The Cleveland Indians entered the 2019 season with a truckload of question marks. Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor began the year on the IL. The Tribe’s Opening Day lineup included replacements Brad Miller and Eric Stamets, not to mention Tyler Naquin batting in the three-hole.
Hanley Ramirez began the season as an all-or-nothing veteran lottery ticket, and his tenure in Cleveland lasted less than a month. Jose Ramirez was not supposed to be a question mark, but he slashed .213/.317/.324 through the end of May with just four home runs.
Cleveland’s starting rotation was supposed to anchor the team’s playoff hopes–which it did, in many ways, but not for the reasons it was projected to.