Indians: 3 Tribe players who should have been 2021 All-Stars
By Chad Porto
James Karinchak
The Indians have had some pretty impressive closers in their time. Cody Allen, Chris Perez, Bob Wickman, and even Kerry Wood for a spell. The closer spot in the bullpen has never been one that the Tribe ever really had to worry about. They even tend to cut bait on the closers right when they fall off talent-wise like Allen did after he left.
Right now the Tribe has a closer by committee involving James Karinchak and it seems to be working out for them right now. While he doesn’t have the individual ‘saves’ stat that others at his position do, his performances would make you think he’s everything you’d want and need in a relief pitcher.
Spanning 38 games, he’s got a 2.48 ERA with 62 strikeouts and only 22 walks. He’s hard to hit, giving up only 15 of them in 36.1 innings of work. He’s become one of the best relievers in the game, even if he only has nine saves on the year.
The inconsistent offense to start the year and the injuries to the pitching staff during the summer have made it harder for Karinchak to show what he can do.