Cleveland Indians: Will Mike Napoli instill fear in pitchers?

The Cleveland Indians free agent history isn’t sparkling as of late, so how will Mike Napoli fit in? Is he boom or bust?

So, who is Mike Napoli?

Born on October 31, 1981, in Hollywood Florida, this right hand hitting and throwing, 6’1”, 225-pound player was drafted right out of high school. He was taken in the 17th round (500th overall) in the 2000 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Mike made his major league debut on May 4th, 2006 for the Angels. Mike has also played for the Texas Rangers, the Boston Red Sox then did a brief stint again with the Rangers before landing here in Cleveland.

A career .253 hitter but better known for his power with six seasons of 20 plus home runs (204 for his career), Mike acknowledged “I have a lot to prove” after signing with Cleveland. The fans would likely agree.

The last two “power hitters” the Indians brought in were anything but memorable. First we had Mark Reynolds. In 335 at bats for the Indians, Mark hit 15 HRs and drove in 48 runs. Besides the lack of game-changing power, Mark also left a small village on base paths by striking out 123 times and stranding more runners than the cast of Lost. Next up was Brandon Moss; home run-swatting, left-handed hitter from the Oakland Athletics. Moss in 337 at-bats hit 15 HRs and knocked in 50 RBIs for the tribe; almost the exact same numbers that Reynolds put up. In Moss’ first 163 at bats in Cleveland, he only hit 2 HR’s, blaming the “cold wind” at the stadium for knocking down possible HRs.

Last year the Indians only hit 61 home runs at home and belted 80 on the road. So are the above-mentioned sluggers at fault? The top 3 hardest ballparks to hit a home run (American League) during the 2015 season were, at number one and topping the list with an average of 1.6 HR’s per game, – Kansas City (Kauffman Stadium). Next was in Oakland (O .co Coliseum), averaging 1.72 HR’s per game. At number three the Cleveland Indians (Progressive Field) who averaged 1.86 HR’s per game.

So, is their pressure on Mike Napoli to put up numbers? Well, Tito likely isn’t worried, signing the free agent to a one-year $7 million dollar contract (with reportedly up to $3 million more in incentives). But should we be? Once again looking at the track record of the “sluggers for hire” the fans of the feathered shouldn’t hold their breath. Mike Napoli has NEVER hit a home run in Cleveland at Progressive Field.

Wait, what?! Maybe Tito has other plans for the 34-year-old veteran, who was awarded a spot in the 2012 MLB all-star game, then in 2013 helped guide the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title over the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year (2015) Mike was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove Award for first base. Regardless, Mike’s leadership and clubhouse presence will be valuable to a young Indians team (28.8 average age in 2015).

More guardians: Pitchers and catchers report to camp

Will history repeat? Will the tribe have to rely on switch-hitting Carlos Santana to be the power in the lineup? Can Michael Brantley return back to his All-Star form? Will Lindor and Davis be the spark at the top of the lineup? Did the tribe make enough moves, or should we have traded a pitcher? Like a roller coaster at Cedar Point, the die-hard Indian fans emotions are already running wild, and we haven’t even started spring training. I do have one warning to the pitchers in the AL….fear the beard!!!

Go Tribe GO