Down on the Farm: Nolan Jones, 3B

In the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft, the Cleveland Indians drafted Nolan Jones in the 2^nd round. Jones is 6’4” and 185 lbs and while he has played both shortstop and third base in his baseball career, he has focused on third base the last few seasons. He has experienced some injury issues but has progressed nicely. This is Jones’ third season in the minors and is currently playing for Class A Lake County Captains.

Jones is very athletic. While in high school in Pennsylvania he played hockey and baseball. He bats as a lefty but throws as a righty. In an attempt to improve his defense at third base he has worked with former Indians third baseman, Travis Fryman, who is a roving instructor for the Indians Minor League system.

In his three seasons, he has batted .279 with six home runs and 50 RBI. While the power numbers have not shown up yet, he does have a good swing that if he continues to develop properly should lead to him hitting more home runs. You can see one of his home runs in the video that accompanies this article. So far this season, he is batting only .163 in 49 at bats. One area that definitely needs improvement is at-bats against lefty pitchers. He is 0 – 12 with seven strikeouts against southpaws this season.

Nolan Jones is young and with time to develop properly, he can be a player the Indians rely on in a few years from now. Right now as long as he continues to show improvement he should make his way up the Minor League system.