Indians: Eli Morgan and Triston McKenzie could have “ace stuff”

Eli Morgan and Triston McKenzie of the Indians could have ace stuff.

Paul Hoynsie of Cleveland.com does a mail bag article once a week. In that article, he usually touches on all things Cleveland sports. This week he was asked an intriguing question; “Who has the potential to become an ace?” for the Indians. Hoynsie deflected the qusetion and surmized that if guys like J.C. Mejia, Cal Quantrill, Sam Hentges and Eli Morgan became middle-of-the-road starters, then that would still pay devidends. Even if they never become the top guy in the rotation.

He might not be wrong about Morgan, or even Triston McKenzie. Yet, those are two names that most assuredly have the stuff to be the Ace of a Major Leauge pitching rotation. Whether or not they ever develop fully is up to them and their coaches, but just from the physical side of things, they certainly are capable of doing it.

Eli Morgan and Triston McKenzie need time to develop.

Paul Hoynsie brings up how no one ever thought Corey Kluber would turn into an Ace besides Terry Francona. He’s not wrong, no one really knew who he was. Granted, his domination may have been aided by that sticking stuff, but I digress. The one thing that appears to have helped Kluber more (than the sticky stuff) was his majurity. Unlike Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia and Jarrett Wright, Kluber wasn’t some bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 20-year-old getting the call up.

Colon was the oldest call-up of the three at 24 years old. Kluber was called up at 26-years-old, didn’t start showing anything worth talking about until he was 27 and didn’t become a bonafide Ace until 28.

Eli Morgan is 25 years old, and missed an entire season due to the pandemic. Triston McKenzie is just 23, and was thrust into a shorten season as his rookie season. Technically, he might still register as such.

Both men have shown throughout the minors that they are seriously talented. They just might not be ready for the Major Leagues at this moment. Not everyone is Shane Bieber.