2012 Cleveland Indians Lineup Overview
The Cleveland Indians came back from a dreadful 2010 year to win 80 games last year. The Indians are dreaming they can build off that improvement and move in the correct direction. Let's have a quick look at this lineup to work out if they have what is required to move the club to the head of the division. If you would like to know how we feel about the team's pitching check out our 2012 Cleveland Indians predictions article.
Projected Lineup
Carlos Santana (Catcher) - Santana showed a glance of his potential last season. In spite of hitting just .239 in his first full season, the 25-year-old actually made up for it by belting 27 home runs with 79 RBI. His best years are definitely ahead of him, and look for him to improve on his average with similar, if not better , power numbers in 2012.
Casey Kotchman (First Base) - After another disheartening season from Matt LaPorta at first base, the team went out and signed Kotchman to take over. Coming off one of his best seasons in the big leagues, Kotchman hit a career-high .306 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 146 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. It looks as though Kotchman is a perfect slot in Cleveland.
Jason Kipnis (Second Base) - In just 36 games in 2011, Kipnis did sufficiently well to get the nod for the starting job in 2012. The 24-year-old batted .272 with 7 homers and 19 RBI. If his is able to keep up that pace over a full year, he'll immediately become one of the top 2nd baseman in the American League.
Asdrubal Cabrera (Shortstop) - Cabrera startled the entire league when he belted 25 homers in 2011. Before last year, he had hit a mixed 18 homers in his previous 1,415 at-bats. He also set a vocation high with 92 RBI and tied his career high of 17 steals. The future looks promising for the 26-year-old, but he might need to replicate his 2011 stats in 2012 if he wants everybody to buy in.
Lonnie Chisenhall (3rd Base) - Out of uttermost necessity, Chisenhall is expected to open the season at third base, whether or not he may not be prepared. The 23-year-old hit just .255 with 7 home runs and 22 RBI in 212 at-bats last season. He had just 8 walks over stretch, signaling that he may be a couple more years from a breakout season.
Shelley Duncan (Left Field) - It's as if Duncan will get an opportunity to start in left, with Sizemore out of the order and Michael Brantley moving to center field. Duncan is somebody to really look into; even though he batted just .260 in 76 games last year, his 11 homers and 47 RBI are worth pointing out. Given a full year, he might just surprise and hit 20-plus homers with 90-plus RBI.
Michael Brantley (Center Field) - A damaged bone in his hand ended his 2011 season early. He ended up hitting just .266 with 7 home runs, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases in just 114 games. The 24-year-old still has masses of time to take that next step - the Indians are just hoping it comes sooner , not later.
Shin-Soo Choo (Right Field) - After back-to-back years with at least .300 average to go with 20 homers and 20 steals in 2009 and 2010, Choo disappointed with a sub-par performance while limited to 85 games last year. Choo needs to come back to form in 2012 because the Indians are depending on him.
Travis Hafner (Designated Hitter) - After signing a huge contract in 2007, Hafner has been pretty mediocre, to say the least. Coming into the year of his sizeable contract, he owes it to Indians fans to do something worthwhile in 2012. Last year, he played in just 94 games. This was the player who batted .308 with 42 homers and 117 RBI in 2006? He may turn 35 in June, but the hope in Cleveland is that he still has another good run in him.
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