26. Cleveland Indians

Big Leagues-  Cleveland Indians fans have a lot to look forward to if the organization can start to put the pieces together.  They have super catcher Carlos Santana and former top prospect Matt Laporta holding down the infield.  Asdrubal Cabrera is as solid as they come and Jason Donald was the main piece in the Cliff Lee trade a couple years ago.  If Grady Sizemore can stay healthy, and Shin-Soo Choo stays hot, this team could be a contender in a few years.  They have nice young pitchers in Carlos Carrasco and Jeanmar Gomez holding down the end of the rotation, and a solid end of the bullpen with Chris Perez and Tony Sipp.  If their top prospects come through they could fill the "weak" links at 2nd and 3rd base.

Catcher-Carlos Santana

1st Base- Matt Laporta

2nd Base- Jason Donald

Shortstop- Asdrubal Cabrera

3rd Base- Jayson Nix/Luis Valbuena

Left Field- Michael Brantley

Center Field- Grady Sizemore

Right Field- Shin-Soo Choo

Dh- Travis Hafner/ Austin Kearns

Pitching- Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot, Jeanmar Gomez

Relief- Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp

Top 5 Prospects

2B Jason Kipnis- The Indians have always been known for their deep talented farm system and this year is not an exception.  Kipnis, their 2nd round 2009 pick leads the way after a monster 2010 season.  He was drafted out of Arizona State and as a 23 year old last year hit a combined .307 in Single A and Double A.  Kipnis had some pop for a 2nd baseman also, with 16 home runs and 32 doubles.  He doesn't struggle in any aspect of the game, and he compares well to another former Sun Devil, Dustin Pedroia. 

3B Lonnie Chisenhall- As a 21 year old in Double A last year Chisenhall hit .278 with 17 home runs in only 117 games.  It was kind of a marginal year for the Indians future 3rd basemen.  A positive from last season was Chisenhall's plate discipline.  He only had 77 strikeouts last season, which is impressive for a 21 year old playing in a minor league level which usually runs out top prospects or 25 and 26 year old players.  Like Kipnis he is a big part of the Indians future in the infield.  

LHP Drew Pomeranz- The big lefty was the 5th overall pick in the 2010 draft out Ole Miss.  He is not just a pitcher, but an athlete, also playing football and basketball in high school and comes in at 6'5 230 pounds.  Pomeranz has a solid fastball and above average off speed pitches.  Pomeranz should be rushed through the minors after succeeding in college.  We could be hearing his name within the next couple years.  

RHP  Alex White-  White is another 1st round pitcher drafted by the Indians 15th overall in the 2009 draft out of North Carolina.  White had a great first full season in the minor leagues combining for a 2.45 ERA in 25 starts in Single A and Double A.  White is not overpowering only striking out 117 batters in 150 innings.  Instead he works his locations well and keeps batters off balance. Look for this former Tarheel to be pushed right through the Indians system.

 OF LeVon Washington- Washington was the Indians 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft pick out of Chipola Junior College.  Washington is a high risk high reward prospect, as he did not sign a contract the year before when he was drafted in the first round.  Another problem was when he committed to University of Florida, he could not get in academically.  This does not speak about his raw tools, which justifies the 2nd round pick.  If he stays straightened out in the Indians farm system he could become the best prospect in this list.

Payroll and Direction- The Indians have a great direction with their young talent, but the financial support always seems to lack in Cleveland.  Last year they paid out 60 million to their roster. Since the Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, and Jim Thome days they seem to produce great players, and have to trade them away when they go looking for monster money.  They tried to lock up a great player in Travis Hafner, but since he signed a big contract, he's been injured every year.  If the Indians can find the money and go out and sign some free agents to go with the young talent, they could be contenders within the next couple years.