Cleveland Indians: Three players on pace to breakout in 2021

Emmanuel Clase

After missing the 2020 season due to a suspension, Emmanuel Clase was one of the more intriguing players on the Tribe’s roster entering the 2021 season. Fans had an idea of what to expect from his 21 games with Texas in 2019, but what is role would be in Cleveland was yet to be determined.

Now, it’s clear that Clase is the closer for the Cleveland Indians, having logged four the team’s six saves while also being the only player with multiple saves. For Clase, his velocity was known but he’s been a bit more effective than some may have anticipated.

Being the anchor to a strong bullpen, Clase’s four saves entered Tuesday as the top mark in the American League. Clase didn’t allow a hit this year until his fourth appearance and entering Tuesday against the White Sox had allowed multiple hits in the same game only once through eight appearances. On top of that, he was able to strikeout 10 batters, including striking out the side against Cincinnati on Sunday.

If Clase can continue to be not only a steady arm in the pen, but one of the better closers in the American League that would go a long way for the Tribe. Being the return from the Corey Kluber trade, he could become one of the biggest steals on the team.

Jordan Luplow

After coming to Cleveland from Pittsburgh prior to the 2019 season as part of a trade involving Erik Gonzalez, Jordan Luplow had fallen short of expectations. He moved up and down between the majors and minors for much of 2019 and 2020 seasons, playing a combined 114 games in Cleveland over the two seasons. However, this season seems to be showing some promise for the 27-year old outfielder.

Beginning the year as mainly a platoon player, Luplow entered Tuesday’s contest against Chicago slashing .250/.344/.714 with four home runs while also drawing four walks before clubbing another home run against the White Sox. While 22 of Luplow’s 28 at-bats had been against left-handed pitchers, most of his success had actually come against right-handed pitching.

Of Luplow’s now five home runs, three have been against left-handed pitchers while two have been against right-handed pitchers. He also has his lone double of the season against a right-handed pitcher.

If Luplow can continue to have success against all pitchers, then he could very well become the every day center field for the Cleveland Indians, opening the door for a lot of possibilities throughout the season including a potential breakout season. It might come a bit later than some were hoping but, hey, better late than never, right?

James Karinchak

While Emmanuel Clase has emerged as the Tribe’s closer this season, it’s hard to talk about his success without also mentioning James Karinchak. What Andrew Miller and Cody Allen did for the bullpen in Cleveland, Clase and Karinchak are doing something similar by essentially locking down the late innings when called upon.

We got a small taste of Karinchak over the last two seasons, appearing in 32 games between 2019 and 2020. Now in 2021, we can expect to see a lot more of him. Entering Tuesday’s game against Chicago he had made seven appearances and had yet to allow a run. In doing so, he totaled six innings pitched, giving up just two hits and walking just two as well. As for his strikeouts, his tally reached double-digits rather quickly with 11.

Having a blazing fastball paired with a curveball that falls off the table, Karinchak provides a nice compliment of pitches that sets up batters before having to time up the triple-digits of Clase. While Karinchak might not be the one getting the saves, he holds just as much importance in the bullpen for the Cleveland Indians. If he can continue to pitch well this season and provide a one-two punch with Clase, the Tribe will be able to turn games into only seven innings for opposing offenses, just as they did in 2016 and 2017 with Miller and Allen.