Cleveland Indians: 2 internal pitchers best fit to complete a healthy rotation

2 internal pitchers best fit to complete a healthy Cleveland Indians rotation

The Cleveland Indians starting rotation has been a game of musical chairs so far this season with minor league pitcher after minor league pitcher trying their hand in the majors. At the beginning of the season there was optimism that the “Big Three” of Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac could hold down the fort, but injuries have derailed that plan.

Luckily, Plesac is back healthy and Bieber and Civale are on the road to recovery with the hope of returning later this month yet. However, even with those three there are still two spots in the starting rotation still up for grabs amongst the remaining pitchers throughout the organization.

There’s a chance that the team could look to fill the spots externally with trades, but the team’s efforts to cut payroll this year show that the avenue of a trade might be a bit more difficult than in past seasons. Even when the team brought in players like Franmil Reyes or Yasiel Puig, it was at the cost of a starting pitcher, which is a luxury the team no longer has.

Taking all that into consideration, odds are the Tribe are going to have to piece together the rest of their starting rotation with what is available in-house. There isn’t much, but there’s been enough flashes of potential that two players have separated themselves from the group. It isn’t a wide margin by any means, but there’s enough of a gap that the two are rather clear.

The hope is that the team decides to spend a little bit and bring in at least one arm, but should they have to find an internal answer, these two pitchers are the top candidates to fill the need. They might not be the best, but they are all the team has at this point.

Triston McKenzie, SP, Cleveland Indians

The fact that Triston McKenzie is one of the two best options to fill the rest of the starting rotation should show how desperate the team is for help in the rotation. However, McKenzie has been able to flash his potential while his 2020 campaign might be the deciding factor.

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Over eight appearances, six of which were starts, in 2020 McKenzie was able to maintain a solid ERA of 3.24. However, this year that number has jumped to 5.47. Most of that is due to his walks skyrocketing. The good news is that when the walks are under control he’s been effective.

Take for example his last start before the All-Star break. McKenzie tossed a season-high seven innings, throwing 85 pitches. He allowed just one hit and one walk to the Kansas City Royals while striking out nine.

McKenzie has also been able to toss two five-inning shutout starts this year. The potential is there, it’s just the consistency that isn’t. Given what the Tribe are working with, potential will have to do.

His stats aren’t amazing, but they are still better than the alternatives. That paired with a few impressive starts over the course of the year could give McKenzie the final spot. That would make the rotation Bieber, Civale, Plesac, Quantrill and McKenzie. Again, not amazing but you can do worse.