but some secondary tool sets as well, is what is really attractive to us." The Indians usually don't draft players unless they have a strong indication that they're ready to turn pro. The slotting bonus for Holmes is $969,900, while Freeman is $816,500. The Indians bonus pool for signing the players they select in the first 10 rounds is just over $3.8 million.

"We've built strong relationships with both Quentin and Tyler," said Grant. "We spent a lot of time with both of them. Our scouts, Mike Bradford with Tyler Freeman and Mike Kanen with Quentin Holmes have built very strong relationships with them.

"We had Johnny McDonald go out and spend time with Tyler as well. We are obviously taking the steps to sign them and get them into our system."

The deadline for teams to sign their draft picks in July 15.

Cleveland Indians pick high school outfielder and shortstop with first two picks in draft BY PAUL HOYNES, [email protected] CLEVELAND, O hio - The Indians, for the second straight year, have taken a high outfielder with their first pick in the 2017 MLB player draft.

The difference is that they had to wait until the second round (No. 64 overall) of this year's draft to select Quentin Holmes, 17, from Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, N.Y. The Indians did not have a No.1 pick this year because they signed free agent Edwin Encarnacion in January.

The Indians, with their second pick in the draft (No. 71 overall), selected high school shortstop Tyler Freeman from Etiwanda (Calif.) High School.

Last year the Indians selected outfielder Will Benson with the 14th pick overall out of The Westminister Schools in Atlanta.

The 6-1, 175-pound Holmes was recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year for New York. This season he hit .420 with seven homers, 18 extra base hits and 22 steals in 23 attempts. He has signed a letter of intent to play at Mississippi State University.

He's a center fielder with speed, who projects as a top of the order hitter.

The Indians used the 71st pick in Round B of the Competitive Balance Lottery to draft Freeman. The right-handed hitting Freeman, 18, batted .526 (51-for-97) with eight doubles, four triples, four homers and 36 RBI in 30 games this season. He had the top batting average among all high school players in California and led his team to a 27-3 record.

Freeman, who has signed a letter of intent to TCU, will stay at shortstop. The Indians project him to be an average defender, but believe his best talent is his offense.

The slotting bonuses for Holmes and Freeman are $969,900 and $816,500, respectively.

The Indians forfeited their first-round pick to sign Encarnacion. The Blue Jays used that pick, 28th overall, to select right-hander Nate Pearson. The 6-6, 245-pound Pearson went to Central Florida and propjects as a hard-throwing right-hander.

Here is what the four other AL Central teams did in the first round:

The Twins, with the first pick overall, selected high school shortstop Royce Lewis from JSerra (Calif.) High School.

The White Sox, with the 11th overall pick, took third baseman Jake Burger from Missouri State University.

The Royals, with the 14th pick in the first round, took high school first baseman Nick Pratto from Huntington (Calif.) Beach.

The Tigers took right-hander Alex Fraedo from the University of Florida with the 18th overall pick. Detroit drafted Fraedo three years earlier, but did not sign him.

Cleveland Indians, series preview, pitching matchups CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here’s a look at the series between the Dodgers and Indians that starts Tuesday night. Where: Progressive Field, Tuesday through Thursday. TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the series. Pitching matchups: LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-2, 2.20) vs. RHP (5-5, 6.10) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-3, 3.28) vs. RHP (5-2, 4.38) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. and LHP Rich Hill (3-2, 3.77) vs. Josh Tomlin (3-8, 5.73) Thursday at 12:10 p.m. Series: The Indians and Dodgers have not played since 2014 and the Dodgers haven’t played at Progressive Field since 2003. The Dodgers lead overall, 4-5. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will make his first appearance at Progressive Field on Tuesday night when he faces the Indians and Trevor Bauer. Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young winner, will be making his first appearance at Progressive Field. He’s made one regular season appearance against the Indians, a five-inning no decision on June 20, 2008 in a 6-4 Tribe victory. This year Kershaw is 4-0 in his last seven starts and is coming off a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

Player to watch: Cody Bellinger The rookie outfielder-first baseman didn’t make the opening day roster, but is still leading the Dodgers with 15 homers and 35 RBI. Bellinger, 21, was a fourth round pick in 2013 and made his big league debut on April 25. He tuned up for the Indians by hitting three homers with four RBI on Saturday and Sunday against Cincinnati. Seventeen Dodgers have won the NL Rookie of the Year award. Could Bellinger be No. 18? Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press Cleveland Indians vs. White Sox Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion, with right elbow cocked to carry his invisible parrot, circles the bases after hitting a against the White Sox on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

Player to watch: Edwin Encarnacion As the weather has warmed, so has Encarnacion. The Tribe’s DH is hitting .279 (34-for-122) with seven homers and 12 RBI since the May 1. Encarnacion, as of May 20, was hitting just .199 (29-for-146). Manager dropped Encarnacion from the cleanup spot to the fifth spot on May 15, but could he move him back to No.4 if he continues to hit?

Player to watch: Cody Allen Allen saved his 15th game in 16 chances on Sunday afternoon. He’s converted 29 of 30 save opportunities, including the postseason, since Aug. 18. Allen was knocked around a bit in May, allowing five earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, but still went 8-for-9 in save chances. Right- handers are hitting .271 (13-for-48) and lefties .255 (13-for-51) against Allen. The opposition is hitting .138 (13-for-51) against him with runners in scoring position

Team updates: Terry Francona talks team chemistry Team updates: The Indians (31-29) took two out of three games from the White Sox over the weekend, but they’ve lost five of their last eight games. They are 1-6 in interleague play. The Dodgers (39-25) are coming off a three-game sweep of the Reds and have won four straight. Tuesday night will be their first interleague game of the season and mark the start of a six-game all-Ohio trip in which they play the Indians and Reds.

Who's hurt, who's next Injuries: Dodgers – OF Andrew Ethier (back), RHP Yimi Garcia (right elbow), LHP Scott Kazmir (left hip), CF Joc Pederson (neck strain, concussion), RHP Sergio Romo (left ankle), 1B Rob Segedin (right big toe), RHP Brock Stewart (right shoulder) and LF Andrew Toles (right knee) are on the disabled list. Indians – RHP Danny Salazar (right shoulder), OF Brandon Guyer (left wrist), RHP Cody Anderson (right elbow) and OF Abraham Almonte (right biceps) are on the disabled list. Next: The Indians open an eight-game trip with a four-game weekend series against the Twins at Target Field starting Friday night. Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.

SPORTS Indians: Edwin Encarnacion finally finding his groove at the plate Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on June 13, 2017 | Updated 6:36 a. m. CLEVELAND — In the sixth inning of a 4-2 win over the White Sox on Sunday, Edwin Encarnacion launched a towering drive high into the sky in left field that landed on the home run porch and bounced out of Progressive Field onto Eagle Avenue.

It was ruled foul, but Encarnacion’s behemoth blast provided further evidence that the American League leader in RBIs just may be on the verge of heating up.

“We use the word sometimes, ‘hitterish,’” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He is starting to look pretty dangerous. For awhile there, he was swinging hard (and was) in between. Now, when he lets it go, he’s got his legs under him. (Looking) pretty ferocious.”

The legs were a little shaky for Encarnacion, who signed the largest free-agent contract in franchise history — three years, $60 million — then got off to a miserable start in his debut season in Cleveland.

Pressing to make an impression, Encarnacion hit just .200 with four home runs and nine RBIs over the first month of the season. That had fans longing for the days of Mike Napoli, a vocal clubhouse leader who was replaced in the middle of the batting order by the stoic Dominican.

“He was definitely feeling it,” Francona said of Encarnacion, a three-time All-Star who has averaged 38.6 home runs and 110 RBIs over the last five seasons. Last year he had 42 home runs and 127 RBIs last year during his seventh and final year in Toronto.

In an effort to ease some of the pressure on Encarnacion, Francona dropped him to fifth in the batting order and replaced him with Carlos Santana at cleanup.

It’s paid off so far, with Encarnacion collecting hits in 57 of his last 17 games, while batting .361 (22-for-61) with five homers over that span.

“I’m feeling much better,” said Encarnacion, who has his batting average up to .246 with a team-leading 12 homers and 26 RBIs over 58 games.

The Indians, who have struggled with offensive consistency and starting pitching thus far, hope that means continued production from their high-priced slugger.

Incoming arm

Left-hander Ryan Merritt was transferred to Class-A Lake County from Triple-A Columbus on Monday — a move that appears to signal he will join right-hander Mike Clevinger to start in a doubleheader in Minnesota on Saturday.

Merritt, an ALCS hero last year, has spent the entire season at Columbus, posting a 6-5 record and 3.96 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts).

He started for Lake County on Monday.

Miller time

Left-hander Andrew Miller lowered his major league-leading relief ERA to .029 with 1 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday.

Miller has allowed just one earned run, while striking out 47 batters over 31 1/3 innings.

“You know what, he’s just really good,” Francona said of Miller, last year’s ALCS MVP. “And to boot, he’s really competitive. He’s not the loudest guy, but when he’s on, everyone sees. When it’s not perfect, he has that ability to really compete. That’s a nice combination.”

Learning the ropes

Utility infielder Erik Gonzalez is probably good enough to start at a several positions for a number of teams, but he’s got shortstop Francisco Lindor, second baseman Jason Kipnis and third baseman Jose Ramirez in front of him in Cleveland.

“That’s kind of the dilemma. The guys that he could play for, they are everyday guys,” Francona said of the elite defender. “They don’t sit very often. I worry about it a little bit because I don’t ever want to get in the way of his development. But to his credit, you can see he’s staying sharp.”

“It’s the vision. I think I’m going to be an everyday player,” said the 25-year-old Gonzalez, who has played in nine games, starting four and batting .333 (6-for-18) with three runs, a double and an RBI. “If I’ve got that with me, that keeps me happy every day. I know I’m going to get my opportunity to play every day.”

Commentary: Indians thinking big this season, hope fans are along for the ride By Chris Lillstrung, The News-Herald Ryan Merritt’s wedding registry was famously cleared out by grateful Indians fans after he started and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 2016 ALCS-clinching Game 5 win over the Blue Jays as a rookie.

Merritt says that list is empty now.

But his to-do list continues to carry items of value — not the least of which is paying it forward with more solid big-league work.

June 12, Merritt hopes he took another step toward that goal. The left-hander came back to the Captains, for whom he pitched in 2013, for a tuneup start against Bowling Green, a 5-4 victory.

He went seven innings, yielding seven hits and two runs, walking one and striking out four. He threw 80 pitches, 60 for strikes.

“I felt good,” Merritt said. “Me and (catcher) Logan Ice, we got on the same page pretty early, so that was nice. He’s never caught me before, so he did a really good job mixing it up, doing what I like to do. It was great to see. Defense played great. I executed pitches.

“So it was a good night.”

Reportedly, Merritt is among the options for a start with the Indians this weekend in a doubleheader against the Twins. He confirmed after the game he was heading back to Triple-A Columbus for the time being, though, and Captains manager Larry Day said it would be his lone start here.

Merritt exited the dugout to a warm ovation, skipped the first-base line and got an out on his first pitch, covering first on a slow roller to retire Hot Rods leadoff man Lucius Fox. Mixing in four pitches, including a high-80s fastball and a curve in the low-70s, Merritt induced some weak and double-play contact against the Single-A batters.

He closed the fifth with a swinging strikeout of Bowling Green left fielder Jesus Sanchez and capped his night with a double play, the 12th groundout of the game, to get out of the seventh with the Captains up, 5-2.

Day said the biggest benefit for his young squad wasn’t necessarily the seven solid innings Merritt delivered on the mound, but rather the lift and example he provided off it.

“Them being able to watch him do his thing and execute his daily routine and works hard on days he’s not pitching is far more valuable than the outing he gave us, which also was spectacular,” Day said.

The 25-year-old native of McKinney, Texas, has primarily appeared at Triple-A Columbus in 2017, going 6-5 with a 3.96 ERA.

A return to the Captains afforded Merritt a potentially smoother transition toward the big-league club, with which he was 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four games last season, should that come to fruition.

“That’s always the goal is to be in the major leagues, to be the best major-league pitcher you can be,” Merritt said. “So yeah, you’re always trying to get back. Wherever I am right now, you take it day by day. Wherever you are, you’ve got to go out there and compete and win a baseball game, wherever you’re at.”

In 2013, Merritt went 6-9 in Lake County with a 3.42 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 91 in 126 1/3 innings.

“You’ve got a lot of great people at this park,” Merritt said. “I spent the whole year here in 2013, so you get to know a lot of the fans, and just being able to see familiar faces again is really cool.”

Merritt and wife Sarah were so grateful for the gesture of fans to find their wedding registry and buy gifts from it they sent thank you notes. Along with a picture of the couple, they expressed gratitude:

“Dear Tribe Fan,

Thank you so much for the beautiful gift. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your thoughtfulness and support. We never imagined that this would come out of Ryan’s playoff experience. We are so excited to start our new life together. Thank you again for your generosity.”

Getting 14 outs in a pennant-clincher may be folk-hero material that will make Indians fans believe they should be the ones being thankful for generosity.

But in Merritt’s case, all he wants ultimately is a sustained union in Cleveland.

Asked if everything was bought from the registry after fans were done with it, Merritt smiled and said, “That, and more, yeah.

“It was awesome. They just treated me so good. They brought me in real well, just loved on me, and it’s just great to have that kind of fan support. It was awesome.”

Cleveland Indians draft speedy high school outfielder Quentin Holmes with 64th overall pick By Mark Podolski, The News-Herald POSTED: 06/13/17, 12:01 AM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO 0 The Indians drafted a player Baseball America described as “likely the fastest player in this draft class.”

That player is Quentin Holmes, a high school center fielder from Monsignor McClancy (N.Y.) Memorial High School. On June 12, the Indians picked him with the 64th overall pick in Round 2.

Holmes is a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder who bats and throws right-handed. He was a member of the 18-and-under United States National Team. He’s also committed to play at Mississippi State.

Holmes is a projected leadoff-type hitter. He was the 33rd overall prospect for this draft by Baseball America.

He’s been clocked at 6.15 seconds in the 60-yard dash, and 3.99 from home to first. Holmes is also known as a standout defensive player in center.

This past season for McClancy Memorial, he hit .420 with seven home runs and 33 runs. He also had 22 stolen bases in 23 opportunities.

Rounds 1 and 2 were June 12. The Indians did not have a first-round pick because they signed free-agent Edwin Encarnacion.

The draft continues on June 13 with Rounds 3

The Yankees’ ‘other’ Aaron is starting to realize his potential Ken Rosenthal @ken_rosenthal He is the other Aaron, the loser of the Yankees’ right-field competition in spring training, the former first-round pick who for many years was considered a bust.

Aaron Hicks is not , but after Friday night’s game his former Twins teammate, Torii Hunter, called him, screaming and yelling like a little kid.

The two had spoken before the game about hitting off-speed pitches. Hicks responded by hitting two home runs in an 8-2 victory over the Orioles — one on an 81.2-mph changeup by Dylan Bundy, the other on an 89.1 slider by Edwin Jackson.

Hunter said he was “shocked” by Hicks’ performance — shocked and delighted. Hicks, meanwhile, relished Hunter’s approval, considering all the tough love that the veteran administered to him when they were together with the Twins in 2015.

“It seemed like every day, I was never doing the right thing,” Hicks said.

Hunter did not dispute that assessment.

“When we were together in ’15, that’s all I did — challenge him with questions,” Hunter said. “Not always about his mechanics, getting his foot down and all that stuff. I didn’t do that. I messed with his psyche.”

Hunter said that Hicks was always a five-tool talent; he just needed to learn how to study pitchers, master the mental side of the game.

“If someone would put a test in front of you and you hadn’t studied, how much pressure is that?” Hunter would ask.

Hicks would respond, “That’s a lot of pressure.”

And Hunter would reply, “You’ve got to be so prepared that even if you fail you’re like, ‘At least I studied. I prepared.’”

Hicks, 27, didn’t fail in spring training, when Judge narrowly beat him out to be the starting right fielder. And he isn’t failing now that he is getting the opportunities that manager Joe Girardi assured him would come – opportunities that grew when went on the disabled list May 25 with a concussion.

Through 204 plate appearances, Hicks is batting .313 with a .424 on-base percentage and .578 slugging percentage – good for third in the American League in OPS (Judge is first). He already has established his career-high with 14 doubles, and his 10 home runs are one short of his previous best.

Funny how these things work out: Hicks might never have become a Yankee if not for the rise of catcher Gary Sanchez, whose emergence during the 2015 gave the team the comfort to trade catcher John Ryan Murphy.

The Murphy-for-Hicks trade looks like an absolute theft for the Yankees, with Murphy batting only .218 with a .653 OPS at Triple A. Hicks, who mostly struggled in his first season with the Yankees, finally is showing why the Twins selected him with the 14th pick in the 2008 draft.

Hunter was not the only positive influence on Hicks in Minnesota; Hall of Famer Rod Carew was another, and Hicks still keeps in touch with him as well.

In fact, Hicks traveled from his home in Arizona to visit Carew at his home in Orange County, Calif., before Carew received a new heart and kidney last Dec. 16.

Carew, who said that Hicks is one of the few current players who calls him regularly, will tell Hicks what he sees and suggest adjustments when appropriate.

“He’s real big on going to left-center,” Hicks said, chuckling. “I always would tell him that I wanted to hit the ball in the air. He would say, ‘Hit the ball to left-center, that’s how you get 3,000 hits.”

The other Aaron, sitting on 307 career hits, isn’t likely to reach 3,000. But he sure has salvaged his career. HARPER’S BALANCING ACT

About three weeks ago, a rival evaluator predicted another second-half collapse for Bryce Harper, saying that the Nationals’ slugger had “zero balance” at the plate.

I was skeptical of the evaluator’s remark — Harper, while fading somewhat, still had monster numbers at the time. But then his slide accelerated, prompting me to ask two other baseball people about him.

Both concurred strongly with the initial evaluator’s assessment — that Harper was rushing to the ball, moving his head forward and pulling off with his shoulder, leaving himself vulnerable by opening up.

His numbers reflected his struggles — Harper through Sunday had batted .203 with a .637 OPS and just two homers over a span of 84 plate appearances.

But on Monday night, he perhaps took a step forward, going 1-for-4 with two walks and his 16th homer against the Braves.

The pitch Harper hit out was nothing special — a 92.6 mph fastball down the middle from Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz. So the criticism from the initial evaluator — that Harper is hitting only mistakes — might still apply.

The question is how much Harper can change his unique style, if at all.

Some with the Nats describe him as a “collider,” saying that he practically runs into the ball, like a car crashing into a wall.

WHAT ABOUT MANNY? Both friends of Manny Machado and people with the Orioles believe that his season-long offensive struggles stem in part from the fact that he is dealing with unusual pressure for someone who is still just 24.

Some of that pressure comes from Machado’s pending free agency after 2018, and perhaps a determination to outshine Harper, the other marquee member of that class.

Part of it also might be that the All-Star Game is in Machado’s hometown of Miami, adding to his desire to produce a big first half. Alas, Machado is batting .218 with a .726 OPS, and the Twins’ Miguel Sano and Indians’ Jose Ramirez – two players enjoying better offensive production – rank ahead of him in the fan balloting.

A third possible element is the emotional toll from Machado’s issues with the Red Sox in late April, though that one might be a stretch — Machado has crushed Red Sox pitching, with six homers and a 1.020 OPS in 13 games.

The bottom line: Other things might be on Machado’s mind, and those things might help explain why his game is suffering.

STOP WITH THE WEIGHTS! The Yankees feature two examples of young players who bulked up after strong rookie seasons, seemingly to their detriment.

The first is right-hander Luis Severino, who had the only performance blip of his career last season after increasing his weight to 235 pounds.

Moving to the bullpen helped — Severino needed fewer pitches to be effective. But he acknowledged that he wasn’t getting proper extension, so he worked this offseason on regaining the flexibility in his legs, stretching before and after workouts.

Severino said he now weighs 222, and the difference in his performance is noticeable. His fastball command is back, his slider is better and he has regained confidence in his changeup, throwing it for strikes at will. Gary Sanchez, like Severino, had only good intentions when he packed on 12 pounds of muscle last winter. But rival scouts all season have noted that he is again struggling to block pitches.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman believes that the added weight affected Sanchez’s mobility behind the plate, but adds that Sanchez is working to address the problem and become more like the catcher he was last year.

Sanchez holds a slightly different view — he said through an interpreter that he is indeed working on losing some weight, but didn’t think the added bulk created an issue with his catching.

In any case, manager Joe Girardi says that Sanchez’s blocking has improved since the start of the season.

THE ANGELS: HOW ARE THEY DOING IT? A team with a record around .500 rarely elicits anything more than a shrug, but the Angels qualified as one of the game’s biggest surprises even before losing center fielder Mike Trout to a torn ligament in his left thumb on March 28.

Since then?

Their performance borders on shocking.

The sample is still small, but the Angels are 7-7 without Trout, averaging 5.07 runs per game. Prior to that, they were 26-27, averaging 4.02 runs per game.

The offense, 13th in the American League in run production, still qualifies as abysmal. The rotation – without the injured Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano – is more of a pleasant surprise, ranking seventh with a 4.30 ERA.

The strength of the club, though, is a bullpen that also has been ravaged by injuries, and continues to operate without the injured , Cam Bedrosian and Andrew Bailey.

No bullpen in the AL has allowed a lower percentage of inherited runners to score – a feat that is all the more impressive, considering the patchwork nature of the Angels’ relief corps.

General manager Billy Eppler has acquired five of the current seven relievers within the past seven months, and none at a significant acquisition cost:

*David Hernandez: Trade acquisition from Braves, April 2017.

*Yusmeiro Petit: Signed to minor-league contract, Feb. 2017.

*Bud Norris: Signed to minor-league contract, Jan. 2017.

*Blake Parker: Waiver claim from Brewers, Dec. 2016.

*Brooks Pounders: Trade acquisition from Royals, Dec. 2016.

*Jose Alvarez: Trade acquisition from Tigers, March 2014.

*Keynan Middleton: Third-round pick, 2013.

#WRITEINREYNOLDS The Rockies are staging a campaign to get first baseman Mark Reynolds to his first All-Star Game, urging fans to write in his name on the ballot. Alas, Reynolds’ chances are quite slim, considering that he plays the same position as Ryan Zimmerman, Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo.

Still, Reynolds has 16 homers, a .400 on-base percentage and .999 OPS — not bad, considering that Ian Desmond is the Rockies’ entry at first base on the All-Star ballot, and Reynolds’ name is nowhere to be found.

ASG rosters are reducing from 34 to 32 this season under the new collective-bargaining agreement, making it all the more difficult to create a spot for a player such as Reynolds.

Would be cool, though: Reynolds, 33, is in his 11th season, and undoubtedly would be thrilled with the honor.

If nothing else, perhaps baseball could find a spot for him in the Home Run Derby.

THAMES NOT THE SAME Speaking of National League first basemen, remember when the Brewers’ Eric Thames seemed almost a lock to make the All-Star team?

No more.

Some with the Brewers worry that Thames seems to wear every failure, and his .143 batting average and .662 OPS with runners in scoring position indeed might be a reflection of a hitter who is pressing in big situations.

Thames in his first 62 plate appearances: .415 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, eight home runs, 1.481 OPS.

Thames in 178 plate appearances since: .197 batting average, eight homers, .360 on-base percentage, .775 OPS.

AROUND THE HORN *A rival scout’s review of Sonny Gray’s most recent start against the Rays, in which he allowed five runs (two earned) in six innings, struck out 10 and walked one:

“Pitched well around some spotty defense. A couple of mistakes with his changeup but competes like a No. 1 with his FB, CB, SL … some Peavy-Oswalt in his intangibles.”

*One thing to consider when assessing the potential acquisition costs for controllable starters such as Gray, the White Sox’s Jose Quintana and Pirates’ :

Teams might try to extract an even greater return than what the Yankees received for the top controllable reliever at last year’s deadline, left- hander Andrew Miller.

As dominant as Miller is, a top starter, in theory, should bring back even more than outfielder Clint Frazier, left-hander Justus Sheffield and righties J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller.

Then again, Miller was more of a sure thing at the time he was traded than any of the starters mentioned above.

*The scoreboard at Yankee Stadium over the weekend was not the only indication that the Yankees and Orioles are two ships passing in the AL East night.

A lesser but equally telling sign was the Yankees’ recent trade of infielder Ruben Tejada to the Orioles, a trade that stemmed from the Yankees’ abundance of shortstops throughout their minor-league system.

The Orioles, lacking such talent, want to evaluate Tejada as a potential replacement for J.J. Hardy, who almost certainly is in his final season with the club.

Hardy needs 600 plate appearances for his $14 million option to vest; it’s difficult to imagine the Orioles allowing him to reach that number or exercising the option themselves when Hardy’s .539 OPS is the second-lowest in the majors.

*And finally, the Yankees’ choice of Judge with the 32nd pick of the 2013 draft not only looks like a major coup, but the sequence of events leading to the selection also reflects well on GM Brian Cashman.

On Nov. 13, 2008, Cashman acquired from the White Sox for infielder and pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez. The trade was a rout for the Yankees, with Swisher averaging an .850 OPS in his four seasons with the club and helping the team win the 2009 World Series.

Then Cashman did another smart thing, allowing Swisher to leave for the Indians on a four-year, $56 million free-agent contract entering his age 32 season.

The Yankees got something out of that, too: The compensation pick that turned out to be Judge.