The Cleveland Indians have long had a top player development staff, and do a fantastic job getting the best out of their pitchers.
Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger, Aaron Civale, Triston McKenzie, Zach Plesac, Carlos Carrasco, and others have had excellent seasons in recent years with Cleveland, or are having them now.
But the offense is another story, as it is a fairly mediocre unit that struggles to score runs with consistency.
The Indians are 16th in runs scored per game with 4.4.
They are 20th in hits per game, with 7.8.
Other offensive statistics are equally mediocre.
Cleveland is 20th in batting average (.237), 24th in OBP (.304), 14th in slugging percentage (.410), 19th in OPS (.714), and 11th in home runs (161).
As you can see, the team’s lineup is not in the top ten in any major offensive category, and it has notorious issues getting on base.
Cleveland does have, however, a couple of bright spot when it comes to hitters: Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes.
The Franimal Has Delivered
Despite injuries here and there, Reyes has mostly answered the call and has performed really well for Cleveland when healthy.
The Franimal, as he is called, has a .256 batting average, which is nothing too special, and a .324 OBP: his power, however, has been on full display, with 23 home runs in just 305 plate appearances and a very good .862 OPS.
Reyes has been a fixture in the middle of the lineup, with 64 RBI.
The slugger has been particularly hot in his last seven games: he is 8-for-26 with three home runs and 10 RBI, while slashing .308/.406/.692.
Cleveland has some interesting pieces to try and build around for the future: Bradley Zimmer has had his moments, Myles Straw isn’t a bad outfielder, and Bobby Bradley is a slugging first baseman, but with notorious contact issues.
Reyes, however, is a consistent source of power, and has been driving in the runs for quite some time.
452 from the Franimal 😳 pic.twitter.com/QRkAP5ijcw
— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2021
Jose Ramirez Remains A Top Performer
Reyes is good, but the top dog in Cleveland remains third baseman Ramirez.
A perennial MVP candidate, Ramirez is once again putting up big numbers in 2021.
He is batting .258 with a .344 OBP and an excellent .885 OPS.
Ramirez has hit 29 home runs so far in 2021, and has added a speed element as well, with 19 stolen bases.
With 84 runs and 80 RBI, he has been involved in most of the offensive production in Cleveland’s lineup.
Ramirez has been a dynamo in the last seven games: he is 9-for-28 with nine runs, three homers, seven RBI, and five stolen bases, while slashing .321/.424/.714.
At his best, Ramirez is an MVP candidate capable of hitting 35 home runs and stealing 30 bases while playing very good defense in the hot corner.
José Ramírez. pic.twitter.com/yjQfYJ8L4o
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) June 1, 2021
And even at his worst, he is a middle-of-the-order threat who won’t hit .300, but will knock his fair share of balls out of the park.
Cleveland’s offense is not good, but it’s sad to think where they would be without Reyes or Ramirez in their lineup every day.
The difference between those two and the rest if we consider both talent and consistency is considerable.
NEXT: Triston McKenzie Could Be A Future Ace In Cleveland