Edwin Encarnacion joined the Cleveland Indians with impossible expectations.
Signing a deal that pays $20 million annually meant that some fans expected the slugger to put up record numbers starting with his first at-bat in an Indians uniform. And while Encarnacion got off to a bit of a slow start, he finished with some amazing numbers.
After the hot takes subsided, Encarnacion finished the year with 38 home runs, 107 RBI, 104 walks and a slash line of .258/.377/.504. His OBP was the highest on the team among qualified hitters, so his 133 strikeouts don’t look nearly as bad.