Michael Aubrey - Clean Slate - Lake County Captains - MLN Sports Zone

Lake County Captains

Clean Slate
After boasting big college stats, Michael Aubrey prepares to begin his pro career not as Cleveland's number one pick, but just another hardworking ballplayer trying to make the club.

Dan Hickling
MinorLeagueNews.com

EASTLAKE, Ohio -- As far as files go, the one complied by Michael Aubrey is impressive.

It bulges with the accomplishments of his three-year career at Tulane University, which includes a career average of .368, with 38 homers and an even 200 RBI.

Impressed? If not, check out these numbers, which he put up this year as a junior.

How about a .420 average and 18 homers? How about 79 RBI and 19 stolen bases, while playing an exemplary first base?

A Golden Spikes Award finalist to boot, Aubrey has garnered comparisons to fellow U.S. National Team alumnus, Montreal's Brad Wilkerson.

Not impressed yet? The Cleveland Indians were.

Aubrey prepares to take a cut.
Courtesy: Lake County Captains

Impressed enough to take him with their first pick in the MLB June Amateur Draft, No. 11 overall.

Impressed enough start his Indians career, not at short season Mahoning Valley (NYP League), but two levels higher, with the Single-A, South Atlantic League's Lake County Captains.

Impressed now? Well, Aubrey isn't.

In his mind, everything he did as a Green Wave amounts to this: Nothing. To him, they don't mean jack.

"Oh, absolutely not," said the Shreveport native in his rich Louisiana twang. "You can throw that all out the window. It's a clean slate, now."

Needless to say, the Indians have high hopes for Aubrey, who did not attract any professional attention until he hit Tulane. High enough to dish out a hefty signing bonus, believed to be in the neighborhood of 2.1 million. ("That's some neighborhood" goes the old joke.)

More importantly, high enough to put place him at Lake County, less than half an hour from Cleveland, where he'll compete against older, more experienced players.

"It's more aggressive (having him start in 'A' ball) than is traditional," said Ross Atkins, Cleveland's assistant player development director. "Most guys don't, but we feel like he's certainly a step above, and his time frame (for reaching the majors) is going to be quicker because of the obvious investment. But more important than the investment is his ability. He's proven that his ability is a very special thing. So we will speed up his timeline a little bit."

Aubrey says he doesn't care where he's put. He just wants to play.

"I think they've evaluated the things I can do," he said, "and this is their best estimate of where I should be playing. I'm just going to go out there and play as hard as I can."

Unfortunately for Aubrey, he's done a lot more sitting than playing, although not by design. He suffered a strained quad muscle in just his second game with the Captains, and missed the next couple of weeks.

Regardless, he said he's just happy to start building a whole new resume.

"Guys don't know me," he said. "As far as the other players go, they're going to do their best to get me out. That's what their job is. I'm just starting all over."