WEEK 6: OUTFIELDERS IN THE PIRATES ORGANIZATION

The Indianapolis Indians and their Major League affiliate head into regular-season play with a group of talented outfielders, including Baseball America’s No. 1 Pirates prospect Gregory Polanco, former San Diego Padres farmhand Jaff Decker, International League veteran Chris Dickerson, former Tribe slugger Andrew Lambo and 2013 Altoona Curve standout Adalberto Santos.

Potential Indians Outfielders

Gregory Polanco

Gregory Polanco, originally from the Dominican Republic, signed as an international, non-drafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009. The top-rated prospect enters the 2014 season as Baseball America’s No. 10 prospect out of all farmhands in the MiLB.

This offseason, Polanco played in the Dominican Winter League where he was honored as both the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. His award-winning stint featured a .331 average (55-for-166) and a team-high (Leones del Escogido) 28 RBI and five home runs.

The 22-year-old carried his hot streak into Spring Training with the Pirates, batting .273 (6-for-22) in 10 games and hitting his first pitch of camp for a home run. He was officially optioned to Indianapolis on March 14.

 

Jaff Decker

Jaff Decker was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (42nd overall) of the 2008 MLB Draft. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of the deal for Indiana University alumnus Alex Dickerson on November 25.

Before being optioned to the Tribe earlier this week, the 24-year-old left fielder appeared in 18 spring training games where he hit .250 (9-for36) with two RBI.

Decker has suited up for eight teams in the Padres’ organization during his career. He also made his MLB debut as a pinch-hitter (walk) on June 20 in the Padres 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Chris Dickerson

Chris Dickerson was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 32nd round (968th overall) of the 2000 MLB Draft out of high school, but did not sign. He was then drafted again in 2003 (16th round, 471st overall) by the Cincinnati Reds following his standout collegiate career at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

After signing with Cincinnati, the veteran left fielder made his MLB debut with the Reds (2008-10)  in 2008, and has since played with the Milwaukee Brewers (2010), the Yankees (2011-12) and the Baltimore Orioles (2013). He joined the Pirates after signing a minor league contract in January.

Dickerson, in his ninth Spring Training, appeared  in 15 games at big league camp, hitting at a .355 clip (11-for-31) with seven RBI and three stolen bases.

 

Andrew Lambo

Andrew Lambo was the Los Angeles Dodgers’ fourth-round (146th overall) selection in the 2007 MLB Draft. After spending 2007-20 in the Los Angeles organization, he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2010 as part of a deal for Octavio Dotel.

The 25-year-old made his Major League debut with the Pirates last season on August 13 as the starting right fielder against the St. Louis Cardinals (0-for-3). His 2013 campaign also featured the Tribe’s Offensive Player of the Year Award and Pittsburgh’s MiLB Player of the Year, which he received largely thanks to his organizational-best 32 home runs and 99 RBI.

Lambo appeared in 17 games with the Pirates this spring before he was optioned to Indianapolis.

 

Adalberto Santos 

Adalberto Santos has the rare accomplishment of being drafted three times, the first of which was in 2007 by the Toronto Blue Jays (17th round, 535th overall). Two years later, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres (35th round, 1044th overall) before he actually signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a 22nd-round (657th overall) selection in the 2010 Draft.

Santos spent the 2013 season with Double-A Altoona Curve, where he led the team in runs scored (62) and stolen bases (21). He also concluded the campaign with a solid .281 batting average (115-for-409) through 118 games.

 

In the System

Among the outfielders in Bucs’ organization, two notable names include highly-touted farmhands Josh Bell and Austin Meadows, who rank as Baseball America’s No. 7 and No. 4 Pirates prospects, respectively.

Bell was selected by the Pirates in the second round (61st overall) of the 2011 Draft out of Dallas Jesuit College Preparatory School.  The 21-year-oldspent the 2013 season with the West Virginia Power where he hit .279 (128-for-459) and ranked first among Power batters in total at-bats (459), doubles (37) and RBI (76), as well as being tied for first in runs scored with 75.

Like Bell, Meadows was drafted right out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Meadows’ selection came in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2013 Draft. The 18-year-old prospect made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Pirates where he led the team with five home runs and five triples. He finished the campaign with a .294 average (47-for-160) in the GCL  before receiving a late-season promotion to short season Jamestown Jammers.

[symple_toggle title=”Writer’s Note”]This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Indians’ blog, “The Inside Pitch.”[/symple_toggle]