Atlanta Braves designate Michael Bourn for assignment
April 4, 2016Ohio State has fifth-most valuable college basketball program
April 4, 2016Robin Williams voice: Goooooooooooood moooooorrrrrnnnnnning Indians fans! We have an exciting 2016 MLB season that kicks off today for the Cleveland Indians as they face the Boston Red Sox at home for Opening Day. Sure, it’ll be awfully cold and might even see a snow flurry or two, but that is just part of the beauty of early season baseball on the North coast. Here’s hoping you are able to make it downtown and enjoy in the festivities that culminate in the first baseball game of the year that counts in the Indians march towards playing October baseball.
The WFNY staff here has been busy over the past few weeks giving you the information you need to be as prepared as a fan as you can be. There have been in-depth player profiles on Carlos Santana, Trevor Bauer, Francisco Lindor, and Tyler Naquin. Analyzations of the roster, AL Central, and our pitching/defense combination. And, lots of fun whether it be (fake) promotions, Oceans 11 themed, or a wholly convincing article on the Indians setup to win the World Series. We hope it has been as fun for you to read these as it has been to prepare them.
Just in case you missed any, here they are before we get into the 2016 season predictions.
Indians Offense
What player do you think will have the biggest breakout or bounceback season on offense?
Craig:No clue, and I don’t know if it’s even a “bounceback” but I am hoping for Carlos Santana. Yan Gomes is a candidate and surprisingly Mike Napoli is one as well with the whole apnea storyline, but I’m sticking with Carlos Santana. He’s got the personality to lighten the load of the world if he’s hitting and smiling.
Michael: Yan Gomes should have the biggest bounceback season as he has much further to bounce back from than Carlos Santana – also should go back to career norms. But, the biggest breakout season could very well belong to Jose Ramirez. There is just so much to like about J-Ram as a player though he is currently slotted behind both Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis. It’ll be tough to get PA’s behind the two best position players on the Tribe, but if Francona can find them for him, then I think he’ll shine.
Clayman: I think even Yan Gomes knows that everyone is looking squarely at him in this category. That might create a little additional pressure, but the nice thing is, he has always seemed like a guy who âwants the ballââto borrow a basketball term. The Yanimal doesnât get lost in his own head. If anything, I suspect thatâat full healthâhe is chomping at the bit to re-establish himself as an elite catcher in the league.
Josh:Â The 100 percent and fully-healthy Yan Gomes. We already know what he can do behind the plate – whether it be throwing runners out or commanding one of the best pitching staffs in the game – but now that he is back to his old, non-injured self, I expect that he will be a good hitter once again, like he was in 2014. While I could only select one player, I also think that Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana will have breakout seasons as well. J-Ram may not be starting Opening Day, but the do-it-all utility man will be very valuable to this year’s club, especially since their depth could be an issue this season. With so much stress taken off Santana now that Mike Napoli and other hitters are in the lineup, he won’t be counted on to do as much. We already know how good of an on-base percentage he has (yes analytics lovers, I said it), but he will show off his bat in 2016 as well.
Scott: Returning so many players from a year ago, it’s tough to have a “breakout” necessarily, but I am looking forward to seeing what Tyler Naquin can do at the MLB level. From a bounce back perspective, it has to be Yan Gomes. I don’t believe he’s a .230 hitter, and even a marginal improvement in his health and plate discipline should be substantial things when it comes to offensive numbers. I’m thinking at least 75 points on his OPS (into the .750 range) with home run totals closer to the 21 he hit two seasons ago.
Joe: I believe Yan Gomes will have a bounceback season after an up and down 2015 season. I think he is a player who can average a batting average over .270 with 20-plus homeruns and 70-plus RBIs. He is a talented player who just needs to stay healthy, after he struggled with nagging injuries last season. He could be a huge key for the offense.
Who is the biggest catalyst to the offense? Who can the Indians not afford to fall apart / be injured?
Craig: This is the problem. I don’t really feel like the Indians have that one guy. It’s probably Jason Kipnis right now. I hope it’s Francisco Lindor, but I feel bad putting so much pressure on a young guy.
Michael: Against RHP, it is obviously Jason Kipnis. He might be the best natural hitter in MLB against RHP. The issue is that he’s below average against LHP, so the Indians will need someone to step up against teams such as the Boston Red Sox who have a bunch of lefties. In his rookie season, Francisco Lindor dominated LHP. He hit 146 sOPS+ against LHP and 122 sOPS+ against RHP. So, he was above average against both-handed pitchers, but was dominant against those southpaws.
Clayman: Well, the man in question is already injured. As to whether the Indians offense can stay above water without Smooth, MD, hitting in the No. 3 slot⊠I guess weâll find out in the weeks ahead. But the longer that experiment has to carry on, suffice it to say, the worse the repercussions.
Josh: Was thinking about putting Francisco Lindor here, but who knows how he will produce in his sophomore season. Hopefully, he can continue from where he left off in 2015, but that could be hard to do. We already know what Michael Brantley can and will do when he is back in the lineup and fully healthy, but I think Jason Kipnis will be counted on immensely to produce at the plate. While he struggled hitting the ball late in the season in 2015, he still hit over .300, which was rare for many of the Indians to do last season. Without Brantley to start the year, a guy like Kipnis will be counted on to produce at the top of the lineup. But honestly, like Scott said (below), with such little depth, it’s going to be tough times to lose anyone in the starting lineup. Will be interesting to see how the Indians offense does without their best hitter to start the season.
Scott: Everyone. With such little quality depth across the board, this team cannot afford to have any core player not perform. While potentially unfair, Jason Kipnis cannot have a 2014; Michael Brantley cannot miss more than a few weeks; Gomes, as stated above, has to get back closer to ’14 than ’15, and Carlos Santana has to keep banging those doubles off the wall. (It’s worth stating that the one player who does concern me offensively is Francisco Lindor. I don’t think we can count on his being able to continue the torrid pace he had in the second half of last season.)
Joe: The biggest catalyst for the offense is Michael Brantley. He is the teamâs best hitter and can do almost everything at the plate. He can start an inning off and be a base stealer or be a run producer when runners are on. The Indians cannot afford to have Brantley be injured longer than his expected couple weeks. If the Tribe is without Brantley for an extended period of time, the Indians could struggle in that stretch and create a hole. Brantley is the do-everything hitter for the offense.
Will the Indians be able to score enough runs to complement their pitching/defense?
Craig:If I was in Vegas putting money on it, the answer’s no. This is the time of year to look for ways for things to work out, however, so I’m going to say yes. Kipnis will be solid, Gomes will be back, Lindor will be great, Brantley will come back eventually, and Napoli will blow the roof off the box score night in and night out. Plus Carlos Santana. Boom. Softball scores.
Michael: That question appears to be the question for the entire season. Last year, we gave away too many black hole outs at the bottom of the lineup. Slots that just wouldn’t hit for weeks at a time. The 2016 is better equipped on defense to handle things if that happens again, but it makes it way too easy on an opposing pitching staff to hand them 3-5 outs every time through the order. The good news is the addition of Mike Napoli, Rafai Davis, Juan Uribe, and Marlon Byrd should help limit pure black holes. I’m worried about players such as Tyler Naquin, Collin Cowgill, and Lonnie Chisenhall hitting at times, but the team is good enough to “hide” them as long as there are only a couple in the lineup when they are going through a cold stretch.
Clayman: The offseason was a strange one in that weâve obviously seen some necessary patching up of holes in the line-up, but itâs been done almost exclusively with old, fraying patches. On the plus side, Mike Napoli, Juan Uribe, Rajai Davis, and Marlon Byrd are all known quantities, rather than âwho knows?â propositions like Gio Urshela was a year ago. The problem is, all four of these guys are old as dirt, and counting on any of them to play 120 games seems like a dangerous assumption. In the end, the offensive output might depend less on our veteran âupgradesâ and more on (a) Yan Gomes, of course, and (b) the aforementioned Urshela, Tyler Naquin, and another young, unexpected bat or two taking a leap forward once the old fellers find their way to the DL. This is a long winded way of saying, yes, I think they can score enough runs (though I sure wish theyâd bolstered the outfield a bit more).
Josh: While they didn’t spend big bucks this off-season, added guys like Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis were upgrades to this lineup. If the starting rotation does what they are expected to do, the Indians offense won’t have to be one of the best in the league, but will just have to produce enough offense to at least give the pitching some run support. But I think the offense, while it will be much improved from 2015 to this season, will have enough to complement one of the best rotations in baseball.
Scott: They should, but it will depend on how many outs Terry Francona gives up with the sacrifice bunt.
Joe: This is the biggest question of the season. I believe the offense can score enough runs if the players play to their highest potential. Whether it is Mike Napoli or Francisco Lindor, the Indians offense needs their best performance level. I think in the end, the offense will do enough to compliment the pitching/defense.
Indians Defense
Will an Indians pitcher finish in the Top 5 for the AL Cy Young? Who do you think it would be and why?
Craig: Well it probably won’t be Trevor Bauer. Carrasco is a decent bet, but I’ll take Corey Kluber. He’s just so even tempered and consistent that if the Indians do find a way to support him offensively he’ll shine. Kluber was kind of under the radar last year, but he had 21 of his 32 starts where he gave up three or fewer earned runs. He went seven or more innings in all 21 of those games except one in September when he went four innings against the Royals.
Michael: Yes, I believe multiple Indians pitchers actually could as any of Kluber, Carrasco, or Salazar is capable. Carrasco might be the best equipped to jump up and grab the hardware, but I have a feeling it is Danny Salazar’s turn for some national attention. He has continually gotten better each year during his career and had a nice stretch through the end of last season even if some of his peripheral numbers had dropped. Regardless, it would be more surprising to me to see an AL Cy Young ballot without an Indians pitcher named in the Top 5.
Clayman: When starting pitching is the key to your season for a few years running, itâs mighty hard not to get a little paranoid about health. As it stands right now, it is not unreasonable to believe ALL THREE of the big threeâand hell, throw in Cody Anderson while weâre at itâcould be in the Cy Young conversation. It is April 4, after all. Itâs probably more realistic, though, that one of these guys will be elite, one will be very good, and one will hit an unexpected wall and scuffle a bit or spend time on the DL. You could randomize those results and Iâd believe any outcome, but since roundtables require actual answers, Iâll join the chorus for Kluber. He was snake bit all last season and I think the pendulum will likely be swinging back his way in 2016.
Josh: Absolutely. Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco will both be legitmately competing for the AL Cy Young. While it sounds strange, the Indians’ bats will have major implications on if a Cleveland pitcher will be able to win the Cy Young or not. Last season, Kluber had all the numbers to win it, but with little run support in his starts, he led the American League in losses — and still somehow was in the conversation for the Cy Young at the end of the season (like Scott mentioned below).
Scott: Yes, and the smart money has to be on Corey Kluber. The guy led the AL in losses yet was still in the mix come season’s end. The dark horse here is obviously Carlos Carrasco, but I’ll go with the track record more than the upside.
Joe: I think Corey Kluber will finish in the Top 5 for the AL Cy Young. He is the ace of the staff and has nasty stuff to completely shut down the opposing offense. He had a down season for him last year, but it was still pretty good. I think he can regain his 2014 stuff and be the dominant pitcher he was when he won the Cy Young.
After the Carrasco-Kluber-Salazar triumvirate, which other two pitchers will log the most starts this season? Will they be good enough to solidify the backend of the rotation?
Craig:There’s going to be some movement in the back end of the Indians’ rotation. Tomlin winning the job was a surprise to me. Cody Anderson winning a job is encouraging. I still have a tough time thinking Trevor Bauer won’t make some starts this season. Plus, who knows what kind of trade winds could blow in the recently updated Progressive Field?
Michael: I am not worried about the backend of the rotation as the Indians have Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson, Trevor Bauer, Michael Clevinger, T.J. House, and others who are all capable of filling in far better than the calvacade of bad arms who took turns there for the team in 2015. Now, that is not to say that some of these pitchers will not struggle. It is baseball, so the odds are that some will struggle and the Indians will likely have to move some of them around a few times to find the right mix for the season. As far as one taking hold and making the most starts, Cody Anderson has taken a rotation job with his work ethic and ability to improve. He does not appear to be letting go anytime soon.
Clayman: I know Cody Anderson seems locked in for the long haul, having won the No. 4 spot. But it was just a year ago that Zach McAllister entered the season with that title, and that lasted all of about two weeks. Trevor Bauerâs path back into the rotation looks like a ziggy-zagggy one, but I think heâll ultimately start more games than Tomlin and maybe Anderson, as well. Between those three, the two best performers should create an above average back-end of the rotation, with the occasional dominant performance mixed in. If one of the Big 3 winds up hobbled, the Bauer/Anderson/Tomlin group can slide over and keep you afloat, as well.
Josh: With the front office deciding to go with Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin and shockingly placing Trevor Bauer in the bullpen to start the year, it seems as though the backend of the rotation will be on a short leash with a guy like Bauer in the ‘pen. While that could be good news that the club has six legitimate starters on the 25-man roster, it will be interesting to see how Terry Francona decides to use the backend of his rotation. But, with that, I think Anderson logs the most innings out of three.
Scott: I’m pretty much all in on Bauer at this point, but it sounds like this front office really, really likes Cody Anderson. For whatever reason, Tomlin was guaranteed the fifth spot, but I think his leash is a lot shorter than Anderson, whoâby the wayâsuddenly has a 96-mile-per-hour fastball. I’m not calling for a Cy Young season here by any stretch, but for a team that won’t need a fifth starter for a few weeks and has sent their wunderkind to the bullpen, Anderson should be in for 25-plus starts if he can limit the walks and stay healthy.
Joe: I think Cody Anderson and Trevor Bauer will log the most starts after the top three. I really like Anderson and how he performed last season. He has a lot of potential to be a great fourth pitcher for the team. Bauer is the big unknown this season, especially after being sent to the bullpen. Even though he is not starting the season in the starting rotation, I believe he ends up getting back in it logging more innings than Josh Tomlin. Tomlin has the injury history that concerns me, plus I think Bauerâs stuff is just too good to limit it in the bullpen.
Are you worried about the bullpen? If so, who worries you?
Craig: I can’t worry about the bullpen. Bullpens are a mystery, but you have to feel good about the Indians’ chances with the pen they’ve developed. Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister and now Trevor Bauer too, are a formidably list of names. Whether they can do it or not remains to be seen. I remember thinking the Indians were set in the bullpen forever with Raffy Left and Raffy Right some years back. Shrug.
Michael: The bullpen should always be a worry because history suggests things can go down (or up) quickly. Jeff Manship embodies this perfectly as he had a great season in 2015, but it was unlike anything he had done before. Projections would assume he regresses. But, there are also worries with a pitcher such as Bryan Shaw who has logged a ton of innings the past few seasons. At some point, he will go the way of Vinnie Pestano. Overall though, the Indians should have one of the finer bullpens in the AL.
Clayman: Always worried about the pen, because you just never knowâwith any bullpenâwhen somebody is going to fall off the proverbial cliff. Vinnie Pestano was a lock-down set-up man being groomed for the closerâs role. Then, suddenly, he was a journeyman with a six and a half ERA. Can anybody really be sure that Jeff Manshipâwho did a reverse Pestano last year and went from punching bag to dominatorâwill pick up where he left off? Do you feel good with Joba Chamberlain building bridges to the late innings? I suppose these are better things to worry about than the eighth and ninth innings, which seem in reliable hands with McAllister, Bryan Shaw, and Cody Allen.
Josh:Â It’s the Indians, their bullpen will always be worrisome no matter how good it is. With them logging so many innings in 2015, it will be interesting to see if Francona does the seem this season. While they are not as good as Kansas City’s bullpen, I do believe they will do enough to be sustainable, especially with such a good starting rotation that will hopefully be able to pitch a lot of innings this season, leading to a little pressure being taken off the ‘pen.
Scott: Yes, because I don’t think they’re as good of a unit as many are predicting them to be. The way Francona uses the pen leads to a ton of innings, and while they all may have their moments of glory, I don’t think it’s sustainable for an entire season. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if Cody Allen finishes the season as the team’s closer. If he’s still there in the ninth, it means good things for the rest of the unit. Guys like Dan Otero have to prove it before I’m willing to put them in the discussion with KC.
Joe:I am a little worried about the bullpen. The trio of Cody Allen, Brian Shaw and Zach McAllister forms a strong backend of the bullpen, but beyond them, there are a lot of question marks. I like the experience of the group, but the career performances of the rest of the bullpen have been inconsistent. I just donât know what we will get from the other relievers.
Can the Indians continue the 2015 second half surge on defense?
Craig: I think so. The arrival of Francisco Lindor and the exit of Michael Bourn seemed to coincide with the defense. That might just be in my mind, but that’s how it plays in my mind. There are some new faces like Uribe at third and whoever ends up playing in the outfield, so it’s tough to predict, but the Indians started at the bottom on defense, so they should be able to be better than they were.
Michael: In some ways, the defense should be better but it should continue to be a good defense. Mike Napoli is a better defender at first base than Carlos Santana. Collin Cowgill is a better defensive platoon partner for Lonnie Chisenhall than anyone we had last season. Tyler Naquin and Rajai Davis should be able to handle center field as well (or better) than Abraham Almonte. And, Juan Uribe has better defensive numbers than Giovanny Urshela, but, given Urshela’s range, I would say it is closer to a tie there. Overall, the defense is something fans should be able to count on.
Clayman: Itâs weird to think about a defense âsurging.â A defensive hot streak is a concept you just donât hear about, on the team or individual level. Thatâs because itâs supposed to be a relatively unchanging skill set. When the Indians put better defensive players in the field last summer, the team defense improved. Have they upgraded any defensive positions this year? Hmmm. Maybe Naquin in center, for now. And maybe, by a small margin, Napoli at first over Santanaâthough I wouldnât say so considering Napoliâs age and injury history. The downgrade that concerns me is an elderly Juan Uribe at third while Urshela and his superb glove are back in Columbus. Uribe has been a decent gloveman over the years, but he looked slow and awkward to me at times this spring. I canât see that situation carrying out over the year to good returns. If Lonnie Chisenhall has lingering injury issues and fails to produce at the plate again, you could also be losing his strong effort in right field to a 39 year-old Marlon Byrd. Not good.
Josh:Â With so many questions offensively, the defense and pitching almost has to continue their dominance from last season. With new guys like Tyler Naquin and Rajai Davis in the outfield and Mike Napoli at first, the defense should be better this season than they were in 2015 though.
Scott: Again: They’ll have no choice. Remember when the Browns were built to play defense and run the ball, but couldn’t play defense? What happened? the exact same outcome will rear it’s ugly, error-tallying head for the Tribe if the gloves aren’t there to support the pitching staff. The offense isn’t equipped to score a lot, just like the Browns. If they want to avoid baseball’s version of 3-13, the defense better be ready.
Joe:I think the Indians defense will continue its 2015 second half surge. Lindor really solidified the middle infield defense, making up for some of the defensive deficiencies of Jason Kipnis. Lindor is a stud in the field. The corner infield positions should see solid defense with the additions of Juan Uribe and Mike Napoli. Yan Gomes is steady behind the plate. In the outfield, Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin, Raja Davis and Marlon Byrd are all solid to good defenders. There are not many holes in the defense like in past seasons.
Indians Season
Are the Indians (as presently constructed) a World Series contender? If not, what are they missing and can they obtain it?
Craig: They’re a contender. The Indians are easily in the top 15 or so of MLB and maybe in the bottom part of the top ten. That means they are legitimately a contender. Plus, you just have to love their chances if they make it into the playoffs with the pitching staff the way it projects.
Michael: Yes, but the American League is full of World Series contenders. Only the Oakland Athletics and Anaheim Angels are really teams that do not seem to be capable of making a postseason push. Once a team gets to October, it sure helps to have an outstanding pitching staff, but really anything can happen. The Indians will need the pitching and defense to be the component they rely on throughout the season to push themselves through the parity of the AL.
Clayman: With Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar, of course. You also have to consider that the offense has never really had all its core players clicking in the same season beforeâBrantley, Kipnis, Gomes, Santana, and now Lindor. If all five produce to their capabilities, and just one of the other pieces proves dependable, you suddenly donât have so many worries about run production. That said, itâs hard to envision a contending Indians team not acquiring some sort of outfield upgrade by mid summer.
Josh:Â Whether I’m being biased here or not, yes, I believe they have enough. With a starting rotation like they have, they will always be legitimate World Series contenders. If they can survive through the torrid AL Central this season, they will say so much about the kind of team they have. But, if they are missing one thing, it’s still a right-handed bat that scares opposing pitchers. Napoli will definitely help their woes against lefties, but he isn’t that scary of a hitter at the plate.
Scott: They are, butâif you’re picking up on a theme hereâevery single player needs to perform. This highly praised pitching staff has to live up to expectations. Michael Brantley needs to not just return, but produce at MVP levels. Frankie Lindor can’t hit a rookie wall. Juan Uribe has to make fans forget about guys like Todd Frazier and David Freese. If all of these stars align, they’ll be right there. If they don’t we’ll be talking about how they’re one of 12 teams vying for the second Wild Card spot.
Joe: I think the Indians are close to a World Series contender, but they are lacking a hitter in the middle of the lineup to pair with Brantley to drive in runs consistently. The team should look to add one through trade, especially with such a good starting rotation. Also the team could need another consistent relief pitcher in the bullpen. But, the team is really close to being a contender and could very well develop into one if some of their players break out and exceed expectations.
Do you think the Indians can win the AL Central? Who is the biggest obstacle in the division?
Craig: No. I won’t believe it until I see it. Chasing Detroit has been a theme for a very long time and obviously now Kansas City has proven they’re to be feared every year until proven otherwise. So no, I’m not believing it yet. Kansas City is the best team in the division, but the Indians’ biggest obstacle is Detroit. The Indians were 7-11 against Detroit in 2015 and 7-12 against Minnesota. So who is the biggest obstacle? Probably the Indians are the Indians’ biggest obstacle.
Michael: I suppose until someone knocks off the Kansas City Royals, they are the obstacle. They are not returning the same team though and should take a step back. Whether it is enough of a step back for other teams to overtake them is the question. The AL Central is the toughest division in MLB this year with each team having some great parts and just needing to put things together. The Indians can certainly win it, but they need to take care of business in the division.
Clayman: Iâm going to be uncharacteristically optimistic and say Yes, this is the year they get over the hump. The Royalsâ pitching raises some question marks, the bullpen has thinned out a little bit, and losing Ben Zobrist and going to back to Omar Infante doesnât exactly speak to an improved club. The Tigers may bounce back, but Miggy and V-Mart arenât getting any younger, and Upton has a whole new league to figure out. The Twins are going to be very dangerous, but probably not a contender until 2017. The White Sox are also a team. I like our chances.
Josh:Â Do I think they can? Yes. Do I think they will? Probably not. Until someone knocks Kansas City off their pedestal, they will most likely win the division. Their lineup is just so good from top to bottom and their bullpen is lethal. With so many question marks, the Indians lineup could be good enough to compete, but those question marks will have to turn into good seasons for a majority of the hitters. But, like the theme has been for each of my answers so far, with such a strong pitching staff, anything is possible.
Scott: They can win, but I don’t think they’re going to. Way too many variables, all with much more down side than up. They were already behind KC heading into the offseason, and the White Sox, in my mind, improved much more than the Indians. The headwinds are surmountable, but it’ll take a year-long effort.
Joe: I think the Indians can win the AL Central because of their starting rotation. It is by far the best in the division. But, the biggest obstacle in the division is the World Champion Kansas City Royals. They have a winning culture with a complete team. They will be the team to beat.
If you got to pick one seven-game postseason series against any other team in baseball, then who would you want to see the Indians match up against?
Craig: As long as the Indians win, Indians vs. Cubs, of course.
Michael: The New York Mets are the obvious answer if their pitching is healthy because it would be so fun to watch these teams match up in the World Series. But, the Washington Nationals are another great matchup that would be so much fun seeing our pitching staff need to navigate Bryce Harper and our hitting someone muster enough runs against theirs. In the AL, I would love to beat the Yankees somewhere along the way. I just would prefer to not play the Cubs as it’d be nice to not be completely ignored if we did happen to make the World Series.
Clayman: I live five minutes from Wrigley Field, so this is an easy one.
Josh: The Cubbies. For the first time in a long time, either the city of Cleveland’s drought will end or the Cubs’ will win the World Series (preferably the former). Please make it happen, Baseball Gods.
Scott: The Cubs would be a great matchup if only for the narrative on the championship drought, but It has to be the Mets, right? Vegas’ mind would explode given the incredibly low over under totals. Every pitcher would matter. Think Rangers-Cardinals in 2011, but with so much more on the line. Would be incredible cinema. Plus, it would mean the Indians are back in the World Series. Finally.
Joe: I would like to see the Indians match up against the Detroit Tigers. I want to see the team finally get over the hump that is the Detroit Tigers. The Indians have been dominated by Detroit over the past couple seasons and I just want to see them finally take them down. The Tribe is a better team than them and should be able to overtake them and beat them in a seven game season. It would be glorious to see them do it too, especially after the past few years of getting drudged.
35 Comments
Make us forget about the Browns for a few months.
Anything more is just bonus.
Wild-card Prediction: Carlos slumps through June (for the umpteenth time), rallies in July, slumps in August, does OK in September. Ends up with .223 ~70 RBIs ~50 Runs and 20ish XBH and then the Indians make some offseason excuse about him playing hurt again.
Indians finish with 85 wins, third in the Central and outside looking-in come September. Great defense and pitching are unable to score runs which ultimately kills our post-season dreams.
least amount of Santana XBH – 47 (2012). In fact, all those numbers would be career lows (most by quite a bit), but we all know you hate Santana. Get ready to be wrong about him (again). đ
When have I been wrong about Carlos?
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/527/882/afe.jpg
“Kansas City has proven theyâre to be feared every year until proven otherwise. ”
I know this is the third year in a row now I’d say this, but looking at that roster, why exactly should I be fearful? Their lineup doesn’t look any better than Cleveland’s, and I would only take Volquez, maybe Ventura because of the breakout potential, over anyone in our rotation. So we’re left looking at their great bullpen, the most fickle positions on the roster. If we could cover up their record last year, and just looked at the names and numbers, would anyone think they were any more than an 85ish win team?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a0/TheGameOfLoveSantanaftMichelleBranch.jpg/220px-TheGameOfLoveSantanaftMichelleBranch.jpg
Another factor in their favor: they cover the OF grass better than any team in MLB.
I think they are well-built especially because they are built a bit different than most teams. The swing-first approach throws some teams off (for example). We’ll see what happens with more teams focused on beating their style.
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/images/uploads/article/CarlosSantanaTacklesFan.gif
Swinging is better than not swinging you say?
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Wbw5p52RDWs/hqdefault.jpg
I just guess I’m not sure these things that we’re assigning to the Royals’ success are actually evidence of a team that can punch above its weight. There have been great OF defenses and great contact teams in the past that didn’t turn what looked like mediocre talent into a a juggernaut’s records.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-royals-are-basically-the-best-contact-team-ever/
65 years of baseball history shows no correlation between high contact rates and pushing extra runs over the plate.
Fangraphs has last year’s Rays equal to the Royals when it comes to OF defense, and they finished .500 with underlying metrics that said they actually should have been a bit better.
I would say they have a good team, I expect them to be over .500, but there seems to be this air about them, where people expect them to run over the division like the 90s Indians teams did, and they just aren’t that good.
Oh, I don’t expect them to run away with anything. That “air” is merely the WS-champ thing. It doesn’t always mean much. But, I would be surprised if KC wasn’t at least in it near the end.
The White Sox are also a team.
I just wanted to highlight this line from above. Genius writing that made me laugh.
I want to see us play the Pirates in the World Series. It’d be nice for Cleveland to beat the crap out of Pittsburgh on the way to a title for a change.
While I only highlighted Craig’s line, Josh, Scott, and Joe also seem to default to the Royals, as, obviously, do so many other people out in the MLB fandom. It just seems lazy and intentionally safe to me. I don’t see many real arguments as to how the Royals are good, just that they are.
Only problem is the Pirates are the Bengals of MLB. Good enough to get to the postseason consistently. Not good enough to advance once they get there.
If only someone would write 2000 words on why Indians fans should love Carlos Santana đ
What does that make us? The Browns of MLB?
I was on vacation when that posted but here is a 2000 word rebuttal:
Canât hit, canât field, too slow, bad on the bases. (Copy and paste 200 times)
See…that is why you are wrong đ
When is the last time the Browns finished above .500 three straight years?
I think we are the Texans.
If a player requires a 2000 word defense… he probably isn’t worthy of it.
I was thinking that but they made the post-season last year
Liriano looked pretty stellar yesterday.
I agree with that, and the Indians need to get past the Tigers to get to the playoffs. That has been their nemesis.
Santana did not require anything. He was merely the Muse upon which inspired my rhetoric.
Remember when Andy Dalton looked like a MVP candidate early in the season? The defense rests.
Yes, they either barely make the playoffs or just miss. Just teetering around that line but have the promise of more because of some really great individual players (Watt/Kluber).
Jury finds in favor of plaintiff.
Dalton’s injury last year might prove that Dalton was, indeed, the MVP. The unstoppable team was stopped in its tracks because it lacked their QB.
(Well, and because they have a bunch of idiots on defense that can’t control themselves.)
Hey now, the defense gets last word and the judge/jury is not allowed to insert new evidence into the trial!
A.J. McCarron played equivalent to Dalton in his regular season games (Hue Jackson). But, Mr. Red Rifle went 2-3 down the stretch after starting 8-0. And, in those final five starts, he only went over 234 yards once (in a loss).
Take it to the appeals court. A jury can make any decision it wants. It’s the beauty, and horror, of our whole process. You don’t have to like the verdict, but you do have to live with it. Sorry. My hands are tied.
Aha, I will make my appeal based on the fact the judge operated the trial with his hands tied. Operation under such duress is grounds for an obvious mistrial.
If Justice is blindfolded, surely a judge can be tied. That’s science.
Predictions:
Gomes is a no brainer for comeback. Could have his best season yet. Perez is a big part of that.
Like Santana hitting behind Napoli, and maybe Uribe can hit 4th some as well. Sandwiched between a quality 4 and a hot Gomes is ideal for Carlos.
Look for sophomore “slump” of .275 to .282 for Lindor. Take that every year from a gold glove SS.
Carrasco emerges as the ace of the staff. Anderson will overtake Salazar for No 3.
Tribe plays mediocre ball to the break, a few above .500. They will call up Frazier and make a trade by the break.
Chis will be wearing another MLB uniform this season. Out of options with too many youngsters coming up.
I think they go on a tear and win the division. 91 wins.
They won’t go to the Series this year. Still a year away.
This team can be very good for a long period of time. They not only have the pitching staff locked up, they have great arms and prospects in the minors. Not all of those guys will hit, but some will. Kluber, Carrasco and Anderson are proof they can develop pitching. Bauer always has been, and will continue to be, a head case.
Go Tribe!
Hey my statement was strictly one of fact. Conjecture on both your parts overruled.
Anderson will overtake Salazar for No 3.
Out on a limb with that one, I like bold predictions (I don’t agree, but still like it).