Cleveland Indians 2021 pitching grades: Filling in the blanks

Indians' right-hander Cal Quantrill.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For a time during the 2021 season the Indians’ pitching factory seemed to run out of nuts, bolts, widgets and arms. The assembly line had trouble keeping pace with the injuries on the big-league staff.

Starters Zach Plesac, Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale all missed significant time with injuries. It took a while to find the arms to replace them. The replacements delivered promise and a reminder. Promise for the future and a reminder of just how hard it can be to pitch successfully in the big leagues.

Plesac broke his right thumb on May 23. Less than three weeks later, Bieber left a start against Seattle on June 13 with a strained muscle in his right rotator cuff. Eight days later, Civale left a start against the Cubs on June 21 with a strained right middle finger. When Civale was placed on the injured list the next day, the Indians’ opening day rotation was either injured or demoted to Triple-A Columbus.

After Civale was placed on the IL, the rotation consisted of J.C. Mejia, Cal Quantrill, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan and Logan Allen. Mejia, Hentges and Morgan were rookies. Quantrill came out of the bullpen. Allen opened the season in the rotation, but was optioned to Triple-A Columbus after five starts before being recalled.

Plesac rejoined the rotation on July 8. Rookie Triston McKenzie, another member of the opening day rotation, was recalled on July 9. Civale would not pitch again until Sept. 7. Bieber didn’t make it back until Sept. 24 for two abbreviated starts before the season ended.

Grades for Indians hitters in 2021

Grades for Indians managers, coaches, front office in 2021

The rotation’s ERA understandably ballooned to 5.64 in June and 6.27 in July. The starters’ ERA dropped to 3.70 in August before jumping to 4.70 in September and October.

Quantrill, McKenzie and Morgan surfaced from the dive into the deep end of the pool as legitimate rotation candidates for 2022. Quantrill, in fact, was one of the best starters in the big leagues after the All-Star break. Hentges, meanwhile, may have found a home in the bullpen.

While the rotation’s performance was uneven because of injuries, the bullpen was a steadying influence for much of the season. The relievers, except for June, never posted a monthly ERA above 3.90. The pen went 32-30 with a 3.56 ERA, third lowest in the AL.

Rookie Emmanuel Clase was 24-for-29 in save chances and posted a 1.29 ERA in 71 games. Veteran Bryan Shaw led the big leagues and set a franchise record with 81 appearances.

One more thing before we get to the grades. The Indians were an identical 40-41 at home and on the road in 2021. They posted a 4.13 ERA at Progressive Field and a 4.56 ERA on the road.

Not sure what that has to do with pitching, but it’s the first time Indians have had an identical home and away split in franchise history.

Indians' right-hander Triston McKenzie.

Starting pitchers

Cal Quantrill, RHP

The numbers: 8-3, 2.89 ERA, 40 games, 22 starts, 149 2/3 innings, 48 earned runs, 121 strikeouts, 47 walks, .234 BAA (batting average against).

Comment: Quantrill opened the season in the bullpen where he posted a 1.88 ERA. He went 8-2 with a 3.12 ERA as a starter, including 7-1 run in 14 starts after the All-Star break in which he posted a 1.94 ERA over 88 innings. Not only did Quantrill help keep the 2021 season from spinning out of control, he almost assuredly guaranteed himself a spot in the rotation for 2022.

Grade: A+.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .204 off his slider in 2021, according to baseballsavant.com

Aaron Civale, RHP

The numbers: 12-5, 3.84, 21 starts, 124 1/3 innings, 53 earned runs, 99 strikeouts, 31 walks, .236 BAA.

Comment: Civale’s finger injury took him out of AL Cy Young contention. He was leading the AL in wins when he went on the injured list in June. He has six pitches at his disposal and throws them all. He made six starts after coming off the IL in September and won the season finale against Texas.

Grade: B+.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .179 off Civale’s cut fastball and .309 off his slider.

Shane Bieber, RHP

The numbers: 7-4, 3.17, 16 starts, 96 2/3 innings, 34 earned runs, 134 strikeouts, 33 walks, .229 BAA.

Comment: Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young winner, saw his chance to repeat foiled by his shoulder injury. He still finished second on the team in strikeouts -- McKenzie had 136 and Bieber 134 -- despite spending over 100 days on the injured list. It’s unclear how long Bieber was pitching with a sore right shoulder, but it didn’t happen in that one start against the Mariners on June 13.

Grade: B.

Extra credit: Bieber’s velo on his four-seam fastball averaged 92.8 mph in 2021, down from 94.1 in 2020. That’s understandable with the injury and long layoff.

Zach Plesac, RHP

The numbers: 10-6, 4.67, 25 starts, 142 2/3 innings, 74 earned runs, 100 strikeouts, 34 walks, .248 BAA.

Comment: There always seemed to be that one inning where Plesac had to grind his way through in 2021. Sometimes he made it, sometimes he didn’t. He went 5-0 in a nine-start stretch from May 2 through July 28, which included his stay on the injured list. Plesac averaged just 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings and that hurt him when it came to pitching out of trouble. He offset that somewhat by averaging just 2.1 walks per nine innings.

Grade: B.

Extra credit: Plesac and Civale shared the team lead in 23 homers allowed.

Triston McKenzie, RHP

The numbers: 5-9, 4.95, 25 games, 24 starts, 120 innings, 66 earned runs, 136 strikeouts, 58 walks, .194 BAA.

Comment: McKenzie was easily the most intriguing Indians starter in 2021. He walked the ballpark early, earning multiple trips to Triple-A. Then he delivered an 11-start stretch from July 9 through Sept. 14 in which he threw nine quality starts, including 7 2/3 perfect innings against the Tigers on Aug. 15. He lost his last three starts, allowing 14 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, but led the team in strikeouts and walks and was second with 24 starts.

Grade: B-.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .227 against McKenzie’s four-seam fastball, .132 against his slider and .114 against his curve.

Eli Morgan, RHP

The numbers: 5-7, 5.34, 18 starts, 89 1/3 innings, 58 earned runs, 81 strikeouts, 22 walks, .259 BAA.

Comment: Morgan was almost blown off the mound in his first big-league start as high winds ripped through Progressive Field on May 28. In an 11-start stretch he went 1-5 with a 5.04 ERA, but rebounded to win his last three starts of the season against the Yankees, White Sox and Texas. Morgan provided length when the Indians desperately needed it, going five or more innings in 12 of his 18 starts.

Grade: C+.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .174 against Morgan’s changeup, but overall he allowed a lot of hard contact (51 batted balls with an exit velocity of 100 mph).

Sam Hentges, LHP

The numbers: 1-4, 6.68, 30 games, 12 starts, 68 2/3 innings, 90 hits, 51 earned runs, 69 strikeouts, 32 walks, .318 BAA.

Comment: The 6-6, 245-pound Hentges went 0-4 with a 7.90 ERA as a starter. He struck out 36, walked 27 and allowed 53 hits in 41 innings. In 18 relief appearances, he went 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts and five walks. Hentges posted a 3.79 ERA in nine relief appearances over September and October and that’s where he may start the 2022 season.

Grade: C-.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .403 against Hentges’ four-seam fastball and .158 against his curve.

Logan Allen, LHP

The numbers: 2-7, 6.26, 14 games, 11 starts, 50 1/3 innings, 58 hits, 35 earned runs, 37 strikeouts, 17 walks, .291 BAA.

Comment: After winning a spot in the rotation in spring training, Allen lost it in April by going 1-4 with 9.19 ERA. He was optioned to Class AAA Columbus where he spent time on the injured list. He made consecutive quality starts on Aug. 27 and Sept. 1 against Boston and Kansas City and ended his season making three relief appearances.

Grade: C-.

Extra credit: In parts of three seasons in the big leagues, 46.7% of the balls put in play against Allen have been hit at 95 mph or higher.

J.C. Mejia, RHP

The numbers: 1-7, 8.25, 17 games, 11 starts, 52 1/3 innings, 60 hits, 48 earned runs, 24 walks, 47 strikeouts, .286 BAA.

Comment: The 6-5, 240-pound Mejia had never pitched above Class A until this year. He did spend the 2020 season at the alternative training site, but it was clear that if the rotation wasn’t crippled by injury, he wouldn’t have pitched in Cleveland this year. Mejia went 0-7 with a 9.78 ERA in his 11 starts.

Grade: D.

Extra credit: Left-handed batters hit .328 (40-for-122) with 10 homers against Mejia. Right-handed hitters batted .227 (20-for-88) against him.

Indians closer Emmanuel Clase.

Relief pitchers

Bryan Shaw, RHP

The numbers: 6-7, 3.49, two saves, 81 games, 77.1 innings, 69 hits, 30 earned runs, 71 strikeouts, 39 walks. .235 BAA.

Comment: Shaw pitched in half of the Indians’ 162 games so he must have been doing something right. He led the big leagues with 81 appearances, setting a franchise single-season record. He also passed Cody Allen to set a franchise record for relief appearances with 459 games.

Grade: B+.

Extra credit: He threw 1,016 cut fastballs in 2021 at an average velocity of 92.8 mph. The opposition hit .238 against the pitch.

Emmanuel Clase, RHP

The numbers: 4-5, 1.29, 24 saves, 71 games, 69 2/3 innings, 57 hits, 10 earned runs, 74 strikeouts, 16 walks, .195 BAA.

Comment: Clase, who did not play in 2020 because of a PED suspension, pitched like he was born to be a closer. When he started to throw more sliders to go along with his 100 mph cut fastball after the All-Star break, he became dominant. Clase converted 13 straight saves from July 25 through Sept. 21.

Grade: A.

Extra credit: Clase threw 742 pitches, 732 of them cutters, between 100.2 mph and 100.7 mph in 2021.

James Karinchak, RHP

The numbers: 7-4, 4.02, 11 saves, 60 games, 55 1/3 innings, 35 hits, 25 earned runs, 78 strikeouts, 32 walks, .176 BAA.

Comment: Cleveland needs to find out what it has in Karinchak. Is he the guy who went 6-2 with nine saves, a 2.52 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings in the first half? Or the guy who went 1-2 with two saves, a 7.88 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 16 innings after the break? He can be a big part of their bullpen if he can return to his first-half form.

Grade: C+.

Extra credit: Lefties hit .158 and righties .200 against Karinchak.

Nick Wittgren, RHP

The numbers: 2-9, 5.05, one save, 60 games, 62 1/3 innings, 61 hits, 35 earned runs, 17 walks, 61 strikeouts, .261 BAA.

Comment: Wittgren, after two good seasons in Cleveland, struggled. His walk and strikeout rates, 2.5 and 8.8 per nine innings, respectively, were in line with 2019 (MLB’s last full season), but he allowed career highs in homers (13) and hits (61), while throwing a career-high number of innings. The opposition hit .234 off his best pitch, a four-seam fastball, but that included 10 homers.

Grade: D.

Extra credit: Wittgren, who led AL relievers with nine losses, went 0-4 in July despite having a 2.25 ERA.

Blake Parker, RHP

The numbers: 2-1, 3.09, 47 games, 43.2 innings, 43 hits, 15 earned runs, 37 strikeouts, 14 walks, .257 BAA.

Comment: Parker, 36, was promoted from Triple-A on June 5 and gave the pen some veteran stability along with Shaw and Wittgren. The Indians went 21-26 in his 47 games, but he still showed the ability to protect a lead in the late innings.

Grade: C+,

Extra credit: Parker made 14 appearances in September and October, posting a season-high 5.56 ERA. He had a 1.00 ERA in July and a 1.99 ERA in August.

Trevor Stephan, RHP

The numbers: 3-1, 4.41, one save, 43 games, 63 1/3 innings, 58 hits, 38 earned runs, 75 strikeouts, 31 walks, .235 BAA.

Comment: Stephan was a Rule 5 pick that the Indians never considered returning to the Yankees. They protected him, pitching him mostly when they were behind. He gave them length, throwing more than one inning in 22 of his 43 appearances. He started to pitch in more high-leverage situations after the break.

Grade: C+.

Extra credit: The opposition hit .274 off Stephan’s four-seam fastball (96.2 mph), .188 off his slider (83.8) and .143 off his splitter (86.9). Parker helped him with the splitter.

Nick Sandlin, RHP

The numbers: 1-1, 2.94, 34 games, 33 2/3 innings, 21 hits, 11 earned runs, 48 strikeouts, 17 walks, .176 BAA.

Comment: The Indians recalled the side-arming Sandlin from Triple-A on May 1. He proved to be a good bridge between the starters and bullpen until he suffered a season-ending injury to his right shoulder on Aug. 11 against the A’s. Posted an ERA+ of 150 (100 is the league average). The Indians missed him down the stretch.

Grade: B-.

Extra credit: Sandlin’s delivery would seem to give left-handed hitters an advantage, but they hit .146 against him, while righties hit .192.

Justin Garza, RHP

The numbers: 2-1, 4.71, 21 games, 28 2/3 innings, 27 hits, 15 earned runs, 29 strikeouts, 18 walks, .256 BAA.

Comment: The rookie made two tours with the Indians in 2021. He was recalled the second time on July 31 and spent the rest of the year in Cleveland. He throws five pitches, leaning heavily on a 94.8 mph sinker. The opposition hit .222 against it.

Grade: C-.

Extra credit: The Indians went 5-16 in his 21 appearances.

Others relievers

Lefties Kyle Nelson and Anthony Young made 10 appearances each for the Indians. Nelson didn’t allow a run in eight of his 10 appearances, but he allowed five each in the other two to give him a 9.31 ERA. The opposition hit .341 against Young as he allowed nine earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. ... Anthony Gose, another lefty, made just six appearances, but he fared better than Nelson or Young. Gose, a former big-league outfielder, made it back to the show as a pitcher on Sept. 20. He allowed one earned run in six appearances, striking out nine, walking two and allowing two hits. Gose’s fastball averages 99.3 mph, while his slider averages 84.7. The opposition hit .111 against the fastball and didn’t register a hit in 31 at-bats against the slider. Gose has a chance to do good things in the pen in 2022.

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