Cleveland Indians: Tyler Naquin’s success in 2020 shouldn’t be a surprise

Tyler Naquin has been a consistent option for the Cleveland Indians so his strong start to the 2020 campaign isn’t anything new.

The Cleveland Indians have been relying on a mix-and-match outfield all season long. Yet, it finally looks like the Tribe has found a starting everyday outfielder in Tyler Naquin. That’s not at all shocking if you’ve been following the career of the 29-year-old from Spring, Texas. The five-year pro has been trying to break into the every-day scene since being called up by the Tribe for the magical 2016 season.

He played the most games in center field that year but shared a lot of time with Abraham Almonte, Coco Crisp, and Marlon Byrd. Those three, along with Naquin, tried to replace Michael Brantley’s production, as the All-Star had injury issues all year. Yet 2017 saw guys like Jay Bruce, Bradley Zimmer, a healthy Brantley, and even Lonnie Chisenhall and Austin Jackson take up most of the reps in the outfield, forcing Naquin to remain in the minors for most of the season.

After that, he spent the next few years as part of Terry Francona’s outfield platoon alongside Zimmer, Greg Allen, Melky Cabrera, Raja Davis, Jake Bauers, Oscar Mercado, Leonys Martin, and Yasiel Puig, where Naquin played all three outfield spots. Despite his versatility, great defense, and solid at-bat performances, Naquin couldn’t secure a starting spot that was all his own for those two seasons.

That’s coconuts to think bout. With the exception of the 2017 season, Naquin has never hit below .260 since being called up and has a career .283 batting average. Currently, he’s hitting .310 after the Twins series ended and has become a steady presence in the outfield alongside Delino DeShields, who’s returned to Earth after a hot start.

Now that Carlos Santana is hitting over .200, Franmil Reyes is hitting balls into uncharted territories and Francisco Lindor has finally cracked the .260 territory, the Indians may just be in a place to make some real headway offensively. They may need another bat or two still, but Naquin has absolutely earned his right to be a starting outfielder for the Cleveland Indians.