Cleveland Indians: Edwin Encarnacion Looks Great in Spring Opener

The Cleveland Indians opened spring training with a 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Edwin Encarnacion joined several Indians in having a great game.

The Cleveland Indians finally began the 2017 season Saturday afternoon in an exhibition contest against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Indians won the game 8-2, but final scores don’t matter too much in February and March. However, there were plenty of bright spots to takeaway from this game.

The best news was that Edwin Encarnacion looked great, notching two hits and a RBI in his two at-bats. He looked to be in midseason form and it is only February, which should get fans excited about what he will do during the regular season.

It was only two at-bats in February, but seeing his swing look so great early on is a good sign for the team. He needs to exceed the marks had by Mike Napoli in 2016, which should be easy for Encarnacion to do based on how well he has played the last few years. Staying in the American League will also help his production stay elite.

While Encarnacion did have himself a great game, he wasn’t the only one who drove in some runs.

Bradley Zimmer had an amazing game, driving in five runs on two hits, one of which was a three-run home run.

Zimmer will likely open the season in Columbus, but more games like this will make it hard to keep him down in the minors. He is clearly ready for some major league action, but as of right now he may not have a spot on the Indians’ roster. But as we all learned last year, Michael Brantley being out could lead to a major shakeup in the outfield.

Brantley did not play Saturday, and may not see any live action until the end of March, or even not until April. The key is to let him heal and come back when he is fully healthy. Having Encarnacion in the lineup makes it easier to accept Brantley’s absence for any amount of time, while a player like Zimmer could step in and prove himself, as Tyler Naquin did a year ago.

Next: Indians Open at No. 3 in Power Rankings

The Indians started spring training in grand fashion, and are set to take on the Chicago Cubs tomorrow. It isn’t exactly a true World Series rematch featuring the full rosters, but it would be nice to get a win.