Cleveland Indians: The main competition in the American League in 2018

The Cleveland Indians remain a top contender for a championship in 2018, but winning the American League pennant will once again be a tough task.

The Cleveland Indians had some good competition in the American League in the 2017 season, but who will their biggest threat be in 2018?

An argument for the biggest threat being either the New York Yankees or the Houston Astros can go either way.

The Yankees and the Indians faced off seven times during the regular season and again in the ALDS. In those regular season meetings with the Yankees, the Indians won five of the seven games. However, they ended up losing to the Yankees in the ALDS.

The Astros and the Indians played each other six times in the regular season, with the Indians winning all but one game.

Ending the season as the 2017 World Series Champions, the Astros are going to be top competition for the Indians in 2018. Especially with their main star in Jose Altuve, the 2017 AL MVP. Same goes for the Yankees, a young team bringing back their star, Aaron Judge, the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year.

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Hopefully when it comes to the 2018 regular season, history repeats itself from this year, with the Indians showing they are the better team and beating these AL threats whenever they meet.

The Indians will also need some help from other AL and even some NL teams to beat the Yankees and the Astros to give the Indians an edge when it comes to divisional standings and, if need be, the Wild Card race.

The Indians have some cards up their sleeves as well with starting pitcher Corey Kluber, who just won his second AL Cy Young Award.

Put that together with the rest of the stellar pitching staff and key players like Francisco Lindor, and I don’t see how the Indians can be defeated by their two biggest threats when it comes down to the wire.

Next: A good season or a great season in 2017?

Having made the postseason the past two seasons, it’s time the Indians go all the way, and bring the pennant home to Cleveland in 2018.