Jared Goedert: Comeback Kid

Unlike other prospects discussed here, (Nick Weglarz, Jason Kipnis, Anthony Reyes, Adam Miller), Jared Goedert is a player who is not considered by scouts as a top prospect.  He is a player who lacks a position and has a history of being injury prone.  With that said, what Goedert did in 2010 from the time of Spring Training through the end of the Venezuelan Winter League was hit and show the once promising swing that made the Indians consider him a prospect early in his professional career.  Goedert will come to spring training looking to win the job at third base, but will probably find himself in Columbus to start the season.   If Goedert can repeat his 2010 performance he will once again be on the Indians radar as a major league bat. 

Jared Goedert was drafted by the Cleveland Indians out of Concordia High School in Concordia, Kansas in the 36th round of the 2003 draft.  He would elect to bypass professional baseball and enrolled in Cloud County Community College where he played for one season before transferring to Kansas State University.  He would play two seasons at KSU and spend the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk League.  The Indians would draft Goedert after his junior season in 2006 in the 9th round of the draft and would give him a signing bonus of $70,000.

That summer, Goedert reported to Mahoning Valley Scrappers where he played in 63 games and hit .269/.328/.382 and would have labrum surgery following the season.  Goedert was 100% recovered from the labrum injury and reported to the Lake County Captains of the South Atlantic League to start the 2007 season.  He would absolutely destroy SAL pitching by hitting .364/.475/.715 through 46 games.  Remarkably he had 16 HR in only 205 plate appearances.  The Indians elevated him to High A ball to provide him more of a challenge, unfortunately the challenge was overcoming an re-injury of the shoulder on a diving play during his last game at Lake County.  Due to his poor fielding at 3b, the Indians moved Goedert to 2b at Kinston and in order to attempt to strengthen the shoulder, Goedert played in every other game the remainder of the season.

In 2008, Goedert would struggle at High A Kinston with regaining his confidence in his swing due to the previous shoulder injuries.  He hit .255/.336/.337 with only 10 HR on the season.  In 2009, the Indians would promote Goedert to AA Akron where he would hit a dismal .224/.309/.348 and battled an oblique injury which limited him to only 92 games.  Goedert prospect status had nearly flat lined due to injury and poor performance until spring training of 2010 where he found his swing once again and hit .426 including a .726 SLG% (spring stats courtesy Tony Lastoria at IPI).

Goedert reported to AA Akron to begin the 2010 season where he hit an impressive .352/.382/.540 including 7 HR in 44 games before being promoted to AAA Columbus.  The elevation in competition would only serve as a slight speed bump to the now 100% healthy Goedert as he hit .261/.345/.528 with 20 HR in 81 games. Goedert finished strong in 2010 as he reported to winter ball in Venezuela and appeared in 14 games and hit .333/.474/.444.  The Indians need a right handed bat with power, Goedert with an impressive 2011 campaign could eventually be a roving utility player and RH DH.