Cleveland Indians: Five positives Indians fans should focus on for 2021

Positive #2: The Rotation

In all honesty, this could simply be Shane Bieber, but the reality is that it isn’t just Bieber that will be a positive for the Indians. The entire five-man starting rotation for Cleveland is something that will be a driving force for the club for years.

Bieber is obviously the leader of the group, putting up historical numbers during the 2020 campaign that should win him the American League Cy Young Award. Even beyond Bieber, the rotation proved to be strong, and in most cases young.

Carlos Carrasco is the oldest of the bunch and was solid, but could be moved around depending on how the rest of the team develops around him. Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale showed that they can produce in a full season, or at least as full of a season as we were going to get in 2020. They were then joined by rising prospect, Triston McKenzie who showed he’s ready to stay in the big leagues.

With a budding star in Bieber, followed by three young studs in Plesac, Civale and McKenzie and rounded out by the veteran Carrasco, the Indians rotation should be set for years to come. Even when the time comes to move on from Carrasco, Cleveland has plenty of options in the minor leagues to easily slot in, keeping their starting rotation as one of the best in baseball.