Cleveland Indians: The franchise all-time bracket
By Bill Felber
![BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 20: A detailed view of the Cleveland Indians logo patch on a jersey of Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians before a game against the ]Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F915859e3545854faf35868bafdc38f42d9e5ad5a1a5996efb0d116a0da8d10cb.jpg "BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 20: A detailed view of the Cleveland Indians logo patch on a jersey of Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians before a game against the ]Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)")
Cleveland Indians: The Franchise All-Time Bracket
No. 4 vs. 5 seed
It seems unfair to the competition that a ballclub as loaded as the 1995 Cleveland Indians should be only a fourth seed. Although by most measures baseball’s best team coming out of the 1994 strike, their all-time standing is hurt by the fact that they were derailed by a very good Atlanta Braves team in six games in the World Series.
The lineup is loaded. Albert Belle batted .317 with 50 home runs and 126 RBIs, DH Eddie Murray hit .323, Ramirez hit .308 with 107 RBIs, Kenny Lofton batted .310, Thome hit .314, second baseman Carlos Baerga batted .314 with 90 RBIs.
As a team, the Indians batted .291. That was 11 points higher than any other American League team and 21 points above the league average. Their 207 home runs were 20 more than any other team, and they scored 39 more runs than the runner-up in that category.
With that kind of offense, a strong pitching staff would almost come across as unfair, yet Cleveland was the league’s best in that category as well. The staff 3.83 ERA was a half a point better than the runner-up and nearly a full point better than the 4.71 league average.
The only weakness was the absence of an ace. Dennis Martinez, at 12-5 with a 3.08 ERA in 28 starts, led the staff.
The 2016 Indians are still fresh in fans’ memories. The left side of the infield, shortstop Francisco Lindor (.301) and third baseman Jose Ramirez (.312) led the offense, while Mike Napoli drove in 101 runs.
This Indians team did rely on its pitching, led by ace Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14 in 32 starts).
Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar were all double-digit winners
When they got in trouble, Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, and Cody Allen were a reliable bullpen triumvirate.
Related Story. Milwaukee Brewers: The all-time tournament. light
Game 1: The 1995 Indians’ 100-44 .694 winning percentage will be tough to beat. At 94-67 .584, the 2016 Indians couldn’t come close.
Game 2: Both teams came up short in the World Series. The 1995 team swept Boston and beat Seattle in six games before losing to Atlanta in six. That’s a .643 post-season percentage. The 2016 Indians swept Boston three straight and beat Toronto in five before losing to the Cubs in seven. That’s a .667 post-season percentage, and it’s good enough for the win.
Game 3: The 1995 club’s prodigious offense produced a 116 OPS+. That will be hard to beat. At a sub-par 96 OPS+, the 2016 team isn’t in the running.
Game 4: The 2016 Indians relied on a deep pitching staff, but it failed them here. Its 118 staff ERA+ is beaten out by 1995’s 123.
Game 5: The 1995 team is simply too deep and diverse. Its 54.5 WAR is far better than 2016’s 43.7
Result: 1995 in five games