Farm Clubs Produce Some Run Producers

Several prospects throughout the Indians' minor-league organization showed the ability to drive in runs at a high rate in 2005. Many of them had more RBI per time at bat this past season than Cleveland's best run producers at the major-league level.

Outfielder Jason Cooper led the farm system in total RBI with 100, followed by Ryan Mulhern with 95, Andy Abad, 85, Brad Snyder, 82, and Ernie Young, 78.

Looking deeper at the numbers, however, shows that several other players were even more productive in terms of RBI per time at bat. Young P.J. Hiser, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Evandy De Leon were among the best in the organization. Had they been able to get as many at-bats as Cooper, they all would have surpassed the 100 RBI mark.

Mulhern had the best RBI percentage in the entire organization at .233 as he accumulated his 94 RBI in 403 at-bats for Class A Kinston and Double-A Akron. Hiser's average was .231 (54 RBI in 234 at-bats) and Kouzmanoff was at .222.

As a point of reference, Indians DH Travis Hafner, whose 108 RBI were the most in the entire system, had a .222 average as he drove in those runs in 486 at-bats. Other top RBI men in Cleveland, however, didn't have percentages nearly as high:

Jhonny Peralta, .155 (78 RBI, 504 ABs)
Victor Martinez, .146 (80 RBI, 547 ABs)
Ron Belliard, .146 (78 RBI, 536 ABs)
Ben Broussard, .146 (68 RBI, 466 ABs)

Everybody else at the big-league level was well below that, except for pitcher C.C. Sabathia's astounding .667 mark as he drove in four runs in six at-bats.

Ryan Garko, who had 77 RBI in 452 at-bats (.170) for Buffalo and Snyder, (82 RBI in 513 at-bats at Akron and Buffalo, .160) were a little farther down the list in the farm system, but would have had percentages that would have placed second and third, respectively, to Hafner in Cleveland.

Two of the best RBI men at the lower levels of the system were young first basemen Hiser and Stephen Head, who was Cleveland's second-round draft pick in June. The Indians' second selection in the first round, 19-year-old outfielder John Drennen, also had a good RBI percentage, but didn't accumulate enough at-bats to make the rankings. He had 29 RBI in 168 at-bats (.173) at Burlington of the Rookie League.

RBI PERCENTAGE IN TRIBE FARM SYSTEM IN '05 (at least 200 AB)

PLAYER	TEAM	RBI	AB	RATE
Ryan Mulhern	Kinston-Akron	94	403	.233
P.J. Hiser	Burlington-Mahoning Valley	54	234	.231
Kevin Kouzmanoff	Mahoning Valley-Kinston	58	261	.222
Jason Cooper	Akron-Buffalo	100	458	.218
Jeff Liefer	Buffalo	68	321	.212
Stephen Head	Mahoning Valley-Kinston	50	240	.208
Andy Abad	Buffalo	85	423	.201
Dusty Wathan	Buffalo	51	256	.199
Ernie Young	Buffalo	78	393	.198
Evandy De Leon	Burlington-Mahoning Valley	39	213	.183
Brian Barton	Lake County-Kinston	64	356	.180
Chris Gimenez	Lake County	66	384	.172