The Cleveland Indians finished the first half of the 2019 season in style and enter the All-Star break on a 6-game winning streak, after sealing an 11-1 victory over their Ohio neighbors the Reds on Sunday. The Tribe have a 50-38 record and have closed the gap on the division-leading Twins to just 5.5 games, and currently possess one of the Wild Card positions as well.
Clearly there is still plenty to play for, and the team's recent performances have re-energized the Cleveland fanbase. The negativity and low morale that dogged the club in April and May seem a distant memory as the Indians prepare to host and celebrate their first All-Star Game since 1997.
Today I will recap the first half performances of the Tribe's four All-Star representatives: Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor, Brad Hand and Shane Bieber.
Carlos Santana - First Base
Carlos Santana returned to Cleveland this winter after spending the 2018 season in Philadelphia, and it's safe to say his homecoming has been an enormous success.
At the break, the 33-year old Santana is batting .297 with 19 home runs and 52 RBI, with a .418 OBP and a terrific .958 OPS (which leads all AL first baseman). Santana has long been known for his astonishing plate discipline and naturally his 64 walks lead all of MLB among first baseman as well.
Despite his decade's worth of consistency, this is his first All-Star appearance and he gets to enjoy the experience in front of his home fans in his own ballpark. Reports indicate he was in tears when he received the news he would be the starter.
Santana won the the inaugural Google MLB Starters Election, earning 49.2% of the vote to beat out New York's Luke Voit (25.8%) and Minnesota's C.J. Cron (25%). His selection also makes him the first Indians All-Star to start at first base since Jim Thome did it in 1999.
Not only will Santana be the sole Indians starter in the All-Star Game but he'll also represent the Tribe in the Home Run Derby tonight, going head-to-head with the Mets' Pete Alonso in the first round.
Since Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field) opened in 1994, Santana ranks fourth in home runs with 97 dingers, only trailing Jim Thome (190), Manny Ramirez (132), and Travis Hafner (97) in team history. Santana knows this ballpark well and he'll aim to use all of his knowledge to his advantage.
No Indians player has ever won the event so Santana will be aiming for more than just the bleachers - he'll be taking a shot at Cleveland history, and he'll have the full support of the capacity crowd cheering him all the way.
Francisco Lindor - Shortstop
The face of the Cleveland Indians and the city's primary All-Star Game Ambassador, it would have been a travesty if Francisco Lindor was not involved in an All-Star Game played in his ballpark. Thankfully, the star shortstop was selected via the player ballot and despite being a reserve (Jorge Polanco of Twins will start), Frankie should feature in his fourth consecutive Midsummer Classic.
Lindor missed Spring Training with a calf strain and then sprained his ankle just days prior to Opening Day, which resulted in him missing the first 20 games of the year. Once he returned to the lineup though, he quickly got back to work, reminding the league who is the premier shortstop of his generation.
Lindor has slashed .296/.356/.511 over 69 games and 284 at-bats, with 14 home runs and 32 RBI, with 13 stolen bases for good measure, all whilst displaying his otherworldly abilities on defense.
When he found out he'd been selected, Lindor said, "It’s a blessing. I’m blessed to be part of it, especially being at home. It’s going to be a great event. I can’t wait."
Brad Hand - Relief Pitcher
Indians closer Brad Hand has made the third straight All-Star game of his career, his first with Cleveland, and will hope to feature out of the bullpen at some stage during Tuesday night. Hand was voted to the squad by his fellow players and the dominant reliever certainly deserves his place.
Hand has been one of Terry Francona's most trusted weapons in 2019, and went a perfect 22-for-22 in his save opportunities to start the season. Only recently against the Royals did that streak come to an end, but he has gone on to throw three scoreless outings since.
Before that unfortunate 5-run pasting at the hands of Kansas City, Hand's ERA for the year was a minuscule 1.05. However, his current 2.17 ERA over 37.1 innings still puts him among the top of his peers, as does his outstanding 13.26 rate of strikeouts per nine innings. Hand's 23 saves this year have him tied for third place on the MLB leaderboard, and second only to Aroldis Chapman in the AL.
I'm sure I speak for most Cleveland fans when I say we'd be happy for Hand to take this mid-season break to enjoy the All-Star festivities without actually having to throw a pitch. The team are going to rely upon him in a big way as we head towards September, and hopefully October. We'll need Hand at his best, and maybe a few days rest could be beneficial in the long run.
Shane Bieber - Starting Pitcher
In just his second season as a pro, 24 year-old Shane Bieber is the youngest starting pitcher to earn an All-Star berth for the Indians since CC Sabathia in 2004. The right-handed starter will be part of the AL's pitching staff since he was added as an injury-replacement for Texas pitcher Mike Minor.
At the start of the season Bieber was comfortably the Tribe's fifth starter, after an impressive rookie campaign in 2018. Yet, no one could have envisioned that, among a rotation including Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Mike Clevinger, it would be Bieber featuring at the All-Star Game.
Let there be no mistake - Bieber's selection is definitely warranted; the California native boasts an 8-3 record with a 3.45 ERA over 18 starts and 112.1 innings. His 141 strikeouts in that span rank him 8th overall in the entire league, ahead of noted flamethrowers Jacob deGrom, Stephen Strasburg and Blake Snell, among others.
Similar to Hand, I share the same feelings in regards to seeing Bieber pitch on Tuesday night. Preferably I would like to see him there having a great time but not actually play, resting that incredibly valuable right arm instead. He's been a dependable workhorse for Francona this year, one of just two pitchers in the rotation not to succumb to injury (the other being Bauer).
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I will be making the effort to stay awake Tuesday night, a 00:30 start for me here in England. There was no way I would miss my team hosting the All-Star Game, and I am particularly excited to see Santana representing the Indians.
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