Cleveland Indians 3-point checklist to conclude the season

Cleveland Indians 3-point checklist to conclude the season

The 2021 season is starting to wind down for Major League Baseball as we enter into the final full month of the regular season. For the Cleveland Indians, this means that the time with this moniker is also coming to a close and the organization will usher in a new era as the Cleveland Guardians once this season is in the books.

With just over 30 games left in the season, the Tribe can still end the year on a high note. The postseason is pretty much out of reach at this point, but there can still be progress made in the final games of the season.

As the year comes to a close, these are three things that the Cleveland Indians need to focus on to set the stage for the Cleveland Guardians entrance.

The Cleveland Indians need to finish above .500

This seems like a simple task, but as it currently stands Cleveland is just one game above .500 at 65-64 entering September. Playing .500 baseball the rest of the way should do it, but that’s easier said than done.

Since Terry Francona arrived to Cleveland, the Tribe haven’t had a losing season. The team came close in 2015, finishing out 81-80, but they still were able to stay above .500. Now, that seems to be a streak that is in danger.

Prior to Francona, Cleveland had finished .500 or worse in five consecutive seasons. However, Francona’s first season saw the team win over 90 games and make the playoffs. The level of success has varied through Francona’s tenure and lows haven’t been unheard of, however this time just feels different.

The tearing down of the roster over the last couple seasons raises the concern of staying competitive into the future. If the team can push through and stay above .500 this season, keeping the streak alive and ending the Cleveland Indians era on a high-ish note, that would be a boost to morale around the club and could possibly create some optimism about 2022.

The Cleveland Indians need a one week preview of the 2022 rotation

The rotation for the 2022 season is coming into focus. There’s the Big Three from the 2016 MLB Draft and Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie have placed themselves as the front-runners for the other two spots. The only downside is we have yet to see the whole unit in action at the same time.

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Quantrill and McKenzie were given their opportunities to shine when injuries hit the other three, so there’s been pieces but never the whole picture. The good news is that Plesac and Quantrill are currently healthy (knock on wood) while Civale and McKenzie are almost back. McKenzie should be activated in the next 24 hours or so and Civale is making what will hopefully be his last rehab start.

That leaves just Shane Bieber to make his way back. Now, you don’t want to rush Bieber and if he gets shut down, that might end up being the better option. However, if time allows and Bieber can be 100% healthy for a start or two at the end of the season, seeing this full five work together through a week could be huge.

Starting pitching has been the lifeblood of Cleveland for a long time now and this unit will be no different. While we’re excited about the possibility of what they could do in 2022, seeing a brief sample could really create some buzz to close out the year.