CLEVELAND: The Indians added another high-level prospect to the outfield with the selection of Georgia high schooler Will Benson with the No. 14 pick of the first round in Thursday’s Major League Baseball amateur draft.
Benson, a left-handed power hitter who doesn’t turn 18 until later this month, is the fourth outfielder the Indians have taken in the first round of the last five drafts. They’ve also selected Tyler Naquin, Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer.
“It was a blessing. I’m so happy,” Benson said. “I’m on cloud nine. It’s an honor and I’m looking to just make the Cleveland Indians’ organization better.”
Benson, who is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, and has drawn comparisons to the Chicago Cubs’ Jason Heyward as an athletic outfielder. Last season for the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Benson hit .454 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, 41 RBI and a 1.380 OPS and stole 11 bases.
Benson thinks he can actually bring more to the plate than Heyward.
“It’s an honor to have that comparison,” Benson said. “I think, defensively, that’s a good comparison. I think we both have a lot of range and can throw the ball really well.
“I think, offensively, I can possibly do better. That’s no discredit to what Jason Heyward has done — he’s a monster on the offensive end. He’s always on base and he can hit for average. But I think I can hit for a little bit more power and still have that average.”
Benson was named to the 2016 Rawlings Perfect Game All-American First Team, the USA 18U National Team and appeared in the 2015 Team USA Baseball Tournament of Stars and the Under Armour All-America game. He had signed a national letter of intent with Duke before being drafted Thursday night.
Still, he never focused on one sport, as his mother never wanted him to specialize. Now, basketball will become the recreational sport.
“I think I’ve got my big-boy shoes on now, so I think me being able to focus on one sport, focus on baseball, will allow me to improve my game far better than I’ve done these past couple years,” Benson said. “I think in the offseason I can still play basketball just for fun. I’m not saying I’m going to go back to Duke or any of that, but just for conditioning purposes and athletic purposes, I can still just play basketball with some friends or whatnot.”
Benson also has high aspirations for what he’d like to accomplish through the game of baseball culturally, similar to what Francisco Lindor has done with the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. Sparking an interest in the game among youths and giving more kids opportunities to play is a part of his “mission” within the game.
For Benson, those are profound words for somebody who hasn’t yet turned 18.
“I see plenty of opportunity in baseball,” he said. “It’s given me the opportunity to take my family around the world. It’s allowed me to meet different people of different backgrounds, different viewpoints. I think that’s a formula for world peace, honestly.
“I’m so glad the Cleveland Indians blessed me with an opportunity, blessed me with a platform to spread that love and peace that baseball provides me. I think baseball should be the forefront sport because I think anybody can play it.
“… I’m very glad the Indians drafted me, but it doesn’t mean anything if I don’t impact the people that are in Cleveland, impact the world.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ