The annual downfall of the Cleveland Indians

Ever since the 2016 World Series debacle, the Cleveland Indians have been a disappointment. This year, with COVID-19, the season has been abnormal, however, the Indians are still playing their normal, depressing baseball.

Surprisingly, the Tribe started out hot. They were 26-15 through a majority of the shortened season. There was hope, as they were a middle seed in a challenging American League.  

Unfortunately, this win streak came to an end as they began a gruesome nine-game skid. In a 60-game season, this is the worst scenario for any team. Once a team that was competing for a top record, the Warriors of Lake Erie now find themselves struggling to maintain a place in the playoffs. But what led to the downfall?

To quote the great Paul DePodesta, “Runs win games.”

And that is exactly what the Indians are failing to do. The hitting stats are horrendous, and it is mind-blowing to believe that they are actually a playoff team. Team batting average ranks 24th in the league at .227, RBIs a game ranks 28th with 3.77 and the worst of them all, they rank 27th in runs per game with barely four.

Hitters like veteran Carlos Santana, and young but very promising Oscar Mercardo have not produced. Mercardo, who was a runner-up AL Rookie of the Year in 2019, is now batting .137 and was recently brought back up from the minors. Santana, a fixture in Cleveland, has not faired better. A man who jolted the Indians’ offense last year has lost his luster, hitting just shy of .200 himself.

But it doesn’t stop with the weak offense. Cleveland’s gloves have been subpar too in the outfield. Mercardo, originally slotted as the focal point, showed ample amounts of promise in the previous season. However, his numbers prove otherwise. 

A bright spot? They have one of the best infields in the MLB, as the Francisco Lindor/Jose Ramirez combination is unrivaled.  The Indians’ outfield, however, pales in comparison.

Many fans believed that the trade deadline would be Christmas, as the presents would be players to help redeem our championship run in 2016. However, people were given coal, as the Tribe made yet another questionable decision in trading for Josh Naylor and other minor players, for star pitcher Mike Clevenger.  

This is not the first time that a trade has not worked out this year, as the Tribe made a questionable call by giving the Rangers Corey Kluber for Emmanuel Clase, who was suspended for the use of PEDs, and Delino DeShields Jr, who’s impact has been minimal this season. 

The stellar pitching rotation has been a key reason for the teams’ success, as they are led by probable Cy Young and AL MVP winner Shane Bieber, up-and-coming star pitcher Zac Plesac and a dominant reliever in James Karinchak. However, phenomenal pitching will not be enough to win a talented American League. A Tribe fan can only pray for a miracle, as a championship run is highly unlikely.