Batting Order: With an OB 10 in spots one through seven, the Indians have their own version of Murderer's Row. Lofton and Vizquel are formidable speedsters who should steal a ton of bases and score a lot of runs in front of Roberto, Manny, Thome, and Burks. While Hannahan and Marson are weak links, the sensational hitting in front of them should be more than enough to be an offensive force. Expect at least one MVP candidate to emerge from this line-up, especially Roberto or Manny.
Rotation: A non-sensational but stellar enough rotation. Cliff Lee is an ace who'll eat up innings, backed up by some solid tier 3 pitchers. As long as they keep their ERAs below 4, they should rack up the Ws thanks to the run support Cleveland's potent bats will provide.
Bullpen: The weak link in this pennant contender's armor, as they may struggle to close out games. Chad Durbin is absolutely terrible and should only be used with a 5 run or greater lead. Meanwhile, the Perez pair needs to perform admirably, but I think they'll do enough to keep the Indians solidly in the playoff picture all season.
Overall: Cleveland looks like they'll go neck and neck with the Tigers for the AL Central crown. They should be one of the highest scoring teams in baseball and find themselves slugging into October. Don't be shocked if they represent the AL in the World Series, but they could falter in enough close games to just miss on a playoff berth.
No comments:
Post a Comment