2012 MLB Handicapping: Cleveland Indians
Cleveland burst out of the gates last year to grab a big lead in the AL Central. The Indians actually led the division by seven games after starting 30-15.
Here are some MLB Futures Odds for the 2012 Cleveland Indians from BetOnline
Odds to Win World Series: +6,000
Odds to Win AL Pennant: +3,000
Odds to Win AL Central: +1,100
The Indians nearly won the AL Pennant in 2007, but they have fallen a long ways since then. Can they continue their recent climb this year?
Let’s take a closer look at the 2012 Cleveland Indians
The team fell on hard times in the summer months, and Cleveland ended 15 games behind division-winning Detroit. Still, the Tribe went from winning 69 games in 2010 to winning 80 games in 2011.
Cleveland is one of Major League Baseball’s youngest teams. The Indians have quite a bit of young talent, but they also have several question marks as far as veterans who are injury prone.
Can this team take the next step and get above .500?
The first thing you’ll notice if you take a look at the Indians roster is they are going to be starting the season out with quite a few key injuries. Grady Sizemore is out for an extended period of time due to lower back surgery. Michael Brantley is missing a ton of action in Spring Training due to a hamstring injury.
Casey Kotchman is sitting due to lower back issues. Young pitcher Carlos Carrasco showed glimpses of greatness last year, but he’ll start the season on the 60 Day DL because of an elbow surgery. Closer Chris Perez strained his oblique, but it does seem he’ll be back in time for the start of the season.
Clearly, the Indians have far more injury concerns than you’d want to have at the start of the season.
Asdrubal Cabrera batted .273 with an amazing 25 home runs last season.
This is a guy who had just 18 home runs in his previous 1,415 at bats, so the power explosion was a shock to the baseball world. Jason Kipnis is one of the Tribe’s top young talents. The 24-year-old hit .272 with seven homers and 19 runs batted in over the last 36 games of the 2011 season. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Kipnis has the potential to be one of the best second basemen in the league. Lonnie Chisenhall is another guy the team is very high on.
Chisenhall struggled last year, but his minor league history suggests that he will have a long successful career in the majors.
Carlos Santana led the team in home runs with 27 last year, but he has to improve on his poor .239 batting average. Shin Soo-Choo had by far his worst season as a professional last year, but I expect him to bounce back this season.
Choo is much healthier this year, and he has proven over time to be a .300 hitter. Travis Hafner played just 94 games last year, and he really needs to step up his production.
The clear strength of this Indians team is their pitching staff. Justin Masterson was terrific last season.
Masterson went 12-10 with a brilliant 3.21 ERA. He is expected to start on opening day for the Indians. Ubaldo Jimenez was Cleveland’s huge mid-season acquisition last year.
Jimenez has worked on his mechanics in the offseason, and the team needs him in a big way in 2012. Josh Tomlin is an underrated third starter who had an impressive WHIP of just 1.08 in 2011. Derek Low was acquired to be the fourth starter, but it is hard to tell what the team will get from him.
Kevin Slowey and Roberto Hernandez Heredia (aka Fausto Carmona) will likely work at the back of the rotation.
Chris Perez is a solid closer for the team. Perez locked down 36 of 40 save opportunities in 2011. The Indians have a very deep bullpen with some great specialists. Tony Sipp and Rafael Perez are great left-handed relievers. Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and Frank Hermann should all have a good season from the right side.
It’s a mixed picture for the Indians heading into 2012. The injury issues are a big concern, but the team still has one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. I like the Indians to improve a little more in 2012, largely because this team is bound to win a lot of close games with their strong bullpen.
2012 Cleveland Indians Projected Record: 83-79
