Regular Season Review: Position Players

Success breeds expectation, and when a city and its fanbase become accustomed to winning on a consistent basis, a regular season like the Indians just had can feel slightly underwhelming.

I suppose it can be considered a positive sign of how far the Tribe have progressed when a third straight AL Central title is only greeted with modest applause, and not city-wide celebrations. We all know that champagne sprayed in September doesn’t taste the same as it does in late October, and the players know this more than anybody.

It’s not their fault that people feel this way. Ever since Cleveland’s 2016 journey to game seven of the World Series, the only results that really matter are those that occur in the postseason. Nothing else matters once you’ve come so close to having it all.

With that said, their performance over the many months of the regular season deserves recognition. Despite the lack of competition in their division, the players still had a job to do and they achieved their mission. A number of guys have really excelled in 2018, and this review will focus on them and all the other contributors that helped build this Indians club into a contender.

The Lineup

Francisco Lindor SS - 745 PA, .277 BA, .352 OBP, .519 SLG, 38 HR, 92 RBI, 129 R, 70 BB, 25 SB
Michael Brantley LF - 631 PA, .309 BA, .364 OBP, .468 SLG, 17 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 48 BB, 12 SB
Jose Ramirez 3B - 698 PA, .270 BA, .387 OBP, .552 SLG, 39 HR, 105 RBI, 110 R, 106 BB, 34 SB
Edwin Encarnacion DH - 579 PA, .246 BA, .336 OBP, .474 SLG, 32 HR, 107 RBI, 74 R, 63 BB, 3 SB
Yonder Alonso 1B - 574 PA, .250 BA, .317 OBP, .421 SLG, 23 HR, 83 RBI, 64 R, 51 BB, 0 SB
Yan Gomes C - 435 PA, .266 BA, .313 OBP, .449 SLG, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 52 R, 21 BB, 0 SB
Melky Cabrera RF - 278 PA, .280 BA, .335 OBP, .420 SLG, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 28 R, 20 BB, 1 SB
Jason Kipnis 2B - 601 PA, .230 BA, .315 OBP, .389 SLG, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 65 R, 60 BB, 7 SB
Greg Allen CF - 291 PA, .257 BA, .310 OBP, .343 SLG, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 36 R, 14 BB, 21 SB

The undisputed leaders of this team are Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. This young pair have surpassed all expectations (and they were particularly high in Lindor’s case) and together they have emerged into legitimate MVP candidates. The dynamic duo continue to make their mark on history, and became the first teammates to reach 80 extra-base hits in consecutive seasons since Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio achieved it for the 1936-37 Yankees.

Lindor was voted to his third straight All Star game and somehow improved upon his performance from last season. This year he’s collected a career-high 38 home runs, putting to bed the notion that he would never develop into a power hitter, but it’s also encouraging that he’s been able to raise his batting average as well (.273 in 2017, to .277 this year). This team will go as far as Lindor carries them, in 2018 and in the years to come, and Indians fans everywhere will celebrate the day the club can tie him down to a long term deal. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

Ramirez emerged into one of the most dangerous hitters in the league last season but, like Lindor, has taken things to another level in 2018. His batting average has taken a slight dip but in exchange for a significant power increase, with a career-high 39 home runs. Perhaps the most welcome progression Ramirez has made is in his stolen base numbers, stealing an incredible 34 bags this year, good enough for fifth place in MLB. Now part of the elite 30/30 club, reserved exclusively for those with that unique combination of power and speed, he’s only the third player in the club’s history to achieve the feat (Joe Carter and Grady Sizemore the others) and first AL player since 2012. Jose's mixture of energy and power make for a dangerous mix, and the fans will be hoping he sticks around for a very long time.

Michael Brantley is another feelgood story of the season, and I could not be happier for him. When the Tribe picked up his contract for an extra year, many were sceptical due to his recent struggles with injury, but Brantley’s ability to remain in the lineup has been an absolute blessing. His consistency at the plate has kept the Tribe offense ticking along nicely and the veteran left fielder deservedly made the All Star team, for the third time.

The heavy hitters of Edwin Encarnacion and Yonder Alonso might not be able to keep up with Brantley when it comes to batting average, but they have contributed the sort of power numbers we wanted. Alonso has never been a prolific home run hitter, and last season was the first time in his career he hit double digits (with 28 HR split between Oakland and Seattle), so for him to collect 23 in his debut season with the Tribe is a respectable tally. Given Carlos Santana’s slight decline in offensive performance since his departure to Philadelphia (112 OPS+ in 2017, a 105 OPS+ in 2018), Yonder has performed admirably in his place.

Encarnacion's second season in Cleveland saw a small reduction in his numbers, but that’s mostly down to missing time with injuries, limiting him to 137 games. His 32 home runs continue his streak of seven consecutive years with 30+ homers but a slight concern is his decrease in walks, down from 104 in 2017 to 63 this year. Nevertheless, Edwin has still been a very capable and important player in 2018 and the Tribe will gladly accept the 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI from their first basemen and designated hitters.

If you took a poll in the spring, most fans would probably have agreed that the odds were slim of seeing the 2014 version of Yan Gomes ever again. However, the Brazilian backstop earned his first All Star call-up during a campaign that saw him recapture some of that form that made him one of the game’s best catchers just four year ago. His .266 batting average is a vast improvement from last year (.232) and he is still the defensive presence the Indians rely upon so much. Would-be base stealers know better than to run on Yan.

Brantley aside, the rest of the outfield were formed by committee to create a Frankenstein-like monster, composed of misfits and rookies. When Melky Cabrera was added to the Indians roster, most of us assumed he would be an insurance option at best but the 33 year-old surprised us all by developing into a key contributor. In the 78 games Cabrera featured in the field, the veteran soon endeared himself to the Tribe faithful. He was partnered for the majority of the season by either the rookie Greg Allen or veteran Rajai Davis in center, who both caused havoc on the bases, collecting 21 stolen bases each, helping the Indians rank first in the entire league with 135 SB total. Allen has been a fine defender in the field this season, although his bat is still developing, and Davis has been a solid presence when called upon, since his return to the team from 2016.

Jason Kipnis endured a difficult 2018 but the 31 year-old managed to stay healthy for the majority of the year. The second baseman, converted into a center fielder in September, struggled at the plate but never let his head drop, and did manage to turn things around a bit in the season’s final weeks (.282 average in the final couple of weeks with 6 of his 11 hits going for extra bases). His 18 home runs mark the second highest total of his career but he would be the first to admit his batting average is not where he would have liked it to be. A portion of the fanbase were starting to get on his back as the season progressed but as long as he’s on the team, I’ll continue to back him.

Other notable contributors include:

• Josh Donaldson, the Tribe’s new third baseman and former American League MVP, worked his way back to full health during his few weeks with the club, and he’ll be hoping he can carry his late season form into the postseason. In 60 plate appearances for the Tribe, Donaldson hit .280 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI, with a .400 OBP and a .520 slugging percentage.
• Brandon Guyer was used predominantly in right field this year, his third season in Cleveland, usually as part of a platoon but he wasn’t as effective as we might have hoped. Guyer’s ability to attack left-handers was always his calling card but this year Francona utilized him against righties too, but the results were about the same unfortunately (.233 BA against LHP and a .176 BA against RHP). The guy still has a talent for getting hit by pitches though, with 11 balls crashing into him this year!
• Roberto Perez, Erik Gonzalez, and Yandy Diaz were the handful of bench guys able to have an impact in the few games they featured in. Only Diaz really made an impression on me (although his renowned batspeed hasn’t translated into extra-base hits yet, with just 8 XBH in 143 PA) and Perez appears to have finally put to rest any notion that he could be an everyday catcher, despite his defensive abilities.
• Bradley Zimmer, Leonys Martin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Tyler Naquin were all hit by the injury bug and missed significant time. In the case of Martin, the life-threatening illness that derailed his season caused him to make just 6 appearances for the Indians after his trade from Detroit (they were at least 6 excellent appearances). All of us wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him anchor the outfield next year. Zimmer might have some trouble reclaiming his place in center field once healthy, since the addition of Martin and promotion of Allen, and Naquin will once again have to work hard to even make the roster. Chisenhall is set to leave Cleveland as a free agent, having never really fulfilled his potential with the Indians. He’ll be hoping a club is willing to take a chance on his return to full health, and the Indians might even be tempted to keep him around if the price is right.

As the Indians enjoy their first significant rest period since the All-Star break, attention now turns towards the Houston Astros and game one of the ALDS. The reigning champions host the Tribe this Friday and the lineup will be busy studying the likes of Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, and the rest of their impressive pitching staff ahead of what many predict to be a tightly contested series.

I will have a pitchers regular season review coming up shortly. Thanks for reading.

Greg Allen's Astounding August

Greg Allen has had a rollercoaster rookie season. The young outfielder has experienced plenty of up and downs in his short major league career (literally), as he's bounced between the Indians and their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus this year.

Perhaps the biggest down for Allen came with the trade deadline pickup of center fielder Leonys Martin at the start of the month. The club made a move to upgrade the position and the message to the rookie was clear.

You’re not ready.

Thankfully for the Indians, Allen did not dwell on the setback, and over the month of August the 25 year-old has excelled.

The incredibly unfortunate and life-threatening bacterial infection that has sidelined Martin appeared to be a devastating blow for the Indians. Having just acquired the center fielder, only to lose him days later, could have derailed the team's late season plans significantly.

In Martin's absence, Allen has stepped up and made the most of his increased playing time.

Since his return to everyday duties, Allen is riding a 14-game hitting streak, the longest streak by a Tribe rookie since 2010, when Michael Brantley (of course) had 19 consecutive hits. Over the course of his streak Allen has batted .400 with 1 home run, 6 RBI,  scored 11 runs, and collected 5 stolen bases.

He's made a positive impact in almost every single game he's featured in, on some of the biggest stages in the game. Most recently, that has included Fenway Park, the so-called Cathedral of Baseball.

Faced against a daunting Red Sox lineup, on course for a record-setting season, Allen has not appeared fazed by the bright New England lights at all.

In Monday night's first game of the series, Allen took Sox starter Rick Porcello deep for a 2-run homer that broke a tie game late in the 7th inning, giving the Tribe the lead. It turned out to be the difference in the Indians' 5-4 win.

Tuesday night saw Allen make more important contributions, this time in the field. The rookie made two outstanding catches to support his starter Shane Bieber, and the Indians held on again for a 6-3 win. Allen's first catch came in the 5th inning, when a long fly ball off the bat of Xander Bogaerts found Allen backtracking into deepest center field. As the youngster touched the warning track and got perilously close to the outfield wall, Allen leaped to snare the ball with his left hand before crashing into the padding. He managed to hold on for the out, cementing a highlight play he'll show his grandchildren one day.

His second catch was arguably more impressive. In the bottom of the 7th with Boston runners in scoring position and the home side smelling a comeback, Mitch Moreland connected on a low pitch and sent the ball arcing into the night sky. Allen took off on a diagonal run, again into the deepest part of Fenway Park. With his back to home plate the entire time, Allen took the ball over his shoulder with a one-handed catch, and held on as he slid into the dirt of the warning track. Boston managed to score on the sac-fly but if Allen hadn't caught that ball and been alert enough to fire it back into the infield, the Sox would have done some heavy damage on the scoreboard. Moreland isn't the fastest runner but he was probably thinking triple when he connected initially. Allen flat out robbed him.

Offensively and defensively, Allen has been an absolute joy to watch, and partnered in the outfield with the ever-consistent Brantley (August line: .354/.456/.523, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and the red-hot Melky Cabrera (past week: .333/.333/.952, 4 HR, 8 RBI), the Tribe have been firing on all cylinders.

In his post-game interviews with sideline reporter Andre Knott, Allen has been earnest and humble with his answers. Most of all, he seems to be really enjoying himself out there. Terry Francona, speaking about Allen prior to Tuesday's game, said; "Greg’s come back and done a really good job. When we lost Leonys, that was a huge hit for us. And Greg’s come up and... he has just filled in and looks like he belongs here. It makes it fun."

I've long been a fan of Allen, and his recent form has been so enjoyable to see. As Tito said, Allen certainly has been fun to watch, of that there is no doubt.

Tribe Triumph Over Tigers

The Indians returned to winning ways this weekend, taking two out of three from their trip to Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers, culminating in a dominant win in the rubber game on Sunday afternoon. In today's recap, I focus on one area of the team that has come under scrutiny this year, but might be cause for optimism going into August and beyond.

Options In The Outfield

Since the Indians were able to significantly upgrade their ailing bullpen with the additions of Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the Padres, the attention has now turned to how reinforcements might bolster the outfield, ranked by many as among the worst in the majors.

Perhaps the Tribe's current group had heard the rumblings that replacements might be just around the corner, as Rajai Davis, Melky Cabrera, Michael Brantley and Brandon Guyer all stepped up their productivity during their time in Detroit.

For the series, Davis batted 4-for-12 and the veteran had an especially notable Sunday, with two doubles and a triple, leading the Indians to a convincing 8-1 victory. He displayed prowess with his glove as well, making a couple of nice catches in center field. Davis also took time to acknowledge my praise on Twitter after the game, so if he hadn't already earned a fan for life after that home run, well he's definitely got my eternal support now.

Melky Cabrera went 4-for-9 over the series, which included his first home run of the season and his first as a member of the Indians. In the second inning of Sunday's game and just after the Tigers had tied the game at 1-1, the switch-hitter took a Jordan Zimmermann pitch over the right field wall, and the Tribe never looked back. Cabrera also made two outstanding catches in right field as well, both of them close to the wall. Since being recalled to the Indians, Cabrera has hit .407/.429/.593 (BA/OBP/SLG) in 28 plate appearances over eight games, whilst sharing right field duties with Brandon Guyer.

Speaking of Guyer, he had an important hit of his own this series, a pinch-hit 3-run homer on Saturday to give the Tribe some much-needed breathing room in their 8-3 win. In the top of the eighth inning the Indians were holding onto a slim 4-3 lead, when Guyer connected on a fastball low and inside, and drove the ball far over the left field fence to put the result beyond doubt. Guyer, the lefty-mashing specialist, is slashing .274/.391/.562 versus left-handers this year, with 5 home runs and 20 RBI.

Last but certainly not least is Michael Brantley, who went 5-for-14 against the Tigers, including a triple in Sunday's rubber game (which opened the scoring when Jose Ramirez brought Brantley home with a sac-fly). The ever-consistent left fielder is batting .302 this year over 93 games, with 12 home runs and 57 RBI, and a 117 OPS+. So far Brantley's health issues this year have been under control, and his reliable bat and plate discipline have combined to be the effective weapon we had hoped.

Obviously, one series against the lowly Tigers does not tell the entire story. It is not like all of Cleveland's outfield problems have miraculously disappeared just because a handful of guys had some good hits during the weekend. The front office is certainly smart enough to avoid getting carried away with this small sample of success, and the outfield situation is still alarming when you look at the bigger picture. Bradley Zimmer is out for the season and Lonnie Chisenhall might be joining him, plus Tyler Naquin will miss time with a hip issue.

There's no doubt the Indians should still be looking to upgrade their outfield before the trade deadline closes tomorrow, particularly in center field, and I made that clear in my last post. However, if the management's confidence in the current group continues to grow, and guys like Davis, Guyer and Cabrera can ride these hot streaks for a while longer, then perhaps the corners don't require as much attention as some might have previously thought.

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Some other brief talking points from Detroit:

• In the Indians' sole loss on Saturday, starter Mike Clevinger struggled through 5 innings and a sickness bug that had him drenched in sweat and unable to sleep the night before. Considering he was feeling so awful, his performance was admirable, giving up just 2 runs on the back of a JaCoby Jones 2-run shot that was enough for the Tigers to squeeze out a 2-1 win. Clevinger did rack up 8 strikeouts somehow, and it was a shame the offense couldn't support him.
• Yonder Alonso had a successful trip to the Motor City, crushing 2 home runs and collecting 5 RBI over 6 hits in 12 at-bats as he tormented the Tigers' pitchers. Alonso has been very impressive since the beginning of July, slashing .325/.386/.597 (BA/OBP/SLG) in 21 games, with 6 homers and 20 RBI, with a .984 OPS.
• Corey Kluber cruised to his 13th win of the year on Sunday, thanks largely to his ability to induce groundballs. Kluber was economical over 7.1 innings, getting 10 outs by letting his defense pick up the scraps. He had 5 strikeouts as well, and was keeping Detroit hitters off balance all afternoon. This was an encouraging performance from the Tribe ace, after the concerning performances in his other post-All Star appearances.

The Indians now travel to Minnesota for a three game set with the 48-56 Twins. If the Indians are able to leave Target Field with a series win or a sweep, it should be the final nail in the coffin for their AL Central rivals, essentially extinguishing any hopes they still had of catching the Tribe. Shane Bieber will take the mound for the Indians in Monday's first game, and he will face Ervin Santana, making just his second start of the year for Minnesota after finger surgery in February ruled him out for the first half of the season.

Tribe Overcome Mighty Machado and O's

Despite dropping the first game of their series at Camden Yards, the Indians won their next three to clinch a four-game set against the Orioles, taking their overall record to 12-8. With a week still left in April, the Tribe have already established a slim lead in the AL Central, with all of their rivals currently sporting sub-.500 records.

Let's take a look at some of the talking points from the Indians' successful trip to Baltimore:

Rotation Domination

I'm running out of superlatives for this pitching staff. Everyone knew heading into this season that the strength of this team lay in the rotation, but it still astounds me that they can be this good.

Even in the Indians' 3-1 loss to begin the series on Friday, the quality of the pitching performance by Trevor Bauer was still better than what most of the league can trot out every fifth day. Bauer was on the hook for the loss that night, but his performance was decent: 7 innings of work, 5 hits and 3 walks given up for 3 earned runs, one of them a homer off the red-hot bat of Manny Machado (more on him later). Bauer had 6 strikeouts as well, and over four starts this year has a tidy total of 27 K's in 27 innings. He's off to a great start this season, and this loss is just a case of poor luck. The offense took a night off and couldn't support Bauer, and he was unfortunately matched up against Dylan Bundy, who was absolutely dealing Friday night, with that nasty slider of his.

Saturday afternoon saw the Tribe back on track, with Mike Clevinger having a career day on the mound, pitching his first complete game shutout in a 4-0 win. Clevinger, who has struggled with high pitch counts in the past, was completely locked in against the Orioles, utterly dominant for nine scoreless frames, allowing just 2 measly hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts. It was a seriously impressive performance from the 27 year-old right-hander, who is off to an amazing start in 2018.

Corey Kluber got the nod on Sunday afternoon and pitched well in the Baltimore sunshine, picking up his third win of the campaign in the Indians' 7-3 victory. Kluber lasted 7 innings, surrendering 6 hits for 3 earned runs, to go along with 4 strikeouts. It wasn't a vintage Kluber display but, like most teams, the Orioles' lineup still struggled to give him much trouble. All except Machado (again), who tagged the Tribe ace for 3 hits on the day, including 2 home runs. Machado's first home run of the day simply destroyed the baseball, with an exit velocity recorded at 107.9 mph. Sheesh...

Carlos Carrasco was sent to seal the series win on Monday night and he delivered, pitching beautifully in a tight 2-1 Indians win. In yet another pitching duel, Carrasco prevailed over Kevin Gausman, allowing 6 hits for 1 run over 7.1 innings, with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks. Carrasco preserved his perfect record and is now a clean 4-0 to start the season. He constantly mixed his pitches to induce swings and misses, and gave the Baltimore lineup nightmares all evening.

Manny Mania Is A Real Thing

Manny Machado was a one man wrecking crew throughout this series, and did everything he could to help his Orioles to victory. Thankfully for Indians fans his efforts were in vain, but Machado is an interesting talking point.

Over 4 games and 16 plate appearances, Machado batted .500 with 6 hits, 4 walks, and smashed 3 mammoth home runs. These weren't home runs that just cleared the fences, these were absolute monsters, with two of them coming off reigning AL Cy Young winner Kluber. That's no easy feat.

On the season so far, Machado is batting .360 with 8 home runs, tied for second in the league, only trailing Mike Trout (who has 9). He has 14 walks and 15 strikeouts, a relatively promising ratio for such a young slugger.

Baltimore have surely resigned themselves to losing Machado, as the 25 year-old is a free agent at the end of this season. His availability was a hot topic at the Winter Meetings, with trade rumors for the O's franchise player doing the rounds. Surprisingly, Machado stayed put, but most observers don't expect he will last the season at Camden Yards, and will be dealt to a contender by mid-summer.

Could the Indians be one of those contenders? Will they enter the race for "Manny Machado, Super-Rental?"

Because that's exactly what he would be, a 4-5 month rental player, available to the highest bidder at the end of October. Realistically, the Indians will not be one of those bidders, as a player of Machado's quality will be far too expensive and command too much for Cleveland's modest bank balance.

Which leaves the question, would a trade for Machado on a short-term basis be worth it?

Baltimore would obviously demand a high ransom for their star player but if Machado is the last piece of the puzzle to clinch a World Series, then you have to consider going all-in. In my opinion, Machado is a talent that could swing a World Series in Cleveland's favor.

For fun, let's look at a possible trade scenario:

• Indians receive: Manny Machado SS 
• Orioles receive: Jason Kipnis 2B, Triston McKenzie RHP

Before you come at me with flaming torches and pitchforks, just hear me out.

McKenzie is considered by most analysts to be the Indians' top pitching prospect, a 6-5 starter who throws a 90-95 fastball with unbelievable location, and an excellent curveball. At just 20 years-old, McKenzie is the kind of prospect a General Manager like Dan Duquette could fall in love with.

So why include Kipnis I hear you ask? Adding Machado would create a real logjam in the infield, so someone has to make room and as much as I love Kip, he's the odd man out in this hypothetical situation.

Machado would take over duties at third base, with Lindor staying put at shortstop, and Jose Ramirez naturally replaces Kipnis at second base, a position he has displayed considerable ability at as recently as 2017. I would be very conflicted to lose Kipnis, but in truth, I think most Tribe fans would rank Ramirez above him, which makes Kipnis expendable (it hurts just typing that).

Do I make this trade if I'm Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff? In a heartbeat.

I'm firmly of the belief that Machado is the kind of player that could tip the scales in Cleveland's favor. With a dominant rotation already in place, and with elite bullpen pieces like Andrew Miller and Cody Allen in support, Machado would take the Indians to the next level.

I'm clearly all-in on Machado, and the Indians should give serious consideration towards joining me.

Making Moves For Melky

A final piece of news to end this longer-than-usual series recap: Melky Cabrera has been signed on a minor-league contract. The switch-hitting veteran is expected to report to Triple-A Columbus after a physical has been completed, and he will be looking to add some pop to the Tribe's outfield.

In 2017 Cabrera slashed .285/.324/.423 (BA/OBP/SLG) with 17 home runs and 85 RBI in 156 games, split between the Royals and White Sox. At the very least, he could offer some depth support if our current outfield options get hurt or under-perform.

The biggest question mark with Cabrera is his defense, and the numbers certainly don't like his glovework: in 2017 he had a -20 DRS rating and an overall UZR/150 of -11.4. I'm not a firm believer in defensive metrics telling the entire story, but Cabrera's stats don't exactly fill you with confidence.

Overall, I think he could be a useful signing, and honestly it's surprising nobody picked him before the Indians did. With Lonnie Chisenhall still out of action for the foreseeable future, having Cabrera as an option is not a bad way to go, and comes with very little risk.