3 Cleveland Indians playing their way into 2022 lineup

1. Cleveland Indians CF, Myles Straw

It’s not like Myles Straw’s job was ever in doubt, but at the time of the trade, the popular thing to do was dive into the saber metrics of how the center fielder didn’t the ball hard enough.

So, yeah, he’s not Earl Averill, but he’s the most stable thing going for the Indians in center since Grady Sizemore was patrolling the pasture.

Straw just seems to be one of those guys every team needs–someone capable of doing the dirty work. His exit velo won’t get him on SportsCenter (does anybody still even watch?) but if you’re interested in guys getting on base, stealing those said bases and scoring, all the while flashing an elite glove in the outfield, then sign me up a thousand times over.

Straw’s batting .313 with an .813 OPS since the trade. He was batting .262 (.665 OPS) with Houston. Naturally, he’s probably somewhere in between there when it comes to playing a full season, but keep in mind, batting .260 on this team basically makes him look like Ted Williams.

Go ahead and get the sharpie out for Straw in 2022. He’ll be one the Guardians count on.