If one were to ask me who would have the best record in the American League 16 games into the MLB season, the Cleveland Indians wouldn’t have even been on my radar.

On April 20th and three weeks into the young season, the Indians have captured just that.

The Indians division, the AL central, has been dominated by the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in the past decade. The Indians and Kansas City Royals have simply been afterthoughts as they became used to finishing fourth and fifth in the division race each year.

The Indians had a very tough 2009-2010 season, as they finished 69-93 overall. They never spent a day in first place and wound up 25 games behind the division winning Minnesota Twins.

All facets of Cleveland’s game were a mess, with the lack of offensive production in the forefront. The Indians offense managed to score just 646 runs, which was 12th in the AL. Rightfielder Shin-Soo Choo was the only regular starter to have a batting average of .300 or more – Choo’s batting average was an ironic .300. Not only did this team not hit for average, but they struck out 1,184 times, second most among the AL clubs. Their lineup also featured two regular starters who did not hit .200 in 2010.

Now on to the dismal pitching performances Indian fans had to witness. Their pitching staff gave up 752 runs, and the team ERA was 4.30, which was tied for 10th in the AL. Also, not one of their five regular starters finished the 2010 season with a winning record; the staff ranked in the bottom third in each key statistical category among the AL pitching staffs.

The Indians pitching numbers to begin this year though are simply mind-boggling. In the team’s 12 wins, Cleveland has allowed a total of 12 runs – that’s one run per game if you were wondering. The 3-4-5 hitters in opposing teams’ lineups have a miserable combined .185 batting average, and the pitchers have a 2.21 K per BB ratio – the 4th best in the AL.

The offensive numbers are just as good. Cleveland is batting a solid .318 with RISP and are hitting .331 as a team with a .916 OPS. Closing out games when they have a lead hasn’t been a problem either, as the Indians are 11-0 when leading after the start of any inning after the 4th.

This is the first time since 2007 the Indians have had the best record in the majors this late in the season– they share that title with the Colorado Rockies.

The million-dollar question is, though, are the tribe for real? It’s too early to tell with 146 games still to be played, but there is no clear favorite in the AL central this year. If the Indians continue to pitch lights out, hit well with RISP and close out games, don’t be surprised if they are primed for a division race come September.


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