2010 With a young, developing roster, the Indians were never seriously expected to contend in 2010. In fact, with an average age of 26.06 and 10 rookies on board, the Tribe ended the season with the youngest roster in the big leagues. Injuries and trades only added to the rebuilding nature of manager Manny Acta's first season at the helm, and the Indians finished with a 69-93 record, good for fourth place in the AL Central. Grady Sizemore was limited to 33 games by a knee injury that required season-ending surgery and Asdrubal Cabrera missed two months with a fractured forearm. Sizemore, Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo, the three core position players the Indians planned to build around, were in the same lineup just 28 times. Hot-hitting rookie catcher Carlos Santana also saw his year come to a premature end thanks to knee surgery. Veterans Jake Westbrook, Jhonny Peralta, Kerry Wood and Austin Kearns were all dealt at the Trade Deadline, opening up even more opportunities for unpolished players. It was a rebuilding year in every sense, as the Indians evaluated their internal talent to determine what players can help them in 2011 and beyond.
2011 The Indians ended the 2011 season with an 80-82 record, marking an 11-win improvement over the team's showing in the previous campaign. Cleveland stormed out of the gates, running to a 30-15 record and a seven-game lead atop the American League Central through May 23. Injuries and other issues hindered the Tribe down the stretch, however, and the team ended the year in second place. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who earned an American League Silver Slugger Award, started for the AL in the All-Star Game and ended the year with a club record for home runs (25) by a shortstop. Closer Chris Perez was also an All-Star. Catcher Carlos Santana set a franchise mark for a switch-hitter with 27 homers in his first full season in the big leagues. The Indians acquired starter Ubaldo Jimenez in a blockbuster deal prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline and then landed slugger Jim Thome in an August waiver deal. Thome's return to the Tribe -- after joining baseball's 600 Home Run Club earlier in the summer -- created some late-season excitement in the latter stages of a losing season. Justin Masterson and Josh Tomlin topped the rotation with 12 wins apiece and Cleveland's bullpen ranked fifth in the AL (first in the division) with a 3.71 ERA.
2012 The Indians hoped to build on a promising season in 2011, but fell short of expectations in a disappointing 2012 season. Cleveland turned in 94 losses, marking the third time in a four-year span that the club ended below .500, and finished fourth in the American League Central. The second-half slide, which included a 5-24 showing in August, cost Manny Acta (214-266 in parts of three seasons with the Indians) his job as manager on Sept. 27. Sandy Alomar Jr. served as the Tribe's interim manager for the season's final six games, but the Indians hired Terry Francona as the franchise's 42nd manager in October. There were some bright spots, including second baseman Jason Kipnis, who was one of three players in the Majors (Mike Trout and Ryan Braun were the others) to achieve at least 10 homers, 30 stolen bases, 70 RBIs and 80 runs scored in 2012. Kipnis was only the fourth Indians hitter in the past 25 years to reach those marks in a single season. Kipnis and Carlos Santana led the offense with 76 RBIs, while Santana led the club with 18 homers. That marked the fewest homers by a team leader for the Tribe since 1983.
On Oct. 2, designated hitter Travis Hafner belted his 200th home run as a member of the Indians, putting him eighth on the franchise's all-time home run list. The Indians offense ranked third in the AL with 555 walks, but 13th with 667 runs. The pitching staff had an AL-high 4.78 ERA, with the rotation going 48-76 with a 5.25 ERA. Justin Masterson (11-15) and Ubaldo Jimenez (9-17) labored through disappointing seasons at the top of the staff. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and closer Chris Perez (39 saves) were named to the American League All-Star team. Setup man Vinnie Pestano, who set a club record with 36 holds, earned the Bob Feller Man of the Year Award from the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Acta earned the BBWAA's Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award for his understanding of the media's role and willingness to help on a daily basis. The Indians named Cody Allen their Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Bob Feller Award) and outfielder Tim Fedroff the club's Minor League Player of the Year (Lou Boudreau Award).
On Dec. 11, the Indians made a bold move, teaming with the Reds and D-backs for a three-team, nine-player trade. Cleveland received pitchers Trevor Bauer, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers from Arizona, and outfielder Drew Stubbs from Cincinnati, in exchange for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (Reds), infielder Jason Donald (Reds), reliever Tony Sipp (D-backs) and first baseman Lars Anderson (D-backs).
2013 In Terry Francona's first season as Cleveland's manager, the Indians experienced a 24-win improvement over their 2012 showing. That matched the franchise's best one-year turnaround in terms of wins, excluding strike-shortened seasons. Second baseman Jason Kipnis and starter Justin Masterson made the American League All-Star team for the 92-win Tribe, which won 21 games in September to claim the league's top Wild Card spot. The Indians ended the regular season with 10 straight wins, becoming only the sixth team in the Modern Era to accomplish that feat. Cleveland hosted the AL Wild Card Game, but was defeated by Tampa Bay in the Tribe's first trip to the playoffs since 2007. The Indians' rotation was led by strong comeback seasons from Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir, while the offense was led by Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley and Nick Swisher. Young players such as Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes, Danny Salazar and Cody Allen emerged as key parts of the roster in a season that included 11 walk-off wins, 16 shutouts and 51 wins at home. Cleveland's incredible comeback season helped earn Francona the American League Manager of the Year Award in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
2014 The Indians won 85 games during the 2014 season, securing consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2000-01. A year after capturing the American League's top Wild Card spot, Cleveland remained in the hunt for the playoffs until the final weekend of the regular season. Leading the charge for the Tribe was pitcher Corey Kluber, who won 18 games, struck out 269 and turned in a 2.44 ERA in a remarkable breakout season that ended with the AL Cy Young Award. Kluber joined Cliff Lee (2008), CC Sabathia (2007) and Gaylord Perry (1972) as the only Cy Young winners in team history. Led by Kluber, the Indians pitching staff also set a single-season Major League record with 1,450 strikeouts. Left fielder Michael Brantley earned a spot on the AL All-star team and finished third in voting for the league's Most Valuable Player Award after becoming the first player in team history to end a season with at least 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 40 doubles and 200 hits. Brantley and catcher Yan Gomes each picked up a Silver Slugger Award for their offensive contributions in 2014. Indians great Omar Vizquel was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame during the summer. Following the season, Cleveland acquired slugger Brandon Moss from the A's in exchange for Minor League infielder Joe Wendle in a Dec. 8 trade.
2015 The Indians entered the 2015 with lofty expectations, but a slow start hindered the club en route to an 81-80, third-place finish in the American League Central. Cleveland did not make up a Sept. 12 rainout against Detroit, allowing the Indians to end with a winning record for a third consecutive season. From 2013-15, the Indians' .532 winning percentage ranked fourth overall in the AL. Second baseman Jason Kipnis took home the AL Player of the Month Award for May (.429 average, 30 runs, 51 hits) and was named to his second career All-Star team. Shortstop Francisco Lindor joined Cleveland in June, hit .313 in 99 games, was named the AL's Rookie of the Month for September and finished second in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Rookie righty Cody Anderson won the AL Pitcher of the Month Award for September as well. Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco became the first Indians teammates to each amass 200-plus strikeouts in a season since 1968, when Sam McDowell and Luis Tiant achieved the feat. The Indians also joined the 1969 Astros and the 1990 Mets as the only teams since 1920 to have four pitchers (Kluber, Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer) with at least 170 strikeouts apiece. Kluber tied Bob Feller's 1946 team record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 18 against the Cardinals on May 13. Carrasco came within one strike of a no-hitter against the Rays on July 1. The Indians carried a no-hitter through at least five innings 10 times and led the Majors with 693 no-hit innings overall. The 1,407 strikeouts piled up by Cleveland's staff marked the second-most in team history and the fifth-highest mark in a single season in baseball history. On Aug. 7, the Indians changed course with their roster by trading Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn -- two marquee free-agent additions prior to the 2013 campaign -- to the Braves. That deal followed a series of roster-altering subtractions (Brandon Moss, David Murphy and Marc Rzepczynski were also traded) that paved the way for an improved showing offensively and defensively in the second half. The retooled roster helped Cleveland pull into Wild Card contention until the final week of the regular season. After the season, team president Mark Shapiro left Cleveland to assume the same role with the Blue Jays. The Indians then promoted Chris Antonetti from general manager to president of baseball operations and named Mike Chernoff the new general manager for the Tribe.
2016 The Indians enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. Cleveland won the American League Central for the first time since 2007, captured an AL pennant for the first time since '97 and played until Game 7 of the World Series against the Cubs. To reach the sixth Fall Classic in franchise history, the Indians defeated the Red Sox (3-0) and the Blue Jays (4-1). Lefty Andrew Miller was named the Most Valuable Player for the AL Championship Series victory over Toronto. During the regular season, Cleveland went 94-67, marking the ninth time in the team's 116-year history that it won at least 94 games. It also represented the fourth winning season in a row for the Indians, marking the longest run for the club since an eight-year streak from 1994-2001. Cleveland's 352-294 record in four years under manager Terry Francona represents the best record in the AL in that four-year span. The Indians' record in 2016 was powered by a 53-28 showing at home (second-most wins for the Indians in ballpark history) and a 49-26 ledger against AL Central opponents. The Indians won 22 games in June for the most in a single month for the team since June of 1965. Indians pitchers Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar, as well as shortstop Francisco Lindor, represented the team at the All-Star Game in San Diego. Kluber became the fourth Cleveland pitcher in history to pick up the win in the Midsummer Classic. Kluber went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA on the season, finishing third in balloting for the AL Cy Young Award. For his work, Francona was named the AL Manager of the Year, which he also won in 2013 with the Indians. Outfielder Tyler Naquin (.886 OPS in 116 games) finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting, while Lindor ended ninth in MVP balloting. Third baseman Jose Ramirez and Kluber also received votes in MVP voting. From June 17-July 1, the Indians enjoyed a club-record 14-game winning streak, beating the 13-game runs in 1951 and 1942. For the 14th win, Cleveland out-lasted Toronto, 2-1, in a 19-inning game north of the border. In that win, the Indians tied a team record with 13 shutout innings from their bullpen. The 14-game streak was the longest in the Majors since 2013 and the longest in the AL since 2002. The Indians also ended the season as the only team in the Majors to not have a losing streak consisting of more than three games. Salazar (June) and Kluber (August) each earned an AL Pitcher of the Month Award, while Naquin (June and July) was twice named the AL's Rookie of the Month. On Aug. 19, Naquin provided one of the signature moments of the season with a walk-off, inside-the-park home run against Toronto. It marked one of the MLB-leading 11 walk-off wins that the Indians had during the season. First baseman Mike Napoli, who was signed to a one-year contract on Jan. 5, led the Indians with 101 RBIs and tied for the team lead in homers (34) with Carlos Santana. Lindor led the Indians in hits (182) and runs (99), and earned a Gold Glove Award and Platinum Glove Award for his work in the field. Ramirez led Cleveland in doubles (46) and Santana paced the team in walks (99). Veteran Rajai Davis led the AL with 43 stolen bases, helping the Indians lead the AL with 134 thefts as a team. Kluber led the team in wins, innings (215) and strikeouts (227), while Cody Allen ended the year with a team-leading 32 saves. Miller, who was acquired from the Yankees for four prospects before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, posted a 1.55 ERA with 46 strikeouts and two walks in 29 innings for Cleveland. Overall, Miller became the first pitcher in baseball history to have 120-plus strikeouts and fewer than 10 walks in a single season. Miller then set single-postseason relief records for innings (19 1/3), strikeouts (30) and multi-inning appearances (10). During the season, Cleveland also traded for outfielders Brandon Guyer (Aug. 1) and Coco Crisp (Aug. 31). Guyer posted a .907 OPS in 38 games for the Tribe and Crisp belted home runs in Cleveland's division-clinching win, as well as in the clinching playoff wins over the Red Sox and Blue Jays. During the season, the Indians overcame injuries to Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Carlos Carrasco, Salazar and others to reach the postseason. Cleveland took a 3-1 lead over Chicago in the World Series, but lost Game 7, 8-7, in 10 innings. Within that defeat, however, Davis provided one of the great home runs in team history when he belted a game-tying, two-run shot in the eighth inning. After the season, the Indians picked up both of Francona's team options, keeping him under control through the 2020 campaign.
2017 The Indians did not meet their goal of returning to the World Series in 2017, but Cleveland still enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. The Indians won 102 games (second only to the 111-win Tribe of 1954 in club history) and captured the American League Central crown for the second straight year. The 102 wins were the most by a team in the history of the AL Central, dating back to 1994. Cleveland powered its way to the division title with the help of a 22-game winning streak from Aug. 24-Sept. 14, marking the longest run in AL history and the second-longest streak in recorded baseball history. The 1916 New York Giants (26 wins in a row) hold the record. Ace Corey Kluber spun a shutout for win No. 20, which tied the 2002 A's for the AL record. Win No. 22 was delivered via a walk-off hit in the 10th inning by Jay Bruce against the Royals. Kluber picked up his second career AL Cy Young Award, becoming the first multi-winner in club history and one of 19 pitchers in history to have more than one. The right-hander went 18-4 with 265 strikeouts and an MLB-low 2.25 ERA. After returning from a back injury on June 1, Kluber went 15-2 with a 1.62 ERA to lead Cleveland's talented rotation. Carlos Carrasco (18-6) and Trevor Bauer (17-9) gave the Indians three pitchers with 17 or more wins in the same year for the first time since 1956. The Indians' pitching staff as a whole led the Majors with a 3.30 ERA, among a variety of other categories, and set single-season MLB records for strikeouts (1,614), strikeouts per nine innings (10.1) and WAR (31.7, per Fangraphs). Kluber set the tone and picked up AL Pitcher of the Month awards for June, August and September. He was also named the Best Pitcher via the Esurance MLB Awards. Kluber was joined by Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Andrew Miller and Michael Brantley at the All-Star Game in Miami, giving the Tribe its most All-Stars since 2004. Ramirez was voted as the starter at third base, making him the first Indians player to win the fan vote since 2001. Indians bench coach Brad Mills managed the AL to a 2-1 victory, filling in for manager Terry Francona, who was recovering from a heart procedure at the time. Ramirez picked up an AL Silver Slugger for third base and finished third in voting for AL Most Valuable Player after hitting .318 with 29 homers, 56 doubles, 83 RBIs, 107 runs and a .957 OPS. His 56 doubles were the third-most in a season in team history, while his 91 extra-base hits were tied for the MLB lead and were the second-most all-time for a switch hitter. Lindor, who set the Indians' single-season record for home runs (33) by a middle infielder, won the AL Silver Slugger for shortstop. Before the 2017 season began, the Indians' handed the largest free-agent contract in team history to slugger Edwin Encarnacion, who signed a three-year, $60-million pact to suit up for Cleveland. In his first year with the Tribe, Encarnacion hit .258 with 38 home runs, 96 runs, 104 walks, 107 RBIs and an .881 OPS. Francona, who has guided the Indians to an AL-leading 454 wins in his five years at the helm, finished as the runner-up in voting for AL Manager of the Year. Cleveland has posted a winning record in each season under Francona, marking the longest such run for the franchise since eight straight from 1994-2001. For all the success in the regular season, though, the Indians lost in five games to the Yankees in the AL Division Series.
2018 In terms of milestones and accomplishments both for the Indians and plenty of their players, the 2018 season could be viewed as a successful campaign. Cleveland won its third consecutive American League Central title, posted its sixth straight winning season and sent six players to the All-Star Game. All the regular-season success did not translate into a deep October run, though. The Indians were swept in the AL Division Series by the Astros, marking a second first-round exit in a row after reaching the World Series in '16.
The Indians ended the season 91-71, giving manager Terry Francona an AL-leading 545 victories during his time at the helm (2013-18). The Tribe made the postseason for the fourth time in six years and won at least three division crowns in a row for only the second time in franchise history. Along the way, the club saw a star-laden lineup and rotation turn in remarkable individual seasons.
Cleveland became the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger) notch at least 200 strikeouts in the same season. Kluber went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA and finished third in voting for the AL Cy Young Award. He also became the first Indians pitcher to reach 20 wins since Cliff Lee in 2008 and the first Cleveland righty to achieve the feat since Gaylord Perry in 1974. Carrasco (17-10, 3.38 ERA, 231 strikeouts), Bauer (12-6, 2.21 ERA, 221 strikeouts) and Clevinger (13-8, 3.02 ERA, 207 strikeouts) also had standout campaigns. Rookie Shane Bieber (11-5, 4.55 ERA, 118 strikeouts vs. 23 walks) also turned into a reliable part of the starting staff.
Jose Ramirez compiled another outstanding campaign, finishing third in voting for the AL MVP Award. The third baseman joined Kluber, Bauer, Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes at the All-Star Game and was the only one in that group to be part of the starting lineup. Ramirez hit .270 with 39 homers, 38 doubles, 34 steals, 105 RBIs, 106 walks and 110 runs scored. He joined Joe Carter (1987) and Grady Sizemore (2008) as the only players in Tribe history to have a 30/30 season. Ramirez joined Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell and Bobby Abreu as the only players in MLB history to have a season with at least 30 homers, 30 steals, 100 RBIs, 100 walks and 100 runs. Ramirez picked up a Silver Slugger Award for his work.
Lindor set a single-season club record for homers by a shortstop with 38 and ended tied for the MLB lead in runs (129). Ramirez and Lindor were the first MLB teammates to each collect at least 80 extra-base hits in two consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig achieved the feat with the Yankees across the 1936-37 tours. Lindor also won a Silver Slugger Award and was sixth in voting for the AL MVP.
Prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, the Indians acquired All-Star closer Brad Hand and reliever Adam Cimber from the Padres in exchange for catcher Francisco Mejia. Hand posted a 2.28 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings to help shore up a bullpen that struggled throughout the season. Cleveland also swung a trade with the Blue Jays for former MVP Josh Donaldson in August and he posted a .920 OPS in 16 games for the Tribe.
By the end of the season, Cody Allen established Cleveland's new career saves record with 149. When the offseason arrived, Allen, Brantley, Donaldson, Lonnie Chisenhall, Andrew Miller and long-time Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin were among the players to reach free agency.
2019 It was a season of overcoming obstacles for the Indians, falling just short of their playoff hopes for the first time since 2015. The Tribe got off to a historically slow offensive start, hitting .224 as a team through May 22, which was the lowest average at that point in the season since Cleveland hit .215 through 48 games in 1910. But the entire perspective of the club was about to turn around. On June 4, starter Carlos Carrasco called his teammates into their home clubhouse at Progressive Field before a game against the first-place Twins. Carrasco had to break the news that he had been diagnosed with leukemia, which explained why he was having inconsistent outings and losing velocity after just a few innings on the mound. The Indians were 11 1/2 games out of the American League Central after taking home the division title for the previous three seasons. But in that moment, each player said that their perspectives changed and they realized that they should just be having fun on the field when their teammate is dealing with something much more serious. From that point through the end of August, the Indians posted an American-League best 50-27 record. At the end of that stretch, Carrasco had come back from his two-month hiatus in which he addressed his health and began a rehab assignment as a reliever to assure that he had enough time to build himself back up to reach the big league mound again in 2019.
On Sept. 1, Carrasco made his emotional comeback in his first appearance since May at Tropicana Field against the Rays. His team had clawed its way back to erase an 11 ½ game deficit in the division in just 70 days on a go-ahead grand slam by Carlos Santana in the top of the 10th against the Twins at Target Field on Aug. 11. The bullpen had posted the lowest ERA in the Majors through the end of August (3.51) and José Ramírez rediscovered his swing, hitting .313 with a 1.003 OPS from June 14 until he broke his hamate bone on Aug. 24. But in a season where the Tribe was forced to overcome Carrasco’s battle with cancer, Mike Clevinger’s two-month stint in the injured list with an upper back strain, Corey Kluber’s fractured forearm that caused him to miss the last five months of the season, trading away Trevor Bauer and Francisco Lindor’s ankle sprain that prompted a 20-game late start to the year, the team ran out of gas. The Indians relied on two Double-A starters, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale, to help carry the dominant rotation over the hurdles, but the month of September slipped away from them, ending the season with five straight losses. They entered that final week of the year just one-half of a game out of the AL Wild Card race, but fell to three games out of the second slot and eight games behind the Twins in the AL Central before the season’s end.
