Cleveland Indians second base prospect Jason Kipnis has seen a lot of his ex-Arizona State teammates -- Brett Wallace, Ike Davis, Mike Leake -- zoom to the big leagues. "It's a confidence boost, if anything," Kipnis told me during spring training. "You think to yourself, 'I played with them. I can make it there.' I'm not worried about when I get there, as long as I get there."

Well, all indications are that he might not have to wait much longer to do so. I've mentioned a number of Indians players in recent blog entries, simply because there are a lot of interesting Tribe players to write about. Kipnis is just the latest, especially since he's on the verge of getting the call in the hopes that he can help an Indians offense still looking for more punch even after the promotion of prospect Lonnie Chisenhall.Kipnis, a second-round pick by the Indians in 2009, is hitting .301 with 11 homers and is a perfect 11-for-11 in steal attempts at Triple-A Columbus in the International League this season. His .901 OPS ranks fourth in the league, his .517 slugging percentage ranks third and his .384 OBP is seventh. Kipnis has a short, smooth, compact swing from the left side, uses his hands very well and can handle the inner half of the plate, and unlike Chisenhall, Kipnis has hit both righties and lefties well. Though he's listed at just 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Kipnis has very good pop for his size thanks to his strong wrists and forearms, and an ability to get leverage in his swing. Kipnis also possesses a solid eye at the plate, which has allowed him to draw 40 walks (against 61 strikeouts) in 81 games.At times, Kipnis does get a bit too much of an uppercut in his stroke, which causes his bat to get in and out of the hitting zone a little too quickly, but his swing is pretty sound most of the time. When I talked to Kipnis at the start of the year, he said he was more concerned with maintaining his approach than worrying about his swing mechanics."I just need to make sure I'm swinging at the right pitches," Kipnis said. "If I start trying to do too much, maybe I will overswing, try to pull the ball too much, or try to hit homers. That's when I get myself in trouble. If I just try to hit the ball where it's pitched, I'll be fine."By all accounts, Kipnis has maintained that sound approach all season along, furthering his reputation as a consistent producer day in and day out, and the lack of excess movement in his swing helps him stay locked in.As far as his base-stealing ability, Kipnis is just an average runner who lacks a great burst, but he's better once he gets to full speed and is a smart, situational base stealer, the kind of player that won't put up big numbers in the category but can consistently get 10-plus thefts a year by knowing when it's best to run.After Chisenhall was recalled, Indians manager Manny Acta was asked about Kipnis. Acta noted that Kipnis is still working on his defense at second base after transitioning from the outfield, and that work will dictate when Kipnis gets the call. For what it's worth, I liked his move to second base and I think he'll be fine there as a longterm fit. His actions are not always smooth, but his work on the pivot and his footwork have gotten better, and you can deal with the rough edges given his ability to hit.Kipnis is an aggressive player who can do a little bit of everything offensively, and given the depth at second base this season, he's worth an immediate look in almost all formats, especially if you missed out on Dustin Ackley when he came up. When Kipnis does arrive, he'll likely play almost every day, like Chisenhall. One of the traits I've liked about Kipnis is that his numbers have gotten better with each promotion. His slugging and OPS marks have risen at each of his four minor league stops, and that's a good sign as he prepares to make the transition to the highest level.

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