Cleveland Indians: What fans can look forward to in 2018

A rebuilding division

It’s been mentioned a few times that the Indians are one of a few teams whose 2018 season will begin in October. In a division full of emaciated clubs such as the White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, the Indians are widely viewed as a mortal lock for the postseason.

The Minnesota Twins pose the only legitimate threat to the Indians’ playoff hopes, and the Tribe should once again be leaps and bounds better than them too.

That said, one surefire way to anger the baseball gods is to take things for granted. As we near the end of December, the American League Central looks like it may be a one-team race. But anything can happen once the grass turns green again.

Playing in a weak division simply means the Indians can probably endure a rough stretch or two without having to panic. As we all know, the Tribe was largely unspectacular for much of the first half in 2017, but they caught fire at the right time en route to a 102-win season.

A team without leadership might get caught up in believing the postseason is a foregone conclusion after two consecutive trips. The Indians don’t have to worry about that with a manager like Francona. His philosophy of taking things as they come has seeped into the DNA of his team, and the Tribe will be focused in its quest for a third straight division title no matter how strong or weak their opposition.