Cleveland Indians: A look back at the top 25 players from the 2016 season

Before we rank the top 25 Cleveland Indians players from the 2017 season, we first take a look back at the 2016 rankings.

One year ago we took a look back at the 2016 Cleveland Indians, ranking the top 25 players from what was nearly a magical season.

We are doing the same thing this year, now focusing on a 2017 Indians team that had insanely high expectations, only to see those erode in a matter of days.

Before the rankings get underway, I wanted to recap the 2016 list to see where the team stood following the 2016 season. It is interesting to see who was a surprise, while also seeing the major changes from 2016 to 2017.

The list went as follows:

The names of Napoli, Davis, Manship and Crisp did not return in 2017, but the bulk of the team was back for another title run. Now fans can add Santana and Shaw to the list of those who will not return in 2018.

But looking at this 2016 list shows fans that much of the team’s core will be back in 2018, two seasons after making a memorable World Series run. That run coupled with a disappointing end in 2017 shows that this young team is as experienced as any other team in the league. Sometimes it takes brutal losses to figure out how to win.

The lack of major upgrades on the roster may scare some fans, but Edwin Encarnacion and Yonder Alonso are two names not on the 2016 list that will be in the lineup everyday in 2018. Add in more experience for Lindor and Ramirez, along with all the others, and the team is in great shape.

Next: Rounding up all the top stories from 2017

And with that look back, it is time to start our 2017 top 25 rankings. We will have our honorable mentions up on the site later today, so stay tuned.

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