No Competition? No Problem!

The Indians are going to win the AL Central. This much is absolutely certain.

This is one of those freak years where 4 teams in a division are absolutely terrible, and one happens to be really good. The Indians have the luxury of not having to be INCREDIBLE this season, just better than the competition. And so far, they've been exactly that. The outfield has been a bit more disappointing than usual, and some of the flagship hitters have been mildly disappointing, but with a pitching staff like that, it's not a huge loss.

The bullpen has DEFINITELY improved since June, with Brad Hand being a better closer than Cody Allen, Neil Ramirez has improved his ERA, Andrew Miller is back with a vengeance, and Oliver Perez is still riding pretty high. The rotation is still strong, even with Shane Bieber bringing up the rear. The Ramirez-Lindor duo is still hella powerful, and the team is still winning games.

I do worry about how a team that's been coasting like this will stack up against teams that have arguably had to work harder for their playoff spots, but...they're the Indians. They've been solid for the past few years, and they've worked off of the same base. I imagine they'll make their usual effort, so...other teams should proceed with caution.

Coming Tonight: 3 years ago, he was one of the biggest stars in the game. Now, he's not AS good, but he's still a member of one of the strongest teams in baseball.