Welcome To The Show – Tyler Freeman

There has been a lot of speculation around the shortstop position in Cleveland for the past couple seasons. Now that the Indians have moved on from All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor the team is once again attempting to rebuild their roster. Cleveland has a few different options at middle infield and in 2021 Tyler Freeman will get his shot to prove that he is the best one. He’ll have big shoes to fill but Freeman so far appears to be ready for the challenge. He was one of the top high school hitters when he was drafted in the supplemental second round in 2017. His contact skills transferred well into the minor leagues, where he slashed .306/.368/.410 across Single and High A during the 2019 season. He’s been hailed for having a high baseball IQ which helps him make up for his average defensive skillset. His defensive shortcomings aren’t too much of a reason to worry though as his bat should comfortably keep him in the lineup. At just twenty-one years old the Rancho Cucamonga native has plenty of development left as well. No matter what happens with Cleveland’s current middle infield, fans should feel confident about the team’s middle infielder they have coming up.

While Cleveland fans may mourn the loss of Lindor, collectors are feeling good about Freeman. Since the beginning of the season the average price of Freeman’s first Bowman Chrome autograph has increased 34%. The average of the ten sales immediately leading into the season was $23.57, compared to the $31.58 average price of the ten most recent sales. Now that the calendar has flipped to a new year, interest in Freeman has surged as well. The month of January had more total than either of the previous two months. The increase in sales comes just as the 6’0″ 170 lbs 22 year old was placed on the MLB, Baseball America, and Keith Law’s top 100 prospect lists. Freeman most likely won’t start the season on the major league level which will provide his cards more time to gain value as he moves up the rankings. The Etiwanda High School alum would be a solid addition for any prospect collector heading into the 2021 season.