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| The league's most exciting fielder, Asdrubal Cabrera, was also the best offensive weapon for the Tribe in 2011. |
Nobody expected this team to be competitive in 2011.
Somehow, they got off to a fast start and was still competing with underachieving teams in Detroit and Chicago. This season, I expect none of that to happen. The Indians have a lot of question marks in their lineup this season and even more in their pitching rotation.
Here's the sad part.
The Indians will contend for the wild card if they can get the Derek Lowe, Ubaldo Jimenez and Shin-Soo Choo that we saw in 2010. Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera have established themselves as the faces of the franchise in 2011 and are expected to carry a lot of the load in the Tribe's lineup this season.
Expect some role players to be key in any Indians success this season. Casey Kotchman needs to hit .300, Jason Kipinis needs to be productive and shore up second base, Travis Hafner needs to be able to play in more than 120 games and Michael Brantley needs to do a little bit of everything.
The rotation is shaky considering that Ubaldo Jimenez in 2011 was not the same as he was in 2010. The rest of the rotation is full of young-but-not-really arms, the only one who has come into his own is Justin Masterson. He is primed and ready to be the ace of the future after posting 12 wins and a 3.21 ERA last season. The bullpen, in my opinion, is the best in their division. It boasts Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Vinny Pestano and Joe Smith. These guys aren't horses like the back of Atlanta's bullpen, but expect results from these guys.
There's not much else to be said for this team. Years of trading their stars for prospects has not payed off yet. They will be battling three teams for second place this season. If they can play up to their full potential, they may be facing a wild card berth. I just do not see this team getting anything going this season.
X-FACTORS:
Lineup. Michael Brantley. We know what Choo, Santana and Cabrera can do. This has the potential to be a banner year for Brantley who is a solid all-around player.
Rotation: Ubaldo Jimenez. If this guy is what he was in 2010, the Indians are in 2nd place. Plain and simple.
Bullpen: Chris Perez. Needs to dominate hitters like he did in 2010. Considering he had 36 saves last season, one could imagine how scary he could be on a contending Indians.
The Kids: Jason Kipnis. If he can swing the bat well, he may be able to plug a hole at second or third base for the next few seasons while the Tribe rebuild.
ROYAL LIST:
#37: SS Francisco Lindor. Cleveland's only entry on this list and they won't be seeing this kid for a couple of seasons.
PROJECTION: 5th Place AL Central
Too many things need to fall into place for this team to get on the right track. Lack of firepower keeps the Tribe in the basement.
Somehow, they got off to a fast start and was still competing with underachieving teams in Detroit and Chicago. This season, I expect none of that to happen. The Indians have a lot of question marks in their lineup this season and even more in their pitching rotation.
Here's the sad part.
The Indians will contend for the wild card if they can get the Derek Lowe, Ubaldo Jimenez and Shin-Soo Choo that we saw in 2010. Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera have established themselves as the faces of the franchise in 2011 and are expected to carry a lot of the load in the Tribe's lineup this season.
Expect some role players to be key in any Indians success this season. Casey Kotchman needs to hit .300, Jason Kipinis needs to be productive and shore up second base, Travis Hafner needs to be able to play in more than 120 games and Michael Brantley needs to do a little bit of everything.
The rotation is shaky considering that Ubaldo Jimenez in 2011 was not the same as he was in 2010. The rest of the rotation is full of young-but-not-really arms, the only one who has come into his own is Justin Masterson. He is primed and ready to be the ace of the future after posting 12 wins and a 3.21 ERA last season. The bullpen, in my opinion, is the best in their division. It boasts Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Vinny Pestano and Joe Smith. These guys aren't horses like the back of Atlanta's bullpen, but expect results from these guys.
There's not much else to be said for this team. Years of trading their stars for prospects has not payed off yet. They will be battling three teams for second place this season. If they can play up to their full potential, they may be facing a wild card berth. I just do not see this team getting anything going this season.
X-FACTORS:
Lineup. Michael Brantley. We know what Choo, Santana and Cabrera can do. This has the potential to be a banner year for Brantley who is a solid all-around player.
Rotation: Ubaldo Jimenez. If this guy is what he was in 2010, the Indians are in 2nd place. Plain and simple.
Bullpen: Chris Perez. Needs to dominate hitters like he did in 2010. Considering he had 36 saves last season, one could imagine how scary he could be on a contending Indians.
The Kids: Jason Kipnis. If he can swing the bat well, he may be able to plug a hole at second or third base for the next few seasons while the Tribe rebuild.
ROYAL LIST:
#37: SS Francisco Lindor. Cleveland's only entry on this list and they won't be seeing this kid for a couple of seasons.
PROJECTION: 5th Place AL Central
Too many things need to fall into place for this team to get on the right track. Lack of firepower keeps the Tribe in the basement.
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