Guardian Ship

 

So. Last week, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. This is the single weirdest reasoning for why someone might like it, but I like this because it's a name change that still keeps the team alphabetically between the Giants and Mariners in my binders, alphabetically, and therefore I don't need to move the Cleveland sections anywhere else in my binders.

Personally, I'd have preferred 'Spiders'. How awesome would it be for a sports team to be named the Spiders? We have Jaguars, Pelicans, Coyotes, Sharks and Rays. Why not Spiders??? But yeah, Guardians is fine, a little safe for my standards, but...considering what it's replacing, I do understand. Guardians isn't gonna piss anybody off...except for, uh, the people who were really, really attached to Chief Wahoo.

But anyway. Guardians is for 2022. For now, we still have to follow the 2021 Cleveland Indians. As I write this, they're at .500, and in second. Which means the AL Central is back to where it was a few years ago, where one team competes mightily and all the other ones sort of shrug behind it. The Indians are not that team, so they're sort of hanging on at second. Zach Plesac is healthy again, and he's doing alright, with 5 wins in 13 starts. But he's the only real trusted starter from Opening Day to really meet expectations. Triston McKenzie strikes people out, but he has a 5.91 ERA. Sam Hentges and J.C. Mejia are giving up runs left and right, as was Eli Morgan before the demotion. They are using Cal Quantrill more as a starter, meaning we're now at two Cleveland starters whose relatives were relievers in the 90s, and Quantrill's been doing a decent job. But the lack of a strong, healthy rotation has doomed this team more than any other aspect.

Like, I don't think anyone would have predicted that the Cleveland outfield by midyear would be Harold Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado, but none of them are doing too badly. Ramirez is having a great comeback year, hitting .269 with 24 RBIs. Bobby Bradley already has 11 homers and is coming into his own as the everyday first baseman. Roberto Perez is back, and while he's not hitting for average, he's still a better option than Austin Hedges. Cesar Hernandez has sacrificed his contact numbers for excellent power, with 16 homers. And Ramirez and Reyes are still holding the lineup together.

This is far from a great team, and they're barely even competitive, but they're solid enough to finish with some semblance of dignity, and I doubt they'll be complete sellers this week. 

Coming Tonight: A lot of his teammates are likely to be traded this week. Will he survive?

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Indians

 

The Cleveland Indians had their comeback season, on the heels of Jose Ramirez, Shane Bieber, and some other characters that represented their growth since moving on from the core of their 2016 team.

However, one of the big pieces of said 2016 team, Carlos Santana, had a step backwards after an ASG season last year. Despite hitting 30 RBIs, Santana ended the year with a .199 average and a small figure of 8 home runs. Clearly a down year for Slamtana, and seemingly the final one for him in Cleveland.

2021 Prediction: In Kansas City, he'll have 25 home runs while building his average up slightly.

Zach Plesac, for those keeping score at home, was the Indians starter who got caught partying in Chicago and REMAINED on the team, instead of being punished by...[checks notes]...getting traded to an NLDS-qualifying Padres team, getting Tommy John surgery and a two-year deal and still being a top-tier starter. 

Plesac still had a good year though, post-scorning. In 8 starts he had a 4-2 record, a 2.28 ERA and 57 strikeouts. If he doesn't make any similar screwups in 2021, he should more than make up for the loss of Clevinger.

2021 Prediction: Remember in 2013 when Justin Verlander sort of stepped back so Max Scherzer could have his big year? Expect Shane Bieber to do something like that for Plesac.

Brad Hand led the league in saves this season, which should be a big deal. For some reason that I not able to determine, despite a 2.08 ERA, zero blown saves and 29 strikeouts, the Indians weren't enamored with Hand's work in 2020, and didn't offer him a contract offer for 2021. I have no idea why. This guy's been a solid closer for 3 years now, he just had a stellar year, and y'all are just acting like he's been bad all along? Baffling to me.

2021 Prediction: Hand gets 40 saves for a last place team and the joke will be on Cleveland.

One of the biggest stars of the 2020 postseason for the Indians, as short-lived as their run their was, was Josh Naylor, a kid out of Toronto who up until recently was warming the bench for San Diego. Upon arriving in Cleveland, Naylor hit .230 with 14 hits and 2 RBIs in 22 games. In two postseason games, however, Naylor sported a .714 average with 5 hits, 3 RBIs and a home run. Absolutely insane postseason material against NY, despite being on the losing side.

2021 Prediction: The official Indians DH, complete with a high average and a bunch of homers.

It impresses me that even with its stellar rotation this year, the Indians still had room to call up their pitching prospect, the tall, slender Triston McKenzie, who struck out 10 in 6 innings, the most Ks in a debut by an Indians pitcher ever. McKenzie finished the season with a 3.24 ERA and 42 Ks in 8 games. 

2021 Prediction: Rotation member right off the bat, fans 200 batters and gets some Cy Young votes. 

Aaron Civale was a crucial member of the rotation for the full year, starting 12 games and posting a 4.74 ERA with 69 Ks and 4 wins. Despite being the most human of all of the full-time starters for the Indians this year, he still is a nice strikeout artist with some potential.

2021 Prediction: Wins 12 games despite being the 4th or 5th man in the rotation.

Undeniably, James Karinchak was the best reliever in Cleveland this year. In 27 relief appearances he posted a 2.67 ERA with 53 strikeouts, stymying tons of batters throughout the year. The good luck wore off a little in the postseason, but I doubt the Indians are giving up on him anytime soon.

2021 Prediction: The closing gig is his. I say he makes a big statement with it.

Despite Karnichak's dominance, there was still room for the 38-year-old Oliver Perez to take down some batters, as he has for the last 3 seasons in Cleveland. Perez had a 2.00 ERA this year and 14 strikeouts in 21 appearances. Fantastic that he's still an integral part of this team.

2021 Prediction: Someone signs him to a minor league deal, he makes the deal and helps them into the playoffs. Then retires, I reckon.

Coming Tomorrow- Genuine good things to say about the Mariners. 

Please Plesac Me

You have to marvel at the Cleveland Indians' rotation. Just when you thought it was set in stone, and the Kluber-Carrasco-Bauer-Salazar-Clevinger thing was the depths it could go to...you blink and there's a completely different awesome rotation conquering the division.

Granted, the original rotation's fragments are beginning to return- Carlos Carrasco will be returning soon, though probably as a bullpen piece. Kluber should be back mid-September. And Salazar...well, he's trying. But we now have 4 guys filling the holes left by those three and Bauer who are definitely up to the task.

First of all, Shane Bieber's one hell of an ace. He's just...been on fire this whole year, and if Kluber is done in Cleveland after this year, they'll be fine with Bieber as the No. 1 guy. Zach Plesac has been a nice surprise since coming up in May, with a 7-4 record and a 3.60 ERA in 16 starts. He's not the showiest starter out there, but he's been solid for the Indians. You also have Mike Clevinger with 10 wins and 123 strikeouts, Aaron Civale with a 1.93 ERA over 6 starts, and Adam Plutko, with a still-solid 6-3 record. Even if Kluber and Carrasco aren't here, that is still a solid rotation I'd be fine with bringing into a potential playoff scenario.

The lineup has been working as well. Granted, Franmil Reyes' average is down again, but Yasiel Puig is hitting .275 with 12 RBIs, and fitting right in with that lineup. And yes, Jose Ramirez will be missing an extended period of time, but...we have Mike Freeman, and he's pretty damn good, even if he's no Ramirez. You still have Santana, Lindor and Naquin all on, and Oscar Mercado's having a nice rookie year. So even if they're more suited to an eventual Wild Card matchup, this is still a pretty solid team.

Now...I look at the Twins, and I see...kind of the opposite of this team. Modest pitching, obnoxious home-run hitting. The Indians have awesome pitching and a quieter, but still solid, battle. So going into the last month of the division race, these two are pretty evenly matched...which should make for a fun finish.

Coming Tonight (?)- The J-Hey...30-year-old...