What to Make of the Cleveland Indians Outfield in 2020

With spring training "2.0" around the corner for the Cleveland Indians, one thing that has clearly not been settled yet is what the team's outfield is going to look like come opening day in late July. With likely one spot nailed down to Oscar Mercado, that leaves two open, and a lot of options for the coaching staff and manager Terry Francona.

Every sector of a baseball team is important and that is no different from the outfield. The Cleveland Indians have some interesting decisions to make this season on who will get the most playing time.

There is a lot of talent on the 30-man roster and it will be difficult for manager Terry Francona and company to decide on who sees the field the most.

Let’s take a look at what is to come for this shortened season.

The Indians have a solid anchor in center field and that is Oscar Mercado. Last season, the right-hander hit .269 with 15 home runs and 54 runs batted in. This was only in 115 games played. Additionally, a fantastic fielder.

Right field has Franmil Reyes, a player that many feel should have an everyday presence in the lineup. In 2019, Reyes batted .249 with 37 home runs and 81 runs batted in. Certainly, that is a power threat at the plate.

Jordan Luplow should start in left field for the Tribe. In 2019, this right-hander hit .276 with 15 home runs and 38 runs batted in.

Now, there will be some competition with 10 solid outfielders on the roster. As the season goes on, the size of that roster does slowly shrink.

Players such as Greg Allen, Delino DeShields, Bradley Zimmer, Domingo Santana, Tyler Naquin and Daniel Johnson are all formidable members of the outfield.

Frankly, if Naquin is fully healthy after tearing that ACL last season, the left field position may be an option.

In a shortened year, the bench will likely be used less. The old saying of, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” is not applicable. The starters could play in almost every game without fear of burning out over a long-haul.

Say, the Indians do have an injury here or there throughout the course of the season. It’s nice knowing there are replacements that can still produce. A team can never have too many players that are able to shine in the Major Leagues.

In summation, start the season with Mercado in center, Reyes in right and Luplow (or a healthy Naquin) in left.

Use the other players as either the designated hitter or replacements for any type of injuries that hopefully do not occur throughout the intense battle.

This Cleveland team is filled with talent and, despite the season being much shorter than the usual 162 games, it's exciting to see how the roster is used to its full capacity, pushing the Indians to the most success possible.