The biggest thing missing from the 2015 Cleveland Indians lineup, unquestionably, is a major power hitter. This isn’t a problem that has plagued just last year’s Indians either; the team hasn’t had a player who fit this description since Travis Hafner‘s prime years. Last season, the Indians hit a total of 141 home runs, a shockingly low number for those that grew up watching baseball in the steroid era, but this is the game we are living with today. Those 141 home runs ranked 22nd in all of baseball. They also posted a .144 ISO as a team, which was good for 19th best in all of baseball. The team’s .401 SLG% ranked 16th in baseball, aided by the fact that the Indians were 2nd in the league in doubles thanks to Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis finishing 1st and 3rd in all of baseball in the category.
In years past, Carlos Santana adequately played part of the role of the team’s leading power hitter with help from others, this season he was asked to fill the role himself, one he is not suited for in the least, and it did not go well. Granted Yan Gomes being injured and Brandon Moss grossly underperforming (to put it nicely) was beyond Santana’s control, he himself did not have the type of year we have come to know him for and perhaps that was in large part due to the fact that there wasn’t another bat in the lineup to protect him or give other teams pause with regard to long-ball capabilities. Will this change next season simply with Yan Gomes being healthy and providing another power threat to the lineup? Perhaps. Regardless if he does return to form, I think 2015 proved that the current lineup as it is composed is not capable of being relied upon to compete for a division title for a full 162 games. As rumors have already indicated, the Indians front office will likely be looking to change this aspect of their team, whether it’s in the form of an outfielder or perhaps a DH/first baseman or third baseman remains to be seen.
Before the Indians go searching for their next Albert Belle, I think it’s necessary to note why more pop in the lineup is important. Every fan has a particular style of play they like to watch and this is the case across all sports. Some like the fast break, transition focused style of play in basketball, others like defensive-minded, “3 yards and a cloud of dust” style football. In baseball, some like defensive-minded and strong pitching focused teams, while others love teams that win games 9-8 on the back of 3 home runs per game. Myself, I fall into the latter category as an aforementioned fan who grew up during the steroid era watching the Indians teams lead by power hitters like Belle, Jim Thome, and Manny Ramirez. I personally believe this is just a more exciting brand of baseball. That’s not to say that dominating pitching performances aren’t exciting to watch or that a great pitching staff isn’t key to winning a World Series, because it certainly is, but it’s extremely difficult to win with pitching alone. For everyone who points to the 1995 World Series as an example of why pitching is more important than a loaded lineup, let’s not forget that the 1995 Braves team also had a great lineup of their own featuring the likes of David Justice, Fred McGriff, Ryan Klesko, and Chipper Jones.
Moreover, the league’s best tend to be the best hitting team’s in the league and they also tend to be in the top half of the league in the power department. I place emphasis of the word “tend” because there are always exceptions to the rule. 15 teams had a winning record in baseball this past season and of those 15, just 5 finished in the bottom half of the league in ISO. Those teams included the Indians, Cardinals, Pirates, Giants, and the World Series-winning Royals. Even of these 5, just 3 made it to the playoffs and each of them have a signature style of play that helps make up for the fact that they lack major power hitters. The Royals, as we’ve become so familiar with, win on the backs of great base running, defense, and shortening games to 6 innings because of the best bullpen that may have ever existed. The Cardinals are normally in the top 15 in the power department, but injuries brought this category down for them. The Cardinal brand of baseball features great pitching and a lineup that doesn’t ever seem to have any holes in it. The Pirates, similar to the Royals, have great pitching, defense and base running and capitalize on timely hitting. While these teams win without hitting the ball out of the park, they make up for it in a number of other areas.
The Indians have a great pitching staff and are beginning to show the ability to be a good defensive team, though still not on the level of the Royals. While the team could certainly focus on shoring up the defense and winning games like Kansas City or Pittsburgh, with the rumors that the Tribe is interested in recently non-tendered big boppers Chris Carter and Pedro Alvarez, it looks like the Indians are taking the approach of boosting the lineup in the hopes that this is the missing piece for the Tribe. In the following days, Burning River Baseball will take a look at both Carter and Alvarez and try to shed some light on which one, if any of them, are the right fit for the Indians.
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