Another stick would be nice for Cleveland, but not a priority, Napoli thinks he's 26 years old again, on pace to hit 34 home runs, Santana is having a monster season, he has 20 bombs at the break, up the middle of Lindor and Kipnis is killing it, they both have double digit bombs and both are hitting for average, Jose Ramierez is hitting out of his shoes, go figure he'd be at .300, Tyler Naiquin is in the rookie of the year mix, totally legit, even Chisenhall is contributing, he's .295, and the team can smack LHP as well.
Indians rotation is the best in the American League
The front four has a WH/IP of 1.2 or less which is dirty, and an ERA of 3.61 or less.
Tomlin's 21 home runs allowed is startling, however almost all of them have been solo jobs, and if you think about it, I'd rather have my starter give up a solo homer than clog the bases and give up three runs on four hits, and Tomlin sports a very tide 1.12 WH/IP and for a guy that is on pace to give up 40 ding dongs, I'll take the 3.5 ERA.
If Carasco returns to form, watch out!
40 quality starts from the front four so far is insane, you get a quality start you aren't taxing the bullpen, and that's where the Indians need an upgrade.
Cody Allen is a dependable closer, hardly elite, and Danny Otero is a very nice inning or two middle man, however Bryan Shaw scares me and McCallister is horse shit.
Nobody is going to go far out of the AL East
Baltimore has crap for starting pitching, Tillman is the ace and he's barely serviceable and he gets almost 5 runs a start in run support, the other starters are deplorable, Jimmenez sports a WH/IP of 2 and an ERA of over 7.
Jesus God, Jimmenez has made 17 starts and averages 2 base runners an inning each and every inning, that's mind boggling.
O's strength is they can mash like no other, Machado, Davis. Adam Jones, Trumbull, forget about it, the line up is stacked with bombers, and the bull pen back end of Brach setting up Britton is top 4 in the maors, pretty much untouchable, and O'Day is a nice reliever as well, but if the starters don't pick it up that bull pen will be dead on arrival come Labor Day, the bats can only carry you so far, who in that brutal rotation can you rely on to stop a 4 game losing streak.
Same with Boston and Toronto, after Price they have nothing in the way of starting pitching, and now they lose Kimbrel for the year, Blue Jays? Dickey is reduced to a punching bag, Happ leads the majors in run support, both teams can mash what they can't do is pitch.
Texas gets Darvish back, and if he can give the Rangers 10 out 15 good starts they'll win the division by 10 games.
(I think Seattle can nab a wild card if Iwaguma can pitch like he did the other day against KC) but M's won't catch Texas. Speaking of KC, I love them as you all know, but Moose out for the year hurts, they do get Cain back next week, but Dillon Gee and Ian Kennedy is taking my beloved Royals no freaking any where, Kennedy is the teams ERA leader and that's at 4, Gee got lit up this weekend, Chris Young is a big fly waiting to happen, he's given up an unholy 26 bomb, Ventura turns into a nut job any time he gets into trouble, Volquez is a nice middle of the rotation guy, but KC depends on him at the top of the rotation and he's not that kind of starter. I don't care how good the 'pen is, and it's not 2014 of Holland, Davis and Herrea or even last years WS bullpen with Holland gone. as mentioned Cain is back, Hoss is an all star, Perez is the games elite catcher, the kids that got called up are good (Orlando, Whit Merrifield, Fuentes, Cuthbert) they are all .280 or better) but with no pitching, no repeat. Johnny Cueto is in SF now, and they aren't pulling a rabbit out their ass this July like they did for the past 2 years, it was no secret Zobrist was hooking up with his buddy Maddon, and starting the season with 199 year old Omar Infante was a joke at 2B.
Getting back to Texas it should be Rangers and Indians in the ALCS, Rangers can rake, they get back Darvish, Darvish with a rock solid Cole Hamels and even a steadier Colby Lewis is a very formidable front three, and their bats are even a little better than Cleveland.
Want to see something scary?
Look at these numbers versus Left handed pitching.
This is scary
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Originally Posted by frogsrangers
