Indians Prospect Q&A

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Ryan Fay over at ProjectProspect.com and did a Q&A on the Indians farm system. We touched on the the players the Indians received in return in the Lee and Martinez trade, and also took sort of a midseason view of some of the blossoming and struggling prospects in the system. Check it out by clicking on the hyperlink. Here is the full link as well:

http://www.projectprospect.com/article/2009/08/12/minors-only-indians-system-qa

Here is a sample from the Q&A:

PP: Which Indians prospect has taken the biggest leap forward this season?

TL: Right-hander Hector Rondon has made the biggest leap. Not that he was not a good prospect before the season began (he was a top 10 guy), but he has grown by leaps and bounds as a pitcher. Before the Indians made all their trades prior to the July 31st deadline, he had established himself as the best pitcher in the Indians system. Even after the trades, he is still probably the second or third best pitcher in the system, and is the best pitcher most ready for the big leagues. In the past year, he has had a spike in his velocity due to him maturing and filling out his frame. His fastball has gone from the low 90's to one that sits 93-94 MPH while topping out at 96 MPH. His secondary stuff has improved, and with his excellent command of his pitches and great late life of his fastball, he is now a potential frontline starter and at worst is a middle rotation pitcher. He should be in Cleveland in September and open the 2010 season in their rotation.

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