This week (March 10-14), I start to write about teams I’m really excited about. Granted, I’m excited about a lot of teams I’ve already previewed, but this week, I start to talk about teams that have legitimate chances at the playoffs.
And it starts off with the Cleveland Indians.
The 2013 Cleveland Indians made a lot of investments in the 2012-13 offseason, and those investments paid off as the Tribe made an appearance in the 2013 Wild Card game.
While Cleveland was the beneficiary of some surprising contributions, mainly the re-emergence of Ubaldo Jimenez in the second half, the newfound success of Scott Kazmir, and the emergence of Danny Salazar as an ace-like pitcher, some those pieces have moved on (Kazmir to Oakland, Jimenez to Baltimore). But the Tribe returns key contributors Justin Masterson, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley, who give them great chances at yet another postseason run.
What I like about the Indians is the offensive balance they boast. Other than Carlos Santana, I think it’s fair to say they don’t have a true power hitter, which in my mind is just fine, and I’ll slowly justify this.
It starts at the top with table-setters like Michael Bourn, Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis. While Kipnis may be the second closest bat to a power hitter they have, he’s never hit more than 20 homers in a season and has a solid .270 career batting average. Between the two of them, Bourn (23) and Brantley (17) stole 40 bases, a low number given Bourn could easily steal 40 himself, but at their best, the two could easily steal upwards of 60.
Michael Brantley in my opinion is one of the real underrated players on this Cleveland roster, and possibly the American. While 2013 wasn’t an impressive season, Brantley is well on his way to being a mainstay in this lineup. A .284 ‘13 average with a career best in homers (10), RBIs (73), runs scored (66) and stolen bases (17), Brantley’s average is probably where he’ll peak, but he could get better in homers and definitely stolen bases. A 20/20 could be awaiting the Tribe with this hidden gem.
Which then gets you to the middle of this order where Kipnis, Santana and Nick Swisher, among a few others are asked to drive these guys in. While Kipnis set a career high in RBIs with 74, Santana and Swisher had career lows in RBIs. I predicted last year Swisher would struggle coming over from the bandbox in the Bronx to the pitcher friendly Progressive Field. I wasn’t wrong.
And listen, I think Nick Swisher means far more to the Indians than his production shows, and I truly think a lot of their run to the postseason has to be credited to him, because him and Giambi were the only members of this team that had seen the postseason, so again, a lot of credit for that has to go to him and his off-field impact.
But on the field, Swisher is, and always has been a stat stuffer. Meaning, at the end of a season, his stats look great! They really do. But when you’re going through a 162 game schedule, and he’s averaging pretty close to 150 games per year, he hits highs with almost maximum production, and he hits his lows with almost minimum contributions. But again, and I’ve had this discussion with my best friend who is a die-hard Tribe fan, the Indians brought him in to do more than deliver on the field.
Now, when it comes to the big three in Cleveland (Santana, Kipnis, and Swisher), nobody hit 90 RBIs for Cleveland last year. Other than Cleveland and Tampa, every playoff team had at least one player reach 90 RBIs, which means other guys contributed to the team who was in the top 10 (6) in team RBIs, fifth in runs scored, and sixth in runs per game. Again, back to my point of balance in the lineup.
The 2013 Indians add a nice left-handed bat in David Murphy from Texas. Murphy should be a nice presence offensively that will give them a solid batting average and while his home run numbers might dip, he should still be a decent power presence.
After a dismal 2013, I think a big rebound candidate is Asdrubal Cabrera. His .243 average was the lowest of his career. Normally a .270-.310 hitter, Cabrera should bounce back in 2014. The problem Cabrera faces is a young phenom, Francisco Lindor, looking over his shoulder. I think if Cabrera bounces back, I can’t say it would be surprising if Cleveland looks to clear him out while his value is high to allow Lindor a spot in the big leagues. That’s a scenario likely to happen later in the season, if it happens at all. But much like many scouts and the Indians, I’m really high on Lindor and I believe he’ll be solid bat to come through the Cleveland farm system.
When you look at the Cleveland rotation, overall, it’s solid. Justin Masterson seems to be coming into his own. Danny Salazar really established himself as a shutdown starter late in the season, and we’ll see if he can carry that into 2014. Zach McAllister seems to be improving, and we’ll see if he too, can carry that momentum into 2014.
What’s even better about the Tribe pitching is their bullpen. After what appeared to be a falling out between Cleveland and Chris Perez, the Indians made a nice splash in getting John Axford from Milwaukee. I still think Axford has plenty to offer at the end of games, but if not, the combination of Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen are capable second options. The Indians should be very solid in the back end of ballgames.
The Cleveland Indians are going to be a solid team in 2013. While I don’t know if they can contend for the AL Central, the Wild Card is not completely out of the realm of possibility. If guys continue to step up offensively, their starting rotation continues make strides, and the bullpen holds up, don’t be surprised if the Indians are back in the Wild Card game and making a run at a divisional series appearance.
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