Indians Nab Speedy Outfielder in Second Round by Jordan Bastian
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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 baseball'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 strikeouts at a high rate with a promising fastball-curveball combination and strong leverage because of his taller frame.