CLEVELAND — As the 2021 MLB season approaches, not many baseball experts or national pundits are picking the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series or even the American League's Central Division.
Most publications or baseball writers are looking at the Chicago White Sox or the Minnesota Twins to win the Central Division and one popular website, FanGraphs gives the Tribe less than a one percent chance to win the World Series.
While this is not all that surprising, given the Indians will be a different looking club in 2021 having lost multiple players to free agency and big names such as Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco in a trade with the New York Mets, as 3Sports' Pat Chiesa tells us, the Tribe isn't buying the popular national narrative surrounding them.
As Indians team president Chris Antonetti said when asked why he thinks the club can still complete, "Shane Bieber and Jose Ramirez," pointing to his Cy Young Award ace and his slugging third baseman that finished near the top of the MVP voting just last season.
Chiesa also uses sound clips out of spring training camp from Roberto Perez and Tribe right-hander Zach Plesac.
You can watch the entire Cleveland Indians package below in the YouTube player.
The Tribe opens the 2021 Cactus League exhibition schedule on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds. Opening Day is slated for April 1 against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.