CLEVELAND -- It may be snowing with blustering cold winds in Cleveland, but spring is on the horizon for the Cleveland Indians, as pitchers and catchers reported to Goodyear, Arizona, for the start of spring training Wednesday.
Led by reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who went 18-9 with a 2.44 earned run average over 34 starts last year, the Indians' rotation looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead in the 2015 season.
"My goal is what it always is in the spring, and that's to do what I feel puts me in the best spot when the regular season starts," Kluber said. "It doesn't do anything for this upcoming season, so I think you move past it and do whatever you feel is best to win that first game when it comes along."
In those 34 starts, Kluber allowed just 207 hits, 64 earned runs, 14 home runs and 51 walks with 269 strikeouts in 235.2 innings of work. He finished tied for first in the American League with 18 wins and 34 starts, second in strikeouts and third in earned run average. His 269 strikeouts were the sixth-most by an Indians pitcher in a single season.
Because of his approach to the game, Kluber has his teammates believing he will be able to achieve similar milestones in 2015.
"If he keeps up the same work ethic that he had, and I don't think that he won't have it, I think he'll just come out and try to do the same things," Indians catcher Yan Gomes said. "If you put pressure on yourself in pursuit of the same goal, I don't think that works. I think he should just go out and do the same thing he did."
In addition to Kluber, the Indians will rely on left-hander T.J. House and right-handed fire-baller Carlos Carrasco to help complete the starting rotation.
In his last 11 outings in 2014, which included 10 starts after his return to the rotation following a three-month stay in the bullpen, Carrasco had a 5-3 record with a 1.30 earned run average. In 73 innings of work, Carrasco allowed only 51 hits, 13 earned runs and 12 walks against 83 strikeouts.
"I hope he gets a new reputation from being the kind of guy, especially, in the game against the Astros where he goes complete-game shutout," Gomes said. "I think it was more of putting in his mind how good of a pitcher he was.
"I think everyone knew it. I think everybody knew he had that kind of arm and that kind of talent. It was just trying to put it together and put in his mindset how good that he actually was."
House was 2-3 with an earned run at 4.50 through his first four months at the Major League level, but something changed for the better as the team was in the thick of a race for the postseason. In September, House went 3-0 with a 1.50 earned run average with 22 strikeouts against only one walk in 24.0 innings of work over his four starts.
Over the course of the year, House learned the importance of "preparation," which is why he headed into the offseason with confidence, as well as a desire to start his offseason work earlier than he had in previous seasons.
"I didn't do bad at it, but I don't think I got myself into a position where I was going to have success early on," House said. "I think that's why I had a slower start, so this year, I started throwing a month earlier, did my bullpens a month earlier than I normally have and was just getting myself in shape so when spring training rolls around, I'm not trying to get ready in spring training. I'm already there."
With the emergence of Carrasco after a rough start to the regular season, the development of younger pitchers like House, Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar and the Cy Young Award winning effort from Kluber, the Indians had a rotation that kept a team that won 85 games in the hunt for a playoff berth until the last week of the season.
And heading into 2015, those who play on an every-day basis cannot wait to see how the pitching staff continues to progress.
"As a middle infielder, you get a good view of it," second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "You get to see the way their ball's moving and the swing-and-misses from the other hitters. These guys are nasty. To see the way Kluber pitched the entire season, even with the defense we had behind him last year, Carrasco in the second half was just as good, and those two are a one-two punch. Then, you've got guys with Bauer, hopefully, a healthy Gavin Floyd and T.J. and Salazar, you've got a lot of potential to be a tough, competitive team, day-in and day-out."
All-star outfielder Michael Brantley added, "How excited is everybody going to be? I think I'm chomping at the bit just like everybody else to see what they can do. When you have a young group of five starters that are coming up together, obviously, we have our ace in Corey that's kind of taken the lead role, but then, you have all those guys behind him that are doing the same thing, going out there and giving us a chance to win each and every game. As an offensive player, that's all you can ask."
