by Spokane Indians
Baseball America released its annual list of the top 20 prospects in the Northwest League today, and five Indians from the 2011 squad made the cut. Second baseman Rougned Odor, catcher Jorge Alfaro, closer Matt West, starting pitcher Will Lamb, and reliever Kyle Hendricks were all named among the league's elite.
Odor, the youngest player in the NWL at 17-years-old, checked in at number seven on the list after a strong first year in professional baseball that included a .262 batting average, two home runs, 29 RBI's, and 10 stolen bases. The young infielder also flashed some impressive leather, turning in a number of highlight worthy plays from second base.
Right behind Odor at number eight was Jorge Alfaro, who finished second on the Indians with a .300 average and tied for the team lead with six home runs. In addition to being named to the league's top 20 prospects, Alfaro was also named a Short-Season All-Star at catcher by Baseball America.
Former third baseman turned closer Matt West made the list (number 13) for the second time after being named as an infielder in 2008. The hard-throwing right-hander made the transition to the mound with aplomb, racking up nine saves while striking out 35 and walking just one in 26 innings.
Left-handed pitcher Will Lamb was rated as the 18th best prospect after posting a 3.89 ERA and striking out 42 batters in 37 innings. The second-round pick from Clemson was even better after his promotion to the Hickory Crawdads, where he allowed just one earned run in four starts.
Kyle Hendricks, who was the Indians most reliable arm out of the bullpen, rounded out the list at number 20. The right-hander from Dartmouth went 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA for Spokane.
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