Indians: 5 players who are starting strong in Triple-A Columbus

These are five Clippers who could be seeing time with the Indians soon.

The Indians are sitting, let’s say comfortably, in striking position. They’re not the best team in baseball but they’re not far from being that. Around the league, offenses are down as talented hitters are becoming more and more scarce to find. The Indians are not immune to this and are in need of some talented hitters.

They’re also in need of some good pitchers too. The starting rotation isn’t the same lights-out crew that it was in 2020 but it’s still very good. The big key and arguably the most important key is the bullpen. The unit is stocked with high-end talent who are keeping the Indians in games and securing leads for them.

The team needs some reinforcements, so who’s showing that they can help, minus Owen Miller. We’ve talked about him a lot, so we all know who he is.

Five players making too much noise to ignore.

INF Gabriel Arias

Despite what the scouts say, Gabriel Arias’ probably isn’t going to be a starting shortstop in Cleveland. The man is an error machine, and with Owen Miller being a better defender statistically, it makes no sense to bring Arias up and play shortstop over Miller. He’s only hitting .239 but he could probably hit the same with the Indians, which would be a huge upgrade over a lot of the batting averages already. His versatility in the infield as a defender may be his best feature.

SP Kirk McCarty

Kirk McCarty isn’t blowing people out of the water with his skills, he’s just able to control his pitches with relative ease. With the issues to Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie this year, someone like McCarty could be useful, especially with him being 25 and having been around the pro-game for a while. Not a lot of strikeouts, but his 2.70 ERA is promising.

C Ryan Lavarnway

Ryan Lavarnway is not a prospect, he’s a vet hanging on in Triple-A. Which is fine, because he’s played in the majors the last two seasons and in limited time, hit very well. He has no real upside as a long-term option but that’s also part of the appeal; as you won’t be burning a year of eligibility on a player who still needs time in the minors. He hit .278 in Cinncinati, .364 in Miami (in very limited time), and is currently hitting .302 in Columbus.

SP Eli Morgan

Eli Morgan is less impressive than McCarty, with just a 3.95 ERA but if Allen and McKenzie continue to struggle, you’re going to have to do something, right? You can rely on guys like Sam Hentges and Phil Maton for so long as starters.

IF/OF Ernie Clement

Owen Miller is the best hitter in Triple-A, Ernie Clement is number two. He’s currently hitting .345 (Miller is hitting .441), and only has three strikeouts so far (Miller has 13). He’s a top-of-the-order hitter and doesn’t have a problem putting the ball in play. His versatility as a fielder is also a huge boon, having played just about everywhere on the field except for first base and catcher. Clement seems like the perfect player for a Tito Francona team.