Indians Spring 2018 Recap, Player Evaluations, and Predictions

hey, Indians fans! Happy Opening Day Eve! well, we made it through another offseason and spring training! after a 169-day waiting period, the Tribe will begin the 2018 campaign and embark on their journey toward a championship in just a mere 27 hours! who's ready?👏👊

in the meantime, what do you say to a recap of the Tribe's spring? i've divided this blog into several sections including a quick Cactus League overview, a summary of our offseason free agent signings, and of course, my player evaluations. you'll also find a couple Tribe predictions that i made here, as well as predictions for the American League Championship Series, National League Championship Series, and World Series matchups. in addition, i incorporated my final thoughts and some miscellaneous game talk at the end, too. so scroll through everything and let me know what ya think!😉

real fast though, let me first welcome the new visitors who i noticed checked out my blog during the offseason. if you are from Cambodia, New Zealand, and/or Kuwait, thank you very much for stopping by!👋 i'm so grateful and honored that you found All Things Brantley, All Things Tribe and i hope you continue to read my posts during the 2018 baseball season! feel free to leave comments and have your say about any of the topics that interest you.💭💻

Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab #s and My Predictions

hi again, Brantley fans! welcome to my Part 2 blog of Michael Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab information. i kept the emphasis in this one on the numbers, rather than detailed daily updates. here you will find statistics, number breakdowns, and game lines from Michael's rehab game appearances with the Cleveland Indians. in addition, there's a section at the bottom of this post containing some predictions i made about his 2018 regular season. if you're looking for all the specifics of Michael's running progressions and rehab game at bats and plate appearances from spring training, then you'll want to read my previous Part 1 blog: Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details. (should you be so inclined, may i recommend having both blogs open in two separate tabs to easily and conveniently compare the game line information with Michael's rehab details per date.💁)


note: i like to lead off my Cactus League #s post by reminding everyone that it can be quite difficult to get a "full" game experience during spring. what i mean by that is, when i do my in-season documentation, i have access to all the info i like/want during a game because i have my MLB Gameday open on the computer and Gameday audio subscription playing. in spring training, those are not always options/reliable. not every game has someone providing play-by-play and color commentary of the contest. when that happens, i'm stuck

Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details

hey there, Brantley fans!👋 welcome to another season of blogs about our beloved Dr. Smooth! i can't say it's good to be back, per se, because i was writing all offseason and never really left... 🗍🖉🗐📓lol

so let me get right to it. if you haven't heard by now, Michael is going to open the season on the 10-Day DL. no, he did not suffer a setback. he simply hasn't quite built up the necessary endurance yet that's needed to play complete games every day. he last appeared in a Cactus League game on March 25, so the Indians can backdate his DL stint to March 26. that would potentially allow him to be activated in time for the Home Opener on April 6 versus the Kansas City Royals. fingers crossed he gets adequate playing time with the minor leaguers before then to make that a reality.🤞

in my previous updates blog, Michael was limited to throwing, hitting live BP, and doing straight-ahead running. since then, he's progressed to forward and backward running, lateral movements, outfield progression, a simulated game, baserunning workouts, and three minor league games before finally getting approval to play in Cactus League games with the Indians. he made it through every step on his rehab check list, but

Brantley To Open Indians' 2018 Season on 10-Day DL

today, on March 25, Terry Francona told reporters that Michael Brantley will open the Cleveland Indians' 2018 season on the 10-Day DL. Michael is currently playing in the team's Cactus League game versus the Cincinnati Reds right now, so the club can make his DL stint retroactive to tomorrow, March 26 (if he sits out the final two spring games). in doing that, Michael would only need to spend seven days on the disabled list during the regular season and would be eligible for activation in time for the Tribe's Home Opener versus the Kansas City Royals on April 6. should that scenario play out, Michael would miss just the first six games/two road series between March 29 and April 4. (in my opinion, this is a realistic possibility.👍)

photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter

the skipper made it clear that Michael has NOT