Cleveland Indians: Overthinking baseball in February

With games in Arizona being more televised, we got our first look at the 2020 Cleveland Indians, which allowed us to overthink the early results of spring games.

Spring training games have arrived, and with full disclosure, I have watched three straight days of exhibition baseball (soon to be four). These games may not matter, and are more preparatory than outcome-oriented. Yet, for several Cleveland Indians players there are roster spots up for grabs, and impressions to make with the big league club.

When watching spring training, it’s difficult to gauge the performances due to not being fully aware of what each player is working on heading into the game. This is the time of year, for instance, when a starting pitcher with four or five pitches may only throw two in an entire appearance just to work on them.

All that said, I have over-analyzed the past three games this spring training. Wednesday’s 8-0 loss to the Padres, Thursday’s 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, and Friday’s 8-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Let’s talk about what we can learn overall. First, watching three straight losses isn’t all that fun. If you feel down with just the game results, take a deep breath. Sandy Leon will most likely never hit third in a regular season game, and Carl Willis will not get to have a walkie-talkie come late March.

The Indians are dealing with a lot of injuries early in camp that have also limited some of the players you’ll be seeing. When there are injuries, there are opportunities. For players like Logan Allen, Adam Plutko, and a bevy of relievers, these games and results do matter for their roster spots. Let’s take a look at who have caught my eye in February.