Brady Aiken is the fourth-best prospect in the Cleveland Indians system according to MLB.com. Aiken, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, and was originally going to sign for a $6.5 million bonus which the Astros later revoked before offering a new one of $5 million after a post-Draft physical determined that there was an issue with Aiken’s elbow. He ended up being just the third ever No. 1 overall pick not to sign.
“[He’s] the most advanced high school pitcher I’ve ever seen in my entire career,” Jeff Luhnow, Houston’s GM told ESPN.com. “He has command like I’ve never seen before of his stuff.”
Aiken was again drafted this past June when he was drafted by the Indians with the 17th overall pick. He ended up agreeing to a $2.5 million signing bonus. Aiken had the most upside compared to any other player in the 2015 draft class, but he fell to 17 because he underwent Tommy John Surgery in March. The Indians were willing to take a gamble with this left-handed pitcher as this is a high-risk high-reward type signing.
Aiken has three plus pitches in his fastball, curveball and changeup. Although Aiken won’t be ready for the start of the 2016 season, he is eager to get back on the mound and will be ready to make his professional debut sometime in late May to mid-June.
Feels good to be throwing again ??
— Brady Aiken (@bradyaiken10) September 14, 2015
The Indians already have some great starters in Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar locked up for the foreseeable future. If Aiken lives up to expectations, he could potentially be the future ace of the ballclub. Adding in Aiken to the mix really solidifies the team’s chances of making the postseason in the future. If all things go according to plan, Aiken could very well be a part of the big-league club in 2018. Keep in mind that he just turned 19 years old this past August. The Indians could have made a real steal with pick number 17 in the draft.
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