:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6698909/20120428_mje_ar7_735.jpg)
It's no secret that the Cleveland Indians could stand to pick up a talented young pitcher in next week's 2012 MLB Draft. And with the 15th overall pick at their disposal, there should still be plenty of intriguing young arms on the board when the Indians finally make their selection.
The majority of early prognostications seem to agree that Cleveland needs to go with a pitcher, and ESPN.com's Keith Law followed the trend in his latest first round mock, offering up Mississippi State's Chris Stratton as a viable target:
Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State
They're open to college or prep players, but a college arm is seen as most likely. Stratton has a chance for three above-average pitches, but the fact that he is already almost 22 years old means he has less time to reach his ceiling than other draftees.
Named the 2012 SEC Player of the Year on Tuesday, Stratton went 11-1 with a conference-low 2.21 ERA for a championship Bulldogs squad. He ranked fifth in all of college baseball with 123 strikeouts, and has three above average pitches in his arsenal. Aside from being a tad on the older side (he turns 22 in August), Stratton is exactly the type of high-upside arm the Indians could build around. And as the No. 22 overall player in Law's rankings, it's conceivable that he'll be sitting around without a team when it's time for the 15th pick.
For more on the Indians, head over to Let's Go Tribe. For more MLB news and analysis, be sure to check out Baseball Nation.