Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber has turned it up a notch
By Tim Haberin
Since a DL stint early in the season, the Cleveland Indians’ Corey Kluber has been more than an ace: He’s been a force of nature.
For one of the game’s best pitchers and a former Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber doesn’t tend to generate a lot of buzz. His quiet, serious demeanor (they don’t call him “Klubot” for nothing) probably has something to do with that. But in case you haven’t been paying attention, the Cleveland Indians right-hander has been on one heck of a run lately, even by his own high standards.
The 31-year-old Kluber actually began the season in very un-Kluber-like fashion. He managed an inflated 5.06 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over his first six starts of 2017. It perhaps didn’t come as too much of a shock, then, when Kluber landed on the 10-day DL in early May with a lower back strain. The Tribe kept its fingers crossed that its ace’s early struggles were injury-related rather than the sign of any imminent decline.
Since returning on June 1, Kluber has looked about as dominant as he ever has in his seven-year big league career. That’s saying something considering he won 18 games with a 2.44 ERA in 2014 to clinch the AL Cy Young, and finished in the top 10 in voting in each of the past two seasons.
In his last 12 starts since coming off the DL, Kluber boasts a sparkling 1.77 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. All but two of those outings have been quality starts. During this 86.1-inning span, Kluber has averaged over seven innings per start along with a stellar 8.73 K/BB ratio and only six home runs allowed.
Kluber’s eye-popping run has earned a place in the history books as well. After last Thursday’s complete game victory over the Yankees, he became one of only four pitchers to hurl 12 straight starts with at least eight strikeouts. The others are all Hall of Famers: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.
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What’s been the key to Kluber’s recent success? Travis Sawchik of Fangraphs provides a comprehensive breakdown that’s more than worth your time. But to put it simply: He’s throwing his breaking ball more often, and getting more swings and misses off it.
At an age when many pitches take a step back, Kluber has tweaked his approach and become even more effective. Prior to this season, he owned a 9.5 K/9 rate in his major league career. This year he’s bumped that up to a 12.5 K/9, trailing only Chris Sale (12.7 K/9) among qualified starters. And over Kluber’s last 12 starts? 13.7 K/9.
Kluber’s resurgence comes as Cleveland fends off a spirited bid from the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. Despite losing seven of their last 10, the Royals are still just three games behind the Indians in the division. If Kluber keeps pitching like this every five days, Cleveland will have to feel quite confident in its ability to capture another division title.
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But Kluber’s recent form has been so impressive, it’s hard not to think bigger. He was a major asset in last year’s postseason, putting up a 1.83 ERA over six starts, including three in the World Series. He could be even more of a weapon this October. And while Sale might be the clear front-runner for the AL Cy Young, Kluber might have something to say about that by season’s end.
He’ll aim to keep it rolling when he takes the mound tonight against the Rockies at home.