Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Guardians

 

Of the four teams that made it to the Championship Series round of the playoffs, three of them represented some of the highest payrolls in baseball. The Dodgers and Yankees, who always overspend, and also the Mets, who've become a high spender under the Steve Cohen regime.

And then, in the other corner, the Cleveland Guardians. Who only have five guys on multi-year deals [one of which just got traded anyhow], most of them manageable, and were without one of them already. This is a very low-budget Guardians team, which has relied almost entirely on youth movements to populate the majority of the roster, and they still won 92 games and made it to an ALCS over teams like the Astros, Royals and Orioles, who bought their way to glory this year [to a degree]. 

Just look at their starting shortstop, Brayan Rocchio, who got the position after breaking out last year. Rocchio, like Andres Gimenez, is a defense-first infielder, and this year was one of the best defensive shortstops in the league. I know this team still wishes they never traded away Lindor, but Rocchio, defensively, is right there with him. Offensively he's not great yet, he hit .206 this year, but that's not why he kept the position. He kept the position because he was a crucial piece of that infield, [a combined 16.1 WAR], and because at the very least he could snag a hit by when needed. During the postseason he hit .333 with 11 hits and 2 RBIs. Only Steven Kwan hit better than him in October.

2025 Prediction: His average trends upward and he's in the mix for a gold glove. The only thing is I'm not sure if he'll find a double play partner like Gimenez.

2023 set up a young rotation supplanting the main one in Cleveland, consisting of rookies Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen and Xzavion Curry. Allen and Curry struggled in 2024, Bibee became the #1 man in Bieber's absence, and Williams...did alright. He only had 16 starts due to injuries, but had a 4.86 ERA and 74 Ks. He started one playoff game and got lit up. 

2025 Prediction: His age-25 season produces his most confident material yet, enough to really reassure the team going forward.

Will Brennan was the team's starting right fielder for the majority of the year, and in that time he hit .264 with 8 home runs and 30 RBIs. Not bad, but not the most notable of the Cleveland outfielders. Eventually he was platooned with Jhonkensy Noel. In the playoffs, Brennan had 2 hits in 12 at-bats.

2025 Prediction: Isn't a starter but has a few good games.

I did customs of most of the mighty 2024 Guardians bullpen, including Clase, Gaddis and Smith, yet unsurprisingly there's two noteworthy ones I didn't get to. Tim Herrin deserves to be listed with the prior three, as he was equally as dominant. In 75 games, he had a 1.92 ERA with 5 wins and 68 Ks, plus a 0.975 WHIP. In the postseason, he had a 1.08 ERA with only 1 earned run in 9 appearances.

2025 Prediction: Okay, his ERA rises above 2, but he remains consistent.

Meanwhile, Pedro Avila, once a member of the Padres' own youth movement, kicked around a few clubs before landing in Cleveland midyear, which, of course, was the exact moment his season turned around. In 50 games with the Guardians, Avila had a 3.25 ERA with 73 Ks and 5 wins. In the playoffs he was hitless, and scoreless, through 3 appearances, and might I say that the Yankees couldn't even get anything done against him.

2025 Prediction: I reckon he'll only be as reliable as he was in October in fleeting moments, but he definitely stays in Cleveland.

2024 was the last MLB season for Carlos Carrasco, who, after two years in New York, returned to Cleveland to retire with the team that made him a star. Obviously he's past his peak years, and went 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA in 21 games [with 89 strikeouts, to boot], but he was a solid innings eater during a time of tumult for the rotation. It was a very cool moment to see him throw out the first pitch in October at Progressive Field. He's likely done, but I'm glad he got to end it this way.

Meanwhile, in regards to the future, the Guardians brought up corner infield prospect Kyle Manzardo this year, just to have an extra power bat around. Manzardo hit 20 homers in the minors this year, and only 5 in the majors. Not that he was completely stymied, he hit .235 and had 15 RBIs in 53 games, but he wasn't the immediate power success that Big Christmas was. The good news was that the postseason came naturally to Manzardo, as he hit .316 with 6 hits, 2 RBIs and a huge home run. A very good sign for his future prospects.

2025 Prediction: The one thing I worry about in regards to Manzardo is his ability to fit into this roster alongside the current 1B/DH, Josh Naylor. Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks, and the Guardians already proved they're not above trading away marquee guys this year. Though I actually think Manzardo might have the better season next year.

And then, after all the Guardians' pitching woes, they traded for Alex Cobb, who spent the first half injured in San Francisco. Cobb made three regular season starts before getting hurt again, but he seemed to have his wits about him, going 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.041 WHIP. His postseason starts weren't as good, he lost both of them with a 7.94 ERA. But it was nice that he could still be relied upon by an MLB roster in October after all this missed time.

2025 Prediction: Oh, I don't even know. He'll make some decent starts for the Tigers next year, but I don't know if it'll be all 32.

Coming Tomorrow- It nearly looked like it was about to happen, but once again the Mariners just couldn't get it done when it counted.

Mets-Braves, as All Things Should Be

 
5 games left in the regular season and the NL East is even. Absolutely even. 

We know two teams aren't making the playoffs, the Nationals and Marlins. We know the Phillies could make it in if they keep winning games and don't...do what the usually do and choke when all eyes are upon them. And we know that both the Meta and the Braves are making the playoffs. 

But...they're tied at the top of this division. The team that leads the division gets the bye, the other has to play the Padres in the wild card series. 

So you can understand why this series has been cutthroat so far. The Braves got a win to tie the division, but nothing's been easy. The Mets put up Jacob deGrom to start this series, and suddenly people have figured out how to hit him. He gave up 3 runs against the Braves yesterday, and ultimately got the loss. How incredible do you have to be to outdo Jacob deGrom? Forgetting that, in addition to those 3 runs he also struck out 11 Braves, which...I mean, sounds about right. But to get past him for some runs and to raise his ERA above 3, which is rare? You've gotta have something going on.

The Braves have been great because anybody can be the hero at any time. Yes, there are the perennials, like Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna and Dansby Swanson, but last night Matt Olson, Orlando Arcia and Eddie Rosario were responsible for runs. Travis d'Arnaud is hitting .270 with 18 homers and 58 RBIs, while William Contreras is hitting .276 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs. Literally whichever catcher they put in will deliver. You haven't had a dual catching platoon like that since Grandal and McCann in Chicago in 2020. And then the rookies, the utility infielders, and the depth piece have made it so that most Braves hitters can be relied upon to do something awesome.

And at the same time, the Mets' pitching has been ridiculous this year. You're leading with DeGrom and Scherzer, which is already incredible, but then the other guys come in and kill it in support. Taijuan Walker, after falling apart in the second half last year, has rebounded tremendously, and has a 12-5 record with 22 Ks. Carlos Carrasco and Chris Bassitt both have 15 wins, and both are having great seasons while in the midst of their 30s. Carrasco especially has made a big impact this year as a reliable veteran presence  while keeping his stability from his Cleveland years intact. And while everybody's healthy now, David Peterson and Trevor Williams were excellent depth options that were capable of great starts when possible. Same with Tylor Megill, who was so good in the first month and a half of the season.

And then, ya know...they have one of the best closers in baseball, so there's that.

I honestly think the Braves have the edge right now, and could possibly be the better postseason team, but when the Mets get momentum they're just as unstoppable. Pete Alonso could become an unstoppable postseason hitter, and he probably will anyway. But...I still think the Braves have the better chance of taking the division. I guess we'll have to see how it all goes, though.

Exactly What the Mets Needed?

 I used to do a bit on here called 'this trade makes no sense', and more and more I've been using the alternative angle of 'this trade makes too much sense', completely analyzing what these pieces needed and how the trade completely fits what they were looking for. 

Like, one by one- Francisco Lindor is a great player that needed a market that represented a burgeoning team rather than a sinking one. Amed Rosario needed a smaller market where he wouldn't be as much of a a disappointment or holding up a starting role for a prospect. Andres Gimenez needed a city where he could start. Carlos Carrasco needed a team where there wouldn't be as much pressure for him, a 10-year veteran to start 30 games a year. This trade fulfills the needs of all four players. Perfectly.

So, Lindor in New York...that centers things more than the current incarnation had. You had Conforto and Alonso being great sources of power, McNeil and Nimmo being great contact players, and not a lot of link between the two factions. Francisco Lindor is a contact hitter that is also responsible for three 30+ home run seasons. Lindor will connect both parts of this team and forge a more unified offense as well as a continually strong defense, and make the Mets into the NL East contender that the Marlins and Braves feared that they'd eventually become. 

Carlos Carrasco is less of a factor, but still a helpful one. The Mets have been talking about making Steven Matz a full-time reliever, and fitting Carrasco into the last rotation spot cements that. I'm not expecting Carrasco to be the top performer in the Mets rotation in 2021 [that will obviously be Jacob deGrom], but he'll be a solid, maybe 4ish ERA guy at the back of the rotation who'll be helpful in some big game situations. This is no longer a youthful rotation, and only David Peterson is really bringing up the youth angle, but Carrasco is making this a versatile, many-handed rotation with deGrom, Stroman and Syndergaard heading it up. 

And as for Rosario and Gimenez...well, the two guys fighting for the starting SS spot in New York just became Cleveland's newest double play combo. The Indians were searching for a 2B option that wasn't Yu Chang, and Gimenez will be a great choice to blossom there. Rosario isn't as well-rounded as Lindor, which will probably sadden many fans, but he'll be a good enough choice at short, and a good rebuilding option even if the hole Lindor leaves will be very great for a while. 

This trade is good for both teams- it helps the Mets contend, it helps the Indians transition to a rebuild, and it evens out two divisions. Excellent. Keep 'em coming.

Cookie Monster

How come the most interesting, tight, cutthroat shit always happens in the AL Central?

The polarity even in  this Indians rotation is insane. You have the force of good that is Carlos Carrasco,  cancer survivor and hero of Cleveland, off to an alright start and keeping down opposing teams, as well as Shane Bieber  having  his best season and making Cy Young talks fly around.

...and then you have Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac. Who violated protocols and went out partying in  Chicago and nearly endangered the whole team, despite their solid numbers on the season. Their smirky, arrogant, 'you would have  done it too' mentality is in complete opposition of this Indians' feel-good mentality for this season. This  team built itself from a youth movement that we worried had already dissolved. People like Bieber, Adam Plutko, Aaron Civale, and even Plesac, represent the hope that  this Indians team can stay relevant despite the fact that it's no longer 2016.

In the next few days, Clevinger and Plesac could be traded. And they probably will be. The real question is, does this rotation still work without those two?

Yes. Triston McKenzie stood up the other night and nullified both of them. With his 10 Ks in a debut, and his absolute dominance at just 22 years old, he made it clear that a Bieber-Carrasco-Civale-Plutko-McKenzie rotation would be perfectly fine, and could power this team into October without a doubt.

Plutko is currently the weakest ERA man of the  5, but even he has some good stuff ready to go. The other four are golden. And with  Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor, Cesar Hernandez and Franmil Reyes all hitting, and Oliver Perez, James Karinchak and Nick Wittgren doing stellar in relief...this team could be huge heading into the last month of the season.

The Twins are in first, the White Sox are coming off a no-no, and this division is tight...but the Indians have a rotation that can withstand even human selfishness. And that says a lot.

Coming Tonight: His team was sick for a week or so, and once they came back, he was one of the best  outfielders available.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Indians

For the first time since 2015, the Indians did not make the postseason this year, bringing their impressive but scattered decade to a tearful close.

It's not without lack of trying that they missed out- the Indians did their best to catch up to Minnesota for the title, but eventually were left in the dust by Oakland and Tampa for the Wild Card spot. With Kluber out, Bauer in Cincinnati, Ramirez slumping and Kipnis at the end of his rope, there wasn't much room for progress in Cleveland.

Roberto Perez stepped up as a starting catcher, and did...relatively well. Yes, forget for a moment that he led the team in strikeouts- he posted a 3.9 WAR, with 24 home runs- FINALLY some offensive production from the defensive master.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved he could start games in the wake of Yan Gomes' departure.
2020 Prediction: A higher batting average, and more consistent numbers. And, potentially, an All-Star appearance.

 Jordan Luplow was an initial replacement for Michael Brantley, and attempted to bring class to a mostly vacant Cleveland outfield. He did relatively alright, hitting .276 with 38 RBIs and 15 home runs.
Why Him in 2019?: Preceded Oscar Mercado in shaping up the outfield.
2020 Prediction: A starting lineup gig, and potentially some consistent playing time as the team drops to third.

 Slightly overshadowed by Zach Plesac and Shane Bieber was the rise of Aaron Civale, a rookie who had a 2.34 ERA in 10 starts, including 46 strikeouts.
Why Him in 2019?: Had the lowest WHIP on the Indians' rotation.
2020 Prediction: A more concrete rotation spot; upon overflow, possibly bullpen time.

The big feel-good story in Cleveland was Carlos Carrasco returning from leukemia treatments to become an impressive bullpen tool. Despite his less-than-favorable September numbers, the fans welcomed him back with a Comeback Player of the Year award.
Why Him in 2019?: Beat cancer to remain an Indian.
2020 Prediction: A return to the rotation, even if it means diminishing returns.

 Adam Plutko was another 2018 carryover, and made 20 starts this year, finishing with 7 wins, a 4.86 ERA and 78 strikeouts. Not eye-opening, but still impressive for a late-rotation presence.
Why Him in 2019?: Improved on his 2018 numbers, and stood his ground in the wake of rotation injuries.
2020 Prediction: Of the new starters, he has the largest chance of a demotion to relief.

 Speaking of relief, former Pirates starter Oliver Perez is still embracing his role as relief specialist in Cleveland after a strong 2018. Perez' numbers were a slight step down in 2019, with a 3.98 ERA with 48 strikeouts. It's odd to see someone who posted 239 strikeouts in a season in 2004 focus so much on change-ups, but it's working for Perez at 38.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved he's still one of the most consistent relievers of the decade. Yes, HIM.
2020 Prediction: Will sign somewhere, and provide potentially one last season of solid work before retirement.

The big deal with Cincinnati garnered the Indians Logan Allen, Yasiel Puig, and the Franimal himself, Franmil Reyes. Reyes' numbers were...kinda normal for him. .237 in 51 games, 10 homers, 35 RBIs. Not bad, not spectacular.
Why Him in 2019?: Finally filled Cleveland's gaping hole at DH
2020 Prediction: Will make a LOT of new fans in a full season in Cleveland, and will chase 40 homers.

Coming Tomorrow- The Mariners were HUGE in April. Then May came, and it was all downhill from there.

Two Tribes (at least that's what it feels like)

FIVE PLAYERS on the Cleveland Indians right now have a WAR over 4.0. Invert statistic: twelve teams this season don't even have ONE player with a WAR over 4.0.

Those 5 players, by the way: Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger. Carlos Carrasco, the guy at the top of the post, only has a 2.8, and has 15 wins and a great season so far...and on any other season would be the best pitcher on the team, but those three are just pitching the pants off of him right now. I can't even explain it. Yes, Shane Bieber's the obvious fifth man, but that was gonna happen anyway, really. And since Bauer's hurt, Adam Plutko is playing the Josh Tomlin card of 'sure, let's put him in, see what happens'.

The Indians are GOING to the playoffs. No one from the AL Central is going to stop them. But even if someone was trying, they'd still be the best team, even if they dropped a few to Boston earlier this week. This team has so much going for them, with some of the best infielders in baseball, a healthy Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes, an improved bullpen, a ton of home runs, and a lot of consistency.

Some little holes, like the outfield (especially now that Leonys Martin isn't coming back), are slightly concerning, but this is definitely an October-bound team, even if they're looking at third-seed at this point, and will likely be going up against either Houston or Oakland (whichever ends up in first, so probably Houston). It won't be an easy postseason, but this Indians team is sneaky enough to be great this year, I think.

Coming Tonight: The Cardinals are making a run at the Wild Card. So naturally I have to make more customs of them. Fine. Here's their big second-year star.

Red Sox Game vs. Indians 8/1/17- Ode to Despacito (or 'The Greatest Game I've Ever Witnessed Live')

Oh, I was there. You bet your sweet boots I was there.

Last night, one of the most absolutely unbelievable, competitive and suspenseful games in years happened in Fenway Park. And I was there to witness it, for my first Fenway outing.

First of all, Fenway Park, regardless of my Yankee bias, is one of the coziest, most fun places to watch a ballgame in the country. The food's great, the fans are fun, all of Yawkey Street is one of the craziest baseball environments, and you feel like you've earned something just being there. Our seats were on the right field line, a few rows from the action. We were relatively close to Mookie Betts, and could still see the action at home. Plus, I don't think there's a bad seat in the house at Fenway.

I was excited for the game thanks to the billed matchup between two of the best pitchers in the game- Carlos Carrasco for the Indians, and one of my favorites, Chris Sale for the Sox. I'd become a fan of Sale's thanks to the fact that he basically had my height and build, and was this big tall guy who threw fire. So I was anticipating the pitching duel of the century.

That...didn't exactly happen.

Sale pitched five innings of strikes, and occasionally balls that people got the better of. Edwin Encarnacion absolutely POUNDED a ball of his over the monster, and the heart of the lineup took some balls past the subpar fielding of Eduardo Nunez, giving the Indians a 5-0 lead, early.

Not that Carrasco fared any better. Mitch Moreland took a ball of his out, while Brock Holt and Nunez took some balls past the...somehow equally bad Indians infield, tied it at 5 after two. Carrasco left THEN, instead of staying in for a bit more like Sale. Thanks to the outfield wall, the pitcher's duel had been erroneously interrupted.

For a while, in the middle of the game, there was a lull. Back and forth little hits, a few Cleveland relievers coming in, constant playings of 'Despacito' whenever Christian Vazquez got up. The banality was beginning to set in, even in a packed night at Fenway. It was up to a semi-obscure Indians outfielder to stop this.

Bottom of the fifth, Hanley Ramirez is up for the Sox, and absolutely pounds one to the right field wall. Brandon Guyer and Austin Jackson go for it, and Jackson leaps. The ball plows Jackson and the glove over the wall and into the bullpen. For a minute, there was a confusion over whether or not he caught it, but thanks to a well-placed replay, we saw the shot of Jackson catching the ball, then bowing right over the fence. it was one of the most insane catches I'd ever seen, and the crowd even gave him a standing O for it. See, even the Red Sox can respect you.

After that, there was more competitive hitting, after Edwin's homer to make it 7-5. Mookie Betts had a nice hit that drove in a run, and Eduardo Nunez had a HUGE 3-RBI DOUBLE to make it a 9 to 7 game. Off of Andrew Miller, no less. Even worse, Addison Reed made his first appearance as a Red Sock, and promptly gave up another home run to make it 9-8.

Still, we were going to the top of the ninth, and Ted Nugent's Stranglehold was starting up, so it felt like the game was gonna be over real soon...

The second Kimbrel got up, we were all going 'aw, here we go'. Just watching him throw strikes like fire was a great experience.

Yeah, until Francisco Lindor hit a home run with one of them.

From, there, it didn't look good- Vazquez made a blunder at the backstop, causing a few more runs to come in. Heading to the bottom of the ninth, with Cody Allen on the mound, it looked even worse, even with two quick outs on the board.

And then 'Despacito' came on, and Vazquez got up. I'd become so tired of the song, and I just wanted the game to end, as it had lasted 4 hours and it was beginning to break into the 11:00 hour.

BOOM.

The second Christian Vazquez cracked the ball off the bat, we knew it was gone. The place went absolutely wild, even before the ball made it over the monster. The dancing officially commenced, as Betts threw gatorade at Vazquez, and the entire cavalcade of baseball had been worth it.

As we left, toward the car, myself, my dad, and my uncle were still in awe. Of Fenway, of the game, and of everything. It was that good.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Indians

If it had been any other year, the Indians would have won a World Series. But...the Cubs came in with an 108-year-mission and nobody could stop them, no matter who they were.

I actually had a ton of respect for the Indians this year, making something from what seemed like nothing, and getting a fantastic squad together from the ground up. Carlos Carrasco had a pretty great season, but he was on the DL by the time the Indians were truly gaining momentum. It proved that the rotation can be pretty stellar, even without him.

Ryan Merritt was a rookie with only a few games to his name before Terry Francona handed a crucial playoff start over to him, thanks to the losses of Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer. He handled things admirably, keeping playoff hopes alive and becoming an equally dominant playoff option, especially with Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin in the rotation.

Brandon Guyer was the Indians' Bench Player Extraordinaire. He came in from a trade with Tampa in August, and proceeded to light Progressive Field up every time he went to bat, becoming a fantastic late-game option, and an even better option for a starting position in 2017.

I hope they can build on this for 2017, because they were just so much fun to watch.

Coming Tomorrow- Huge start, disappointing finish...which should be the Mariners' motto at this point...

Custom Card of the Morning: Carrasco Edition

This is the year of the mega pitching staff, I think. The Mets' combo of Harvey-deGrom-Colon-Syndergaard-Matz is setting the entire NL on fire, and the Nationals rotation of Scherzer-Zimmermann-Gonzalez-Strasburg has been strong for a while. Plus, the Dodgers, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Astros are all getting together some major rotations.

Meanwhile, the Indians are sitting around in the corner, going "uh, hey? What about us?"

When you look at them up close, the Indians rotation is actually pretty impressive. They have an ace, in Corey Kluber. They have a guy like Carlos Carrasco who can throw nasty stuff. They have a fireballer like Trevor Bauer who can be the third guy, and they have Danny Salazar coming up in there. Heck, they even have a powerful rookie in Cody Anderson, who has definitely impressed this season.

However, the problem lies with the fact that the Indians have no offense.

I mean, it helped when guys like Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana and Michael Bourn were hot-hitting, like they were last season. Now...not so much. Jason Kipnis was absolutely killing it, but he can only do so much. The only guy who was hitting for power for a while back there, Brandon Moss, just got traded to a team PACKED with run support, the Cardinals.

So...the Indians rotation can be really nice, and pretty (and there are even guys like TJ House waiting in the wings), but unless they start bringing up hitters, they won't be much more than something nice to look at.

Coming Tonight: The outfielder for a team that would be way out in first if they'd be in any other division but the NL Central.