How Were the Indians Star Players Producing After 60 Games in 2019?

Now that it's official that the 2020 Major League Baseball season is going to be 60 games, it's worth it to look back and see how some of the Indians players fared last season after two months of the regular season, and if some of them who got off to hot starts can duplicate that this season.

The Major League Baseball owners have a plan for their players to battle out a 60-game season (plus playoffs).

This, of course, is due to the Covid-19 global outbreak and the dangers it causes for not only players, but simply everyone involved in the operation of a regular baseball season. It would be 102 games less than the typical 162-game year.

A tremendous decrease in action.

What would a season of 60 games look like for the Cleveland Indians and some of the best players on the squad? Well, it is time to take a look back at the stars on the team in the first 60 games.

Last season, it was June 4th when the Indians played game number 60 and it was against the Minnesota Twins. A 5-2 victory evened the club’s record at 30-30.

However, the Tribe was still 10.5 games back of the Twins and in second place for the AL Central.

That is where Cleveland would end the season, eight games back of the Twins.

Starting with the coveted piece to the team in shortstop Francisco Lindor. Playing in 143 games for the season with 598 at-bats and a batting average of .284 is a significant drop from the .306 mark after just 60 games.

Lindor also hit two home runs in that game to push the star's total on the year out to 10 with 23 runs batted in. Lindor did finish the season with 32 home runs and 74 runs batted in.

Next up is first basemen Carlos Santana. The veteran went from a .286 average at 60 games to finishing the season with 573 at-bats at a .281 batting average.

This is not much of a change over the course of a year. Additionally, Santana had 11 home runs and 37 runs batted in at that 60-game point and ended with 34 home runs and 93 runs batted in.

Third basemen Jose Ramirez was at a lowly .202 average at 60 games. The four home runs and 17 runs batted in are minuscule compared to the previously two featured players.

At the end of the year, Ramirez finished with 482 at-bats at a .255 average, 23 home runs and 83 runs batted in. Opposite of Lindor and Santana, Ramirez ended the year stronger than it began.

Shifting gears to pitching and Mike Clevinger. At 60 games, Clevinger only had two starts because an injury kept the right-hander out significant time.

The hard-thrower finished the season at 13-4, a 2.71 earned run average and 169 strikeouts. All of this in 21 starts and 126 total innings pitched.

Interestingly enough, it was Shane Bieber that pitched the aforementioned game number 60 of ‘19. It made Bieber’s record a solid 5-2 at the time.

The young and promising righty ended with a 15-8 record, a 3.28 earned run average and 259 strikeouts. This came in 33 starts and 214.1 innings pitched. Certainly steady throughout the entire season.

For the Indians, there are some players that start hot and finish cold, others that do just the opposite.

One thing is for certain and that is baseball is still baseball regardless of how many games are played for the season.

Sure, there may be some nuance and variance, but it will be exciting to watch this team hopefully contend for the playoffs despite it not being a full year.