I have seen tons of Cleveland position prospects never pan out. In fact, even now, I just assume the worst when it comes to the organization developing good major-league hitters. Still, I think Will Benson might be special.
Will Benson was the 14th overall pick of the 2016 draft by the Cleveland Indians. It was a risky pick. Benson was a high school bat with impressive tools, including excellent bat speed and plus power, and drew comparisons to Jason Heyward. But he was more athlete than player, and Cleveland knew he was going to be a long road to getting the tools to translate to production.
Benson had a breakout season with AAA Columbus in 2022. He hit .279/.426/.522 with 17 HR. He managed to keep up his impressive walk rate while cutting down on his strike-outs. He also stole 16 bases. His ability to improve his plate discipline while not sacrificing power did not go unnoticed, and he made his major league debut with the big league club, though he only got into 28 games.
It should be noted that Cleveland’s 2016 MLB draft was arguably one of the most successful in franchise history. Benson (1st round), Nolan Jones (2nd), Aaron Civale (3rd), Shane Bieber (4th), Zach Plesac (12th) all saw time with the major league club in 2022.