Let’s be honest, Cleveland got more out of its rookies than most division-winning teams are expected to have to get during a regular season this year. The league’s top bullpen didn’t rely on veterans. In fact, the veterans like Scott Barlow got DFA’d before the season was over. The same thing happened in the outfield with Ramon Laureano getting sent to greener pastures.
Cleveland had several standout rookies during the regular season, but what about the playoffs? Most experts state that playoff experience is a strong indicator of playoff success. Well, it’s kind of hard to have playoff experience when you’re a rookie.