A.M. Wahoo's: Determining a Regular Season MVP
The Cleveland Indians received significant contributions from a great deal of players throughout the 2016 regular season.
The Cleveland Indians are set to begin postseason play in just one day, giving fans one more chance to look back at the regular season before the stress of the playoffs begins. And with so many players having an impact on the division-winning season, it is tough to narrow one down as the team’s clear MVP.
Players like Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana provided some power that had been nonexistent for the past few years, while Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez were reliable both at the plate and in the field. There is also Corey Kluber, who remained the constant throughout all the injuries and struggles that affected the pitching staff at different points throughout the season.
Ramirez emerges as the favorite for the honor, but it is not by a clear margin. This team doesn’t have a Mike Trout, but rather a slew of quality players who are all responsible for the postseason berth this season. And the fact Michael Brantley is not among the group shows just how resilient this team has been this year.
Andrew Miller is another name who could be an option if he had been on the team all season, and could be a realistic option for the team’s postseason MVP if a World Series title is won. That is way too much to think about right now. Only one more day.
While we spend another day pretending not to be counting down the time until Thursday’s first pitch, let’s take a look at the news surrounding the Indians and the rest of the MLB in today’s edition of A.M. Wahoo’s.
Cleveland Indians News:
Cleveland Indians: Who is the Regular Season MVP?
If you ignore the play of the Cleveland Browns, 2016 has already been a magical year for Cleveland sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers brought the city its first championship since 1964, and the Cleveland Indians are now looking to bring the city its second title in four months.
Cleveland Indians: Smart for Corey Kluber to Start Game 2
The sky seemed to be falling on September 26 when Corey Kluber was removed from his start after just four innings. After losing both Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, losing Kluber may have been the end of the Cleveland Indians’ hopes of a World Series title.
What Will the Tribe Do at Catcher in the Postseason?
The catcher position has been an achilles heel for the Cleveland Indians throughout the 2016 season, as injuries and inconsistencies have plagued Tribe backstops. But with Cleveland now on the cusp of starting their American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, a decision in regards to the catcher position is looming.
Cleveland Indians 2016 Top 30 Prospects Review – No. 18 to 13
As we dive back into our top prospect reviews, we look at six more players who made up the heart of our Cleveland Indians’ preseason top 30 list. Included are a trio of players that made their big league debuts along with three bats who had varying degrees of success throughout the season.
Bullpen Usage Key to Indians’ Postseason Hopes (Let’s Go Tribe)
Terry Francona has been the perfect fit for the Cleveland Indians. During his four years managing the team, Tito has the Indians at 352-294 — the best record of any team in that same span. He has done a lot of things really well in those four years, all of which are worth their own posts, but something in particular will be noteworthy over the next few weeks: his bullpen usage.
Francona Undecided on Gomes for ALDS (Indians.com)
As the baseball soared off Yan Gomes’ bat on Sunday, Indians team president Chris Antonetti watched with awe. After everything Gomes had gone through this season, and following a comeback that was as unpredictable as it was incredible, the catcher belted a home run in his first at-bat back with the team.
MLB News:
Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello Deserves the Cy Young Award (BoSox Injection)
What a difference a year makes. As a disastrous 2015 season crawled to a close, Boston Red Sox fans were ready to run Rick Porcello out of town. His production on the mound wasn’t close to matching the value of the lucrative extension the team handed him at the beginning of the season, so after only one season in Boston, Porcello had already been labeled a bust.
Edwin Encarnación Launches Walk-Off Home Run to Eliminate Orioles (FanSided)
The Toronto Blue Jays have a return date with the Texas Rangers. With the Baltimore Orioles in town for the Wild Card Round, it was win or go home. It was a game that spanned extra innings and had plenty of classic moments on the night.
Manfred in Favor of Changing September Call-Up Rules (ESPN.com)
Asked Tuesday whether he liked seeing games that feature 17 or 18 relievers because of all the September call-ups, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred replied, “I don’t think 18 pitchers in a game is a good thing.”
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