The Cleveland Indians rebounded back from a terrible 2010 season to win 80 games last season. Cleveland is hoping they can build off of that run and move in the right direction. Let's take a look at this offense to determine if they have what it takes to propel the Indians to the apex of the division. If you'd like to know how we are feeling about the pitching check our 2012 Cleveland Indians preview article.
Projected Lineup
Carlos Santana (Catcher) - Santana showed a glimpse of his talent last year. Despite batting only .239 in his first full year, the 25-year-old certainly made up for it by hitting 27 homers with 79 RBI. His best seasons are without question before him, and look for him to build on his average with similar, if not even better power production in 2012.
Casey Kotchman (First Base) - After another disheartening season from Matt LaPorta at first base, the team went out and signed Kotchman to take over. Coming off one of his best seasons in the big leagues, Kotchman hit a career-high .306 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 146 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. It looks as though Kotchman is a perfect slot in Cleveland.
Jason Kipnis (2nd Base) - In just 36 games in 2011, Kipnis did well enough to get the nod for the starting job in 2012. The 24-year-old hit .272 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI. If his can keep up that pace over a full season, he can instantly become one of the premier second baseman in the AL.
Asdrubal Cabrera (Shortstop) - Cabrera startled the entire league when he belted 25 homers in 2011. Before last year, he had hit a mixed 18 homers in his previous 1,415 at-bats. He also set a vocation high with 92 RBI and tied his career high of 17 steals. The future looks promising for the 26-year-old, but he might need to replicate his 2011 stats in 2012 if he wants everybody to buy in.
Lonnie Chisenhall (Third Base) - Out of greatest prerequisite, Chisenhall is anticipated to open the year at 3rd base, even if he will not be ready. The 23-year-old hit just .255 with 7 homers and 22 RBI in 212 at-bats last year. He had just 8 walks over stretch, signaling that he could be a couple more seasons from a breakout year.
Shelley Duncan (Left Field) - It is as though Duncan will get a chance to start in left, with Sizemore out of the lineup and Michael Brantley moving to center field. Duncan is someone to truly look into; although he hit just .260 in 76 games last season, his 11 home runs and 47 RBI are worth realizing. Given a full season, he would just surprise and hit 20-plus home runs with 90-plus RBI.
Michael Brantley (Center Field) - A damaged bone in his hand ended his 2011 season early. He ended up hitting just .266 with 7 home runs, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases in just 114 games. The 24-year-old still has masses of time to take that next step - the Indians are just hoping it comes sooner , not later.
Shin-Soo Choo (Right Field) - After back-to-back years with at least .300 average to go with 20 homers and 20 steals in 2009 and 2010, Choo unhappy with a sub-par performance while limited to 85 games last year. Choo wishes to revisit form in 2012 because the Indians are relying on him.
Travis Hafner (Designated Hitter) - After signing a huge contract in 2007, Hafner has been pretty mediocre, to say the least. Coming into the year of his sizeable contract, he owes it to Indians fans to do something worthwhile in 2012. Last year, he played in just 94 games. This was the player who batted .308 with 42 homers and 117 RBI in 2006? He may turn 35 in June, but the hope in Cleveland is that he still has another good run in him.
Projected Lineup
Carlos Santana (Catcher) - Santana showed a glimpse of his talent last year. Despite batting only .239 in his first full year, the 25-year-old certainly made up for it by hitting 27 homers with 79 RBI. His best seasons are without question before him, and look for him to build on his average with similar, if not even better power production in 2012.
Casey Kotchman (First Base) - After another disheartening season from Matt LaPorta at first base, the team went out and signed Kotchman to take over. Coming off one of his best seasons in the big leagues, Kotchman hit a career-high .306 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 146 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. It looks as though Kotchman is a perfect slot in Cleveland.
Jason Kipnis (2nd Base) - In just 36 games in 2011, Kipnis did well enough to get the nod for the starting job in 2012. The 24-year-old hit .272 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI. If his can keep up that pace over a full season, he can instantly become one of the premier second baseman in the AL.
Asdrubal Cabrera (Shortstop) - Cabrera startled the entire league when he belted 25 homers in 2011. Before last year, he had hit a mixed 18 homers in his previous 1,415 at-bats. He also set a vocation high with 92 RBI and tied his career high of 17 steals. The future looks promising for the 26-year-old, but he might need to replicate his 2011 stats in 2012 if he wants everybody to buy in.
Lonnie Chisenhall (Third Base) - Out of greatest prerequisite, Chisenhall is anticipated to open the year at 3rd base, even if he will not be ready. The 23-year-old hit just .255 with 7 homers and 22 RBI in 212 at-bats last year. He had just 8 walks over stretch, signaling that he could be a couple more seasons from a breakout year.
Shelley Duncan (Left Field) - It is as though Duncan will get a chance to start in left, with Sizemore out of the lineup and Michael Brantley moving to center field. Duncan is someone to truly look into; although he hit just .260 in 76 games last season, his 11 home runs and 47 RBI are worth realizing. Given a full season, he would just surprise and hit 20-plus home runs with 90-plus RBI.
Michael Brantley (Center Field) - A damaged bone in his hand ended his 2011 season early. He ended up hitting just .266 with 7 home runs, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases in just 114 games. The 24-year-old still has masses of time to take that next step - the Indians are just hoping it comes sooner , not later.
Shin-Soo Choo (Right Field) - After back-to-back years with at least .300 average to go with 20 homers and 20 steals in 2009 and 2010, Choo unhappy with a sub-par performance while limited to 85 games last year. Choo wishes to revisit form in 2012 because the Indians are relying on him.
Travis Hafner (Designated Hitter) - After signing a huge contract in 2007, Hafner has been pretty mediocre, to say the least. Coming into the year of his sizeable contract, he owes it to Indians fans to do something worthwhile in 2012. Last year, he played in just 94 games. This was the player who batted .308 with 42 homers and 117 RBI in 2006? He may turn 35 in June, but the hope in Cleveland is that he still has another good run in him.
About the Author:
If you'd like to bet on baseball and win this year then enroll in the expert MLB picks at BetFirms.
No comments:
Post a Comment