Cleveland Indians: 3 players who exceeded expectations in first half

3 Cleveland Indians who exceeded expectations in the first half

The first half of the Major League Baseball season is complete. Whether you count the first half as the first 81 games or all games before the All-Star break, we’ve reached the midway point of the 2021 season. The 2021 MLB Draft is in full swing, as is the All-Star week festivities, but what are teams doing to prepare for the second half?

That process begins with self evaluation and for the Cleveland Indians there have been a ton of highs and just as many lows. From walk-off wins to an injured list that includes nearly every key player the team has, the Tribe have been through it this season.

Despite the bumps and bruises, the Cleveland Indians have been able to hold their ground and will enter the second half within reach of the postseason. A 45-42 record has Cleveland eight games back of the Chicago White Sox and 4.5 back in the Wild Card race. That’s not as great as just a couple weeks ago, but it’s still a doable deficit.

During the first half of the season the Tribe saw the injuries and struggles from the replacements take the headlines. While those surely carried the storyline of the season to this point, the team was able to stay afloat, in large part to other players picking up the slack.

You expect players like Jose Ramirez to be at the top of the league statistically and Shane Bieber to be lights out in more starts than not, but there should always be a few players that go above and beyond their expectations set forth before the season starts.

In the case of Cleveland, these three players were able to do just that. They aren’t All-Stars, but they have already blown past what was expected of them during the 2021 campaign. Now, they just have to carry it over into the second half.

Harold Ramirez, OF, Cleveland Indians

On February 24 the Cleveland Indians claimed outfielder Harold Ramirez off waivers from the Miami Marlins. Cleveland, a team in need of help in the outfield, brought in Ramirez late in the offseason in hopes of finding a depth player. What they got was a diamond in the rough.

Playing two seasons with the Marlins, Ramirez totaled just 122 games in Miami, logging 431 at-bats for the club. He posted respectable numbers with a slash line of .274/.311/.411 with 11 home runs, 20 doubles, 51 RBI and two stolen bases. He was also near perfect in the field with just one error.

However, when it came time to make roster decisions it was Ramirez that was the odd man out in Miami. Luckily, the Tribe jumped at the opportunity to add an outfielder with proven major league experience.

Due to coming on a little later, Ramirez didn’t really have many expectations entering the season from fans in Cleveland. However, after being called up on May 3, Ramirez jumped into action and hasn’t looked back.

In 186 at-bats over 57 games, Ramirez is slashing .280/.325/.457 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 22 RBI and two stolen bases. Those numbers are about on track for what he did in Miami, but since Cleveland didn’t really know what to expect, he’s been able to play freely and blow away fans while securing a spot in the starting lineup.

Ramirez’s  .280 average is currently leading the team and his 13 doubles are tied for third. If he can just keep doing what he’s been doing, he should have a starting spot in Cleveland’s outfield for the foreseeable future.

Aaron Civale, SP, Cleveland Indians

It might seem odd to say that Aaron Civale has exceeded expectations this year since he was expected to play well, but he’s managed to do just that. In fact, there could be an argument made that Civale is the best starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians this season. Even better than defending Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.

Before he went on the injured list, Civale was the first pitcher in the game to reach double-digit wins with 10, heading into the break with a 10-2 record. He also posted the second-best ERA among starters for the Tribe, behind Bieber, and the second-best WHIP as well, trailing just Zach Plesac.

Starting a team-high 15 games, Civale concluded the first half with an ERA of 3.32, just 0.04 higher than Bieber’s and that’s with an extra start. He also allowed just one more hit than Bieber, despite throwing seven more innings. Those trends continue with only two more runs allowed, three more earned runs and three more home runs.

Civale also walked 10 fewer batters than Bieber despite facing one more batter in total. The only stat that Bieber still blows Civale out of the water in is strikeouts where Bieber has 130 and Civale has 76.

Outside of strikeouts, Civale has been able to keep pace with Bieber, giving Cleveland two Cy Young caliber pitchers. Bieber might still have a bit of an edge, but Civale isn’t too far off from being on the same level.