Regular season baseball is quickly coming to a close and the MLB postseason picture still looks foggy, but the Cleveland Indians are gleaming right through.
The Indians made history Wednesday afternoon by being the first team in the American League history to win 21 straight games, breaking the Oakland Athletics record of 20 wins in 2002.
Then the Indians did it again Thursday night on a walk off home run to extend the streak to 22 wins.
Cleveland is one of the best teams in baseball right now. Some may even argue the team has what it takes to win the World Series, but win streaks don’t mean everything. There are many factors that go in to a World Series-winning team.
When the Oakland Athletics went on their historic “moneyball” run in 2002, it seemed to be that they were not going to be stopped going into the postseason. Unfortunately, the Athletics lost in the opening round of the postseason, seeing their dreams for a championship cut short.
The Indians are a different team. They experienced a magical postseason run last year that ended in a game seven World Series loss. Cleveland also has a potential Cy Young award-winning pitcher, Corey Kluber, who is tied for the most wins in the American League. The Indians also have the fifth best hitter in the American League, Jose Ramirez.
During the 22-game win streak, the Indians have outscored opponents 142-37 trailing in only eight innings, according to CBS Sports.
Cleveland has repeatedly proved themselves to be one of the best teams in baseball over the past few seasons, giving the city some hope that a World Series victory may be on the horizon.
The 2002 Athletics are proof that a win streak does not mean everything, but if there are any teams in the MLB to root for right now, the Indians should be at the top of the list.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected]