The Tribe’s First Half: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

THE GOOD:

• Young studs.

When Jason Kipnis comes up to the plate, I have confidence that something good is going to happen. It’s rare for the Indians to bring up a prospect and see him immediately contribute at the level that Kipnis has. He’s an exciting player to watch and one that can have an impact on this club for years to come.

Lonnie Chisenhall’s injury was a blow to the Indians’ chances this year. He was finally showing us what we wanted to see last year. He was improving at the plate, and this injury will be a setback in his development. Even so, we’ve seen what he can do, and it’s just the beginning. The injury might be detrimental to his career, but that is something we will have to wait and see. We can just hope that it was just the beginning of where Chisenhall’s talents begin.

Vinnie Pestano showed us what he’s made of last season, and this year, he’s doing it again. Pestano has emerged as the team’s top setup man, but it’s only a matter of time before he will be the closer in Cleveland. He has a powerful fastball and a high ceiling for strikeouts. He is one of the most exciting arms out of the bullpen and a player the Indians will be able to build around.

The future is bright with these players and regardless of how this season plays out, there are exciting things happening on the field.

• It’s far from over.

This year doesn’t feel like last year. I felt good last season, even when the Indians weren’t in first place. Deep down I knew they couldn’t keep up and that to expect the team to make the playoffs was a little lofty. But despite that, something just felt right. They were always a win or two away from something big and it all seemed possible, even if unlikely.

Maybe last season hardened me and deteriorated the last hopeful bone in my body. I just don’t feel the same this year. The Indians are still in contention, and I won’t forget that. Even when things aren’t going well, they’re up there in the AL Central standings, never more than a few games from first place. A few wins and they can be right back in the thick of things. This year lacks something that last year had, but in this division, first place is always up for grabs. That’s the good of this season through the halfway point—the Indians are still in it and it’s far from over.

We’re only halfway through the season and there’s plenty of baseball left to be played. The good news about the “bad” and “ugly” on my list is that they are problems that can be addressed heading into the second half of the season. There’s no reason to write off Cleveland yet, and maybe that’s the best “good” of them all. It’s July and the Indians are still in this as much as anyone and that’s really all we could ask for at this point in the season.