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Indians overcome odds to clinch first AL Central title since 2007

The Cleveland Indians came into the season with a tough task: Unseat the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals in the American League Central. On Monday, they did just that. With their 7-4 win over the Detroit Tigers, the Cleveland Indians clinched the AL Central for the first time since 2007.

A slow April may have been cause for concern early, but Cleveland eventually soared. The team went just 10-11 during the season’s first month, but then never posted a sub-.500 month the rest of the way. After a 16-13 May, the team ripped off an incredible 22-6 run in June. They claimed the division lead on June 4, and basically never gave it up from there. The Indians sat in first place for 115 days, and won the AL Central by a comfortable eight game margin.

While it may look like the team coasted to a division title, that wasn’t the case. Cleveland started the season without its best offensive player, outfielder Michael Brantley. Brantley was able to return from a shoulder injury in late April, but played in just 11 games before heading back to the disabled list. He was eventually shut down for the entire season.

While the loss of Brantley would have devastated most teams, breakout seasons from both Jose Ramirez and Tyler Naquin helped offset the loss. Casual fans may not be aware of Ramirez just yet, but he’s basically matched Brantley’s expected production this season. Naquin has also been a pleasant surprise, hitting .298/.372/.528 over 346 plate appearances. Though he’s been used as a platoon player, that part-time performance has been good enough to put him in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation.

Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli have posted big comeback seasons with the Indians. (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)
Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli have posted big comeback seasons with the Indians. (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)

The surprises didn’t stop with the youngsters, either. Carlos Santana rebounded from a poor 2015 with a 34 home runs and a vintage .256/.361/.490 slash line. Mike Napoli, the 34-year-old veteran who was signed off the scrap heap for just $7 million during the offseason, also delivered a comeback season, belting 34 home runs of his own. Second baseman Jason Kipnis experienced a big power surge, slugging a career-high 23 home runs while posting a strong .275/.341/.467 slash line.

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The Indians may have come into the season with a vaunted pitching staff, but the club’s offense was secretly the team’s biggest strength all year.

That’s not to say the rotation didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. Corey Kluber once again turned in a performance that should earn him plenty of Cy Young votes. Both Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco pitched up to their lofty expectations before injuries put them on the shelf.

Injuries continued to pile up even during Monday’s clinch. While the team won the game, Kluber left after just four innings due to a groin injury.

Moving into October, those injuries could prove to be the team’s undoing. Carrasco has already been ruled out for the rest of the season, while Salazar could return as a reliever. That leaves Kluber, if he can go, Trevor Bauer and some combination of Josh Tomlin or Mike Clevinger as the club’s starters in a short series.

Corey Kluber turned in another fantastic season with the Indians. (Getty Images/Jason Miller)
Corey Kluber turned in another fantastic season with the Indians. (Getty Images/Jason Miller)

Losing two of your three best starters for October isn’t necessarily a death sentence, though it will make the quest for the franchise’s first World Series title since 1948 much more difficult.

With that said, the offense has been surprisingly strong all season, and the Indians have shown the ability to overcome significant losses.

Given the injuries, the team’s pursuit of a World Series championship won’t be easy. And while it’s easy to be pessimistic considering the city and the franchise, it wasn’t long ago that another team in Cleveland overcame overwhelming odds to break a lengthy championship drought.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik