The Cleveland Indians have completed 1/6th of the 2021 regular season with last night’s 8-6 win against the Kansas City Royals.
While many people like to wait until the season has passed the quarter pole (40 games) to evaluate the team, we believe 27 games is a fair measure of the how the team is doing.
Right now, the Indians are hovering around the .500 mark, which is where we felt they would be before the season started. As we stand right now, only three teams are five games over the break even point (Boston, Kansas City, and Oakland) and only two (Minnesota and Detroit) are five games below that mark.
The Tribe’s strength was supposed to be the pitching staff and that remains so, even with the starting rotation springing a couple of leaks early in the campaign. Cleveland is 6th in the American League in ERA at 3.79.
The challenge is scoring runs. When Terry Francona’s squad score four or more runs in a game, they are 13-1. The league average is 4.31 runs/game.
When they score three or less, the record is 1-12.
Pitching wise, the top three starters, Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale have been as advertised. Outside of a bad outing by Plesac against the White Sox, the trio has given the Indians a chance to win every game they have pitched.
Unfortunately, the two rookies at the back of the rotation have struggled. Lefty Logan Allen, so impressive in spring training has already been replaced by another rookie, Sam Hentges, and Triston McKenzie has had major control issues, walking 18 in 18-2/3 innings (he has 29 strikeouts).
When the margin for error is so razor thin because of the offensive struggles, it’s tough to wait for the young hurlers to find their footing. McKenzie needs to throw strikes. His stuff is electric, but you can’t walk a hitter per inning at the big league level.
The bullpen has been excellent. People scoffed at bringing back Bryan Shaw (we didn’t), but he is part of the triumvirate to close out games. Shaw, James Karinchak, and closer Emmanuel Clase have combined to pitch 38-2/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs (0.93 ERA), striking out 54 and walking just 13.
Karinchak has 27 punchouts and two walks in 13 frames. Think about that for a second. He’s recorded 39 outs in total, 27 of those have been strikeouts.
Offensively, Jose Ramirez has decided not to make a late push for MVP this season, he’s off to a great start, with 8 homers and 17 RBIs to go with a .281 batting average (971 OPS). Franmil Reyes has a terrible strikeout to walk ratio (31:4), but has belted 7 dingers.
Jordan Luplow has earned everyday playing time through his six homers, including three of right-handed pitchers and 12 walks, which are third on the team behind Cesar Hernandez and Ramirez. Eddie Rosario seems to key in with runners in scoring position, knocking in 17 with a .230 batting average (648 OPS).
He’s a veteran with a track record, so we aren’t as concerned with him or Hernandez, who is hitting .194, but as we said, leads the team in walks.
That brings us to the rest of the lineup. First base continues to be a huge problem. Jake Bauers has been better lately, but Yu Chang isn’t contributing at the dish. They are a combined 15 for 90 (.167) without a home run and seven runs batted in.
To have a solid offense in the AL, you have to have at least six, maybe seven solid bats, and we already know the Tribe doesn’t care what the catcher hits, and neither Roberto Perez nor Austin Hedges make a living based on what they do with a bat in their hands.
Andres Gimenez has done well at short defensively, but he has a 557 OPS and a 21:3 K/BB ratio.
Josh Naylor was a big hope going into spring training, but he has seemed overanxious at the plate, walking just three times. He does lead the team in doubles, but despite playing pretty much every day, has just 5 RBI, the same as Chang
The Indians need him to be a run producer.
The success of the Cleveland Indians will continue to be based on their ability to score runs. After 27 games, we still have doubts they can do that based on the current roster.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 