Too soon declaring Cleveland Indians Corey Kluber one-season wonder?
Thursday afternoons contest between the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals was delayed from its original scheduled start time of 2:35 PM EST to sometime just after 4:30 PM. The added preparation time did nothing for last year’s Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.
Getting off to about as poor a start a pitcher could in a ball game, Kluber plunked the first batter he faced in the game then gave up back-to-back singles. Before he recorded an out in the first inning, Eric Hosmer homered and the score was 4-0 Kansas City.
If Kluber was hoping to get back on track and turn things around in May, he’s going to have to wait for his third start of the month.
The right-hander strung together his fourth mediocre start of the season Thursday and remains without a win in 2015. Now 0-5, is it too soon to call his terrific 2014 campaign a once in a lifetime offering?
Kluber, only 29, is relatively youthful in baseball years, but the clock is ticking. Before his award winning season last year, he had a career ERA of 4.32 in 41 Major League appearances. Then in 2014 he was the life of the rotation for the Cleveland Indians and arguably their best player alongside outfielder Michael Brantley. Now, Kluber appears to be holding them back some.
Amongst pitchers with 30 innings pitched in 2015, only Kluber and C.C. Sabathia have 0-5 record with an ERA north of 5.00. Again, the Tribes defense was brutal in terms of supporting Kluber in this one with two errors committed in his first two innings on the mound. But this start also marked the fourth straight time he allowed more hits in a game than he logged innings pitched. His H/9 split of 5.40 over his first three outings has ballooned to a horrific 14.9 over his last four starts.
In the end Kluber did settle down some after his sloppy start, allowing only a single other earned run to score in the ball game. He went 5.2 innings, allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out seven.
The Indians ace had a very respectable 2.98 FIP for a peripheral number before yesterdays start versus the Royals, so this could come to pass. But for now, the record, ERA of 5.04 and four wild pitches already this season are cautionary signs of just how fickle and unforgiving this game can be. Kluber had only three wild pitches all of last season, so it’s obvious his command has taken a hit due to lowered confidence levels.
It’s a long and strenuous season. There is still time for the Cleveland Indians to get Corey Kluber back on track. However, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the track he does get back onto will not lead to being in Cy Young contention again.