Cleveland Indians: 3 players on pace to breakout in second half

3 Cleveland Indians on pace to breakout in second half

The first half of the Major League Baseball season saw the Cleveland Indians be middle of the road in about every way possible, which was above the expectations that most slapped them with prior to the season. At the break, the Tribe hold a record of 45-42, winning the last three games before the break, including a 14-run outburst in the first half finale.

Now, the club will begin to turn their attention to the second half of the season and making moves to position themselves for a postseason run. The team should be able to get a few players back healthy in the near future, which will help, but there are some other internal additions that could play a big part in the second half.

Moving into the second half, the Cleveland Indians will need to make some roster improvements, whether it be from trades or free agency. However, some roster improvements can happen by simply calling a player up or seeing them settle into a role. For these three players, that will be the case in the coming months.

Whether it be a small or large sample size, these three have shown the potential to breakout and be consistent contributors for the club in the second half. They have also shown that they can do it in the past, either in the minors or in the majors during a different season.

If these three can continue to build on the momentum that they finished out the first half with it could be huge for the Tribe. While it won’t count as a transaction, it could be just as beneficial as a trade or signing if these players can blossom and take on a bigger role in the second half of the season. The foundation is there, now there just needs to be consistency.

Bobby Bradley, 1B, Cleveland Indians

Calling up Bobby Bradley to Cleveland has been something in the works for a few seasons. He was always roadblocked by Carlos Santana, but once he got his shot this season he hasn’t looked back. There’s some things he can improve on, as there is for any 25-year old, but the future is bright for Bradley, especially the second half of the 2021 season.

Being called up on June 5, Bradley has been in Cleveland just over a month. In that time he’s played in 31 games and has 104 official at-bats. He’s made sure to make good use of them.

While his average is a bit lower at .240, he does damage when he makes contact to complete a slash line of .240/.336/.577. That line is thanks in large part to 10 home runs, five doubles and 20 RBI in a short period of time while also scoring 23 times. With 25 hits this season, 15 have been either a double or a home run. That also means that almost 15% of Bradley’s at-bats have resulted in a double or a home run.

Most of Bradley’s stats came while Franmil Reyes was on the injured list. As the lineup returns to full strength, Bradley should see an increase in his stats. He’s going to be in the order around the same area as Reyes, Eddie Rosario, Harold Ramirez and Jose Ramirez. That should give him plenty of opportunities to log more RBI down the stretch.

If the power continues, Bradley could be a huge addition for the Cleveland Indians. He’s on an insane pace that would have him hit 52 home runs in a 162 game season if he played every single game, but even if he settles in the 30-40 home run range, that would be a big upgrade at first.

Cal Quantrill, SP, Cleveland Indians

Again, just hear me out on this one. It took Cal Quantrill a bit of time to settle in as a reliever, but once he did he was a strong option. We’re seeing the same thing as he moves back into the starting rotation. It wasn’t an adjustment that could happen overnight, but he’s emerging as the club’s best internal option to be the fourth or fifth starter behind the Big Three.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

If you look at Quantrill’s pitch count, it was slowly climbing and then in July it jumped into the 90s, tossing 94 pitches against Houston and then 90 against Kansas City. He’s officially stretched out to be a full-time starting pitcher in the majors. Luckily, his stats have started to level out as well.

In both of those 90-pitch starts, Quantrill allowed three runs in each. The first lasted 5.1 innings and the second went a full six. He’s also been able to cut down the walks, having two against Houston and just one against Kansas City.

The hope is that the runs can come down a bit, but the potential is there. Quantrill was the eighth overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Stanford after lighting it up in college. I can’t say it enough, the potential is there. He just needs an extended opportunity.

Given the state of the Tribe’s rotation, that extended opportunity might be coming in the second half. Of the players that have auditioned for the starting rotation, Quantrill has pitched the best. That combined with his 90-pitch outings point to him getting his shot to be part of this starting rotation down the stretch.