The Cleveland Indians managed to patch together center field last year with a platoon of Tyler Naquin and Rajai Davis, although their defensive weaknesses showed up in the postseason, including Game 7 of the World Series. Naquin started 2017 as the center fielder, was optioned to Triple-A on April 13, and they've sort of been faking center field with converted third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall platooning with Austin Jackson.
Maybe that's not fair. By all accounts, Chisenhall has done a decent job out there. Still, does that sound like a road to a championship? Especially since the Indians haven't received much production from right field. Anyway, with Jackson on the disabled list and right fielder Abraham Almonte just landing there with a biceps injury, the club recalled Bradley Zimmer from Triple-A. He made his major league debut in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Rays, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
Keith Law's No. 3 Indians prospect entering the season, Zimmer is 6-foot-5, but he can run and is viewed as a legitimate center fielder. That's a rarity -- Dexter Fowler, Alex Rios and Von Hayes are the only center fielders in major league history listed at 6-foot-5 to play at least 300 games there -- but the concern for now is whether he can hit. He was hitting .294/.371/.532 at Columbus with five home runs in 33 games, a big improvement from his stint there in 2016, but he still struck out 43 times with a 30 percent strikeout rate. As his debut indicated, if not for the injuries to Jackson and Almonte, he probably would have been slated for more time in the minors. But as Zimmer's second-game homer suggests, he also already has something to offer.
It wouldn't surprise me if Zimmer is playing center field for the Indians in October. Note all the rookies who played prominent roles last postseason: Naquin for the Indians; Albert Almora, Willson Contreras and Carl Edwards Jr. for the Cubs; Julio Urias started an NLCS game for the Dodgers; Andrew Benintendi, Matt Bush, Trea Turner. None of those players started the season in the majors.
Besides Zimmer, Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ -- already up with the Dodgers and Cubs, respectively -- who are some other prospects from potential playoff contenders who could eventually play key roles? A few prospects to watch as spring turns to summer:
Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have started five different third basemen and they've collectively stunk it up, ranking 27th among MLB third basemen in wOBA and committing 13 errors. Devers is just 20, but hitting .324/.393/.590 at Double-A and the Sox could do what they did with Xander Bogaerts in 2013, when he started in Double-A, got promoted to Triple-A, and was starting games at third base in the World Series.
Chance Adams, RHP, New York Yankees: A fifth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in 2015, Adams dominated minor leaguers in 2016 and earned a quick promotion to Triple-A after six starts at Double-A. If the Yankees don't need him in the rotation, he could certainly fill a slot out of the bullpen, where his fastball could play up to go with a plus curveball.
Tyler Wade, INF, Yankees: The Yankees are grooming him as a utility player, although he has seen most of his action at shortstop for Triple-A Scranton. He's hitting .326 with 12 steals and could certainly fill in if an injury arises, or become another bench option with his speed.
Nick Burdi, RHP, Minnesota Twins: Are the Twins contenders? As of today, sure. Burdi was a second-round pick in 2014 out of Louisville and has pitched exclusively in relief as a pro, showing a fastball in the upper 90s and wipeout slider as his primary breaking ball. He missed most of 2016 but returned to Double-A and has dominated so far (13⅔ IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 18 SO).
Erick Fedde, RHP, Washington Nationals: The former first-round pick is putting up solid numbers at Double-A (3.16 ERA), although not entirely dominating with 35 K's in 42⅔ innings, and he has been moved to the bullpen. Still, given that Joe Ross isn't pitching well at Syracuse, Fedde could be a starting option if injuries arise in the big league rotation. And, needless to say, given the sorry state of the Nats' bullpen, he could end up helping out there as well.
Austin Adams, RHP, Nationals: The former Angels farmhand has big-time stuff, but has trouble throwing it over the plate at times. He has 31 strikeouts and just nine hits allowed in 19 innings at Syracuse -- but also 17 walks. He won't end up as the closer or anything, but if he can find some command, he'll get a chance at some point in the majors.
Carson Kelly, C, St. Louis Cardinals: The current big league backup is Eric Fryer, hitting .185 in his limited action. Kelly, meanwhile, is hitting .323/.411/.559 for Memphis with five home runs, already nearly matching his home run total of 2016. Obviously, he will not replace Yadier Molina, and while he needs development time (he didn't convert to catching until 2014), if he continues to hit like this, he'll be up later in the season as the backup.
Brandon Woodruff, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers: I don't see the Brewers as contenders given their starting rotation, but they will be once Woodruff is called up. Keith Law's No. 100 overall prospect entering the season, Woodruff's stock has risen with a strong start at Triple-A. A 2.77 ERA at Colorado Springs is impressive and he has pitched better than lefty Josh Hader, who has struggled with walks and home runs in the hitter-friendly PCL.
Walker Buehler and Mitchell White, RHPs, Los Angeles Dodgers: The rich get richer. The Dodgers have plenty of starting pitching options, and Buehler was just promoted to Double-A while White remains in high-A, so why would I include them? I could see both cracking the bullpen down the stretch if needed and if the Dodgers are willing to add them to the 40-man roster. Buehler was a first-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2015, had Tommy John surgery after getting drafted and is now throwing high 90s heat. White is one of my favorite sleeper prospects, a late riser last year out of Santa Clara who the Dodgers took in the second round. He's pretty polished already (43 strikeouts, no home runs in 33 innings at Rancho Cucamonga) and his fastball/slider combo would certainly play up in short stints out of the pen if the Dodgers want to fast-track him to the majors.
Raimel Tapia, OF, Colorado Rockies: There's not really room for him in an outfield that will soon get David Dahl back, but Tapia (who was up for four games earlier) is hitting .400 at Triple-A Albuquerque and would at least make for a nice pinch-hitting option off the bench.
Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies: He was up for one start and the way pitchers tend to break down in Colorado, you know they'll need him again at some point. He was the key part of the Troy Tulowitzki trade and while he doesn't have the ace potential he once flashed at East Carolina before he got hurt before the draft in 2014, he throws strikes and has had success at Albuquerque, which is as difficult a place to pitch as Coors Field.