The Cleveland Indians outfield is relatively usnettled and that provides a clear opportunity for prospect Daniel Johnson.
Looking at the Cleveland Indians outfield there are only two guarantees. Oscar Mercado in center and Jordan Luplow in a platoon against left handed pitching. Outside of that it is a giant toss up. This is where Daniel Johnson comes in. This is an opportunity for him to make an impact on the big league roster.
There are plenty of question marks in the Cleveland outfield. Bradley Zimmer, Jake Bauers, Greg Allen, Delino DeShields, and Tyler Naquin. Bauers has upside, but besides that this group is uninspiring. Allen and DeShields are essentially the same type of player (fourth outfielder). Zimmer has a new batting stance, but questions about his health will always be present. What contributions that Cleveland will get from Naquin are currently a mystery. Franmil Reyes is technically an outfielder, but figures to be the a DH and not a regular outfielder. Daniel Johnson has a chance to take the next step in his career considering the competition he is up against.
Daniel Johnson has nothing left to prove at the the minor league level, slashing .306/.371/.496 with an OPS of .868 in 84 games at AAA Columbus last season. Johnson finished with 27 doubles, nine homers, five triples, and 44 runs driven in. It’s all really going to come down to how he performs in Arizona. If Johnson shows flashes of what he did in Columbus during Spring Training it is going to Cleveland another option in the outfield. Perhaps a superior option to their current Major League outfielders not named Mercado or Luplow.
