2011 Mahoning Valley Scrappers Team Preview

It's that time of year again and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers open up for their 12th season of play. Over the years, the Scrappers have produced all star caliber players like CC Sabathia and Victor Martinez and top prospects like Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis.

There will be a new face at manager this season and former Scrapper David Wallace returns, this time, as a manager. He spent his first year in professional baseball with the Scrappers in 2002.

"I have so many good memories from this place," Wallace explained. "These fans are great and overall it was incredible first season in professional baseball."

Wallace spent seven seasons in the Indians minor league system before retiring in 2007. Following his retirement, he has spent the past two seasons with the Cleveland Indians as an assistant and also served as a catching coordinator this past spring.

“The last two seasons were an enormous experience for me working with the Major League team,” Wallace said. “I was in the bullpen catching the pitchers the entire season. Working on that side of the team you see a whole different perspective and you learn all the behind-the-scenes stuff that you really never knows goes on as a player.

“It was an experience first working with Eric Wedge and his staff and then last year with Manny Acta and his coaches. I really learned so much.”

With that, let's introduce the 2011 Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Coaching Staff

Manager: David Wallace

1st season as Mahoning Valley manager, 9th season in Indians organization. (7 years as a player.)

Hitting Coach: Tony Mansolino

1st season Mahoning Valley hitting coach, 1st season in Indians organization.

Pitching Coach: Greg Hibbard

2nd season as Mahoning Valley pitching coach (also was pitching coach in 2003), 9th season in Indians organization.

Pitchers

Cody Allen (RHP), Ramon Cespedes (RHP), Joseph Colon (RHP), Anthony Dischler (RHP), Harold Guerrero (LHP), Daniel Jimenez (LHP), Robert Nixon (RHP), Kyle Petter (LHP), Drew Rucinski (RHP), Steven Sides (RHP), Enosil Tejada (RHP), Kirk Wetmore (LHP)

This isn't an overly talented bunch to start the season with many high upside guys, so they may have a slight learning curve, as Opening Day proved.

Only four of these pitchers are newcomers to the organization this season: Cody Allen, Rob Nixon, Drew Rucinski, and Grant Sides.

Allen was drafted in the 23rd round this season out of High Point University and you may also know his name since the Indians drafted him last season as well, but failed to sign him due to the lack of money thrown his way. He went 4-6 with a 3.12 ERA in 13 games. In 83 2/3 IP, he struck out 89 and walked only 29. While he finished below .500, he pitched well enough to be named second team All-Big South. He's still a raw pitcher, but has the potential to be a sleeper.

Nixon was drafted in the 46th round out of Adelphi University, where he went 11-2 with a 1.43 ERA in 14 appearances. In 113 1/3 innings, he gave up 82 hits, 18 earned runs, and 23 walks, while striking out 104.

Drew Rucinski was signed as an undrafted free agent out of The Ohio State University. Rucinski went 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 53 strikeouts in a team-high 82.1 innings pitched as the Buckeyes’ Friday night starter.

Finally, Sides was drafted in the 12th round out of Samford University, where he was a reliever. He went 1-0 with 1 save in 25 1/3 innings, giving up 12 hits, 5 earned runs, and 13 walks, while striking out 29.

Former Scrapper Kirk Wetmore returns for the 2011 campaign. He started 10 games, but appeared in 15 games last season, compiling a 2-7 record with a 6.26 ERA. He pitched 54 2/3 innings, allowing 60 hits, 38 earned runs, and 31 walks. Wetmore also struck out 44 batters and his opponents had a .284 batting average against him.

Ramon Cespedes is a 20 year old RHP who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent last season between Arizona and Lake County, where he went 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA. He's still raw and in the process of developing a breaking ball, so he's very much still a work in progress.

Joseph Colon is a 21 year old RHP who was selected in the 12th round in 2009 out of Huertas Junior College in Puerto Rico. He didn't pitch all of last season because of a right elbow sprain he suffered late in the spring, but in his professional debut in 2010 in Arizona, he went 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA in 11 games, and in 32 innings, allowed 44 hits, 17 walks, and had 26 strikeouts.

Tony Dischler was selected in the 23rd round in 2010 and started two games in Mahoning Valley, going 5 innings combined, allowing 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5. The Indians organization, it seems, still hasn't decided whether Dischler should be a starter or a reliever. He still needs to get a better feel for his pitches, but could be someone to watch if the Indians convert him to a reliever.

Harold Guerrero is a 20 year old LHP, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008 out of the Dominican Republic. Last season, he made 11 appearances (2 starts) with Arizona, going 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA. In 2011, the focus of his development will be developing more arm strength and improving his pitching ability.

Danny Jimenez was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft out of John A. Logan College. Last season, he made 12 appearances, which included 8 starts, for the Arizona rookie level team, where he went 3-3 with a 3.42 ERA. In 55.1 innings, he allowed 62 hits and 7 walks, while striking out 44 batters. His best pitch is his fastball that sits between 88-91 mph. He has made great strides with his secondary pitches since being drafted, but they still need some refinement. He possesses a nice frame that can handle a heavy workload in the bullpen. If he can continue his improvement developing his pitches and refining his mechanics, he can be a solid lefty out of the pen in the future.

Kyle Petter was selected in the 34th round in 2010 and once signed, spent his time with the Arizona Indians. He appeared in 14 games, going 0-1 with a 3.51 ERA. In 25 2/3 innings, he allowed 29 hits and 10 earned runs. He walked 8 and struck out 28. At best, Petter translates to a lefty specialist in the big leagues.

Enosil Tejada was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent his time pitching last season with the Dominican Summer League, where he started 12 games, compiling a 7-3 record with a 1.76 ERA. He's not a very physical pitcher, but he has a good three pitch mix with a fastball, slider, and changeup.

Catchers

Alex Lavisky, Jake Lowery, Moises Montero

Two big time guys to watch are Lavisky and Lowery. Lavisky was selected in the 8th round of the 2010 draft out of St. Edward High School in Cleveland. He spent most of this season in Lake County where he really struggled, hitting just .207, with 9 walks and a staggering 66 strike outs in 184 at-bats. He was sent to Mahoning Valley to work with manager/catching coordinator David Wallace to refine his mechanics. He displays good athleticism, defensive ability, and power at the plate and could develop into a big time catching prospect.

Lowery was drafted in the 4th round of this year's draft out of James Madison University. Lowery was a first team All-American. Prior to the season, coaches of the Colonial League took a survey and voted Lowery the best defensive catcher and the catcher with the best arm in the league. His offensive numbers were impressive this season, hitting .359, with 24 HR/91 RBI with a line of .359/.442/.797. However, their home ballpark is hitter friendly, so I wouldn't expect those numbers to translate going forward.

Montero was drafted in the 26th round in 2008. Last season in Mahoning Valley, he appeared in 32 games, hitting .171/.237/.229 with one homer, and driving in 10. Montero is nothing more than an organizational depth at the catching position.

Infielders

Kevin Fontanez (SS), Todd Hankins (2B), Jerrud Sabourin (1B), Casey Serna (SS), Tony Wolters (SS)

Fontanez also returns to Mahoning Valley for his second season. He was drafted in 2008 out of a high school in Puerto Rico. Last season in Mahoning Valley, he appeared in 62 games, hitting just .199/.268/.283. He's still a young kid who needs more time to grow and mature. His offensive potential is limited, but he projects as a utility option down the road.

Hankins was selected in the 15th round of this year's draft out of Seminole State College. He played at Georgia in 2010, before transferring schools. He was an honorable mention all sate high school player and as a freshman was the starting second baseman for the Bulldogs. He's a small kid, standing just 5'9", 175 lbs. He hit leadoff on Opening Day, so we'll see what's in store for the him.

Sabourin was signed as an undrafted free agent just before the Scrappers season got underway. He started 55 games for Indiana University this season, hitting .287 with one home run and 29 runs batted in. He really fills an organizational need at the lower levels, but he's not a big upside prospect.

Serna was drafted in the 42nd round of this year's draft out of Duck Country in Oregon. He really struggled this year at the plate, hitting just .232, with 2 HR, and 22 RBI. Last season, he hit .348 with 5 HR and 37 RBI, stealing 14 bases. Really thought this kid would go back to school and improve his stock, but I was wrong.

Wolters is the big name of this group, drafted in the 3rd round of last year's draft. The one thing that sticks out right away about Wolters is his love for the game of baseball. Scouts consider him an, "ultimate baseball rat," which is very encouraging to hear. He's a little undersized at 5'10", 165 lbs, which may have scared a few teams away last year, but he could be considered a true gem in the future. Wolters is as consistent as you can get from the plate. He uses all the field with no problem, hitting plus velocity and hits both lefties and righties well. He has some surprising pop for his size, but it's not considered one of his strengths. He has struggled adjusting to professional pitching so far in his career, but he just turned 19 years old, so I expect him to go through some growing pains. Wolters also has average to above average speed and grades out around a 60. He is very instinctive on the base path and has the ability to steal a base. Wolters has a plus arm from the infield, who can project as a second baseman or a shortstop. In my opinion, however, he has a somewhat limited range and projects more as a second baseman, but the organization will try and keep him at short. All in all, Tony Wolters has highly advanced skills and has drawn comparisons to Dustin Pedroia. It's going to take him a few years to get to the bigs, but he has the potential to be a sure thing major league player.

Outfielders

Cody Elliott, Bryson Myles, Aaron Siliga

Cody Elliott was drafted in the 21st round of this year's draft out of Ball State University. Elliot was a second team All-Mac player. He batted .325, with five triples, 12 doubles, 38 RBI and 34 runs. He also stole 14 bases. He has a nice mix of speed, athleticism, and defense and profiles as a solid outfielder who can play all three positions.

Myles is one of my favorite picks of this year's draft, selected in the 6th round out of Stephen F. Austin College. Jim Callis of Baseball America tweeted, "[He] draws Kirby Puckett comparisons for his 6', 235 lb build...put up big numbers after transferring including an NCAA Division I-leading 53 steals. Profiles as a left fielder with intriguing power and speed." He is a big guy who has plus plus speed and very good bat speed. He set his school's hit record this past season thanks to his quick wrists and excellent bat speed. Myles has the potential to be a five tool player down the road, though he'll need to develop a little more power. He's noted for having a weaker arm, but in right field on Opening Day, he displayed a cannon of an arm, which I found interesting. Keep an eye on this kid down the road.

Siliga was selected in the 17th round in 2010 and is just 18 years old. As a senior in high school, he hit .505 with 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases. Following his signing, he spent last season in rookie ball Arizona, where he hit .250/.300/.359 with 2 home runs, 12 runs batted in, and 8 stolen bases. He's still a very young kid who's still developing, but he's also a guy to watch down the road.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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