Cleveland Indians: Players who have stood out so far this spring
We are now five games into spring training and a few Cleveland Indians players are starting to stand out from the pack. Let’s take a look at those players and what roles they could play.
It has been a fun spring training so far to say the least. We’ve seen Yonder Alonso launch one out of the park in his first at-bat as a member of the Cleveland Indians. Josh Tomlin threw 12 straight strikes. We got to see a tie game that confused Tom Hamilton.
While it is only spring training, individual performances are important. The Indians have limited roster spots available and players will continue to battle while trying to earn those spots. With health being a question, depth in the outfield is needed. Versatility in the infield is also a plus.
A good spring could earn some of the minor league invitees a spot on the 40-man roster. A few of these Indians have already wowed with their performances thus far. While there is plenty of time left in spring training, let’s take a look at some players who have made their names known early.
Honorable Mentions
Trevor Bauer has probably been the most impressive pitcher thus far. He threw 12 strikes on 14 pitches in his two innings of work. He also netted three strikeouts without allowing a hit. His breaking ball looked fantastic in his start and got fans plenty excited about his upcoming season.
Rob Refsnyder reached base in four of his five games played. He also hit a home run and has three RBIs. Yu-Cheng Chang has had four hits in seven at-bats along with a walk. But his poor glovework has been a liability and has cost the Tribe a few runs.
Francisco Mejia hit a two-run homer on Monday against the Brewers. He is the Indians top prospect and has played fairly well in his limited playing time.
Richie Shaffer
Richie Shaffer has probably made the most noise so far this spring. In four games he already has nine RBIs. That is thanks, in part, to his grand slam that he hit yesterday against Oakland that sealed the game for the Tribe.
Shaffer is a non-roster invitee who has appeared in spring training for the Tribe before. But this spring he is really showing out. He already matched his RBI total from last spring and has hit half of his four home runs from 2017. It is also worth mentioning he has struck out only once and has walked four times. Needless to say he’s making things difficult for the young pitchers getting a chance in the majors this spring.
It’s not going to be easy to make it on the roster for Richie, but he knows that.
If he continues to play with the confidence he has right now, he has a chance to force the team’s hand. He is a righty on a team that is loaded with lefty hitters. But in an infield full of stars, he will have to simply make it on the 40-man roster first.
Greg Allen
We talked about Greg Allen earlier this month and his chances of making the roster. He is certainly helping his cause so far this spring. Allen has outplayed his competition in Rajai Davis and Melvin Upton Jr. so far. Four of his six hits have driven in runs. On top of that, two of those four hits have been extra base hits; a double and a triple, respectively.
Another interesting note is he is the only one of the his aforementioned competitors with a stolen base. While it is only a matter of time before Davis and Upton Jr steal one, it’s a testament to the hot start Greg Allen has gotten off to.
The outfield for the Indians is probably the team’s biggest question mark. As long as Michael Brantley and Brandon Guyer are sidelined, Allen, Davis, and Upton Jr. all have a chance at the Opening Day roster. Allen will have to keep up his exceptional play to earn that spot.
Jason Kipnis
Jason Kipnis isn’t playing to earn a roster spot in 2018. He already has a job at second base, according to Terry Francona. He is, however, playing to prove people wrong. All offseason, fans wondered if he would return to form or if he would even be on the team come spring training.
Well Jason Kipnis is here, and boy is he playing. In his two appearances he has gone 4-5 in his at-bats while slugging 2.600. Three of those four hits have been home runs. In yesterday’s game against the A’s, Kip opened things up with a single. His next two at-bats went the distance giving him a total of five RBIs this spring.
He ended up going 3-3 on Tuesday and netted a few double plays on defense. We haven’t seen Kipnis at second base since last July. When he returned from the DL he moved to the outfield. Simply put, his home is at second base. He has gone out and proven just that so far.
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It feels good to see the early breakout performances. There will be plenty more to come as spring training moves along. Some will have better chances at the roster than others. But if guys like Shaffer and Allen can continue to play with confidence, there may be a roster spot for them yet.