Cleveland Indians: 3 things to address if the Tribe want to win AL Central

Three things to address if the Cleveland Indians want to win the AL Central

Entering the series against the Chicago Cubs, the Cleveland Indians were sitting in second place and just a single game back of first place in the American League Central after just over a month of competition. With an 18-14 record, the Tribe trail just the Chicago White Sox in the division race and while the season is still young, early indications are overall positive for Cleveland.

In a season that had low expectations after dealing away star shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Tribe have managed to have a very similar start to the year. The 18-14 record is just two wins off the pace of the 2020 season through the first 32 games when Cleveland was 20-12 a year ago. While Lindor is the most notable departure, that success has come without Carlos Santana, Carlos Carrasco, Brad Hand, Tyler Naquin and others.

Fans of the Tribe have been through the gauntlet of emotions with the team already this season, from being no-hit twice to two nine-run offensive explosions. Nonetheless, Cleveland is in the thick of the division race through the first month and a little more. While the Minnesota Twins were expected to be a challenger, early struggles are showing that it might already be down to a two team race between the Southside Sox and the Tribe.

While the current squad has performed well, some adjustments should be in the works to improve the team and get them to the next level. The struggles for the Twins and recent injuries for the White Sox have opened the door of opportunity for the Cleveland Indians and making changes along these lines could be what makes the difference in the AL Central.

There are always areas to improve upon for any team, but these three things seem like reasonable fixes for the organization to address over the next few weeks to improve the roster and production of the club.