A STARTING BOOST
The largest improvement from the team that performed in the playoffs last year is in the rotation. Carlos Carrasco did not pitch in the postseason last year due to injury and Danny Salazar was reduced to a few relief outings. In 15 playoff games last season, Corey Kluber pitched 34 ¹/3 innings in six starts and the rest of the Indian rotation managed 34 innings in nine starts.
Francona ran away from everyone but his ace to get to his deep, terrific bullpen. This year he should be able to have greater trust in more than just Kluber. The Indians’ rotation is in such good shape that not only are Carrasco and
Trevor Bauer outstanding options in addition to Kluber, but Francona has excellent choices in Salazar, Mike
Clevinger and Josh Tomlin should he want to go to a fourth starter.
Bauer, in fact, is getting the Game 1 start so Kluber can pitch Game 2 and — if necessary — Game 5 on normal rest. Few players are more polarizing than the iconoclastic Bauer, who marches to his own beat from preparation to analytics devotion to flying drones to publicly saying what is on his mind. The best version of him on the mound occurred in his final 14 appearances (13 starts), when he had a 2.60 ERA and struck out 91 in 83 innings. “He has gotten better control of his pitches and his emotions,” a scout said. “When hitters called time in the past or bunted on him, even though he is a good fielder, you could get him off his game. He is better at it, in part because I think he has a great on-field relationship with [catcher Roberto] Perez. Still, I think the Yankees have to try to disrupt his t i ming because he is a rhythm pitcher and when he gets into a rhythm he really feeds off of it and gets the ball and throws quickly and with conf idence.”