Fantasy baseball: 2020 Cleveland Indians fantasy preview

2020 Cleveland Indians projected starting rotation

Shane Bieber, RHP (15-8, 3.28 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 259 K in 214.1 IP)
Mike Clevinger, RHP (13-4, 2.71 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 169 K in 126 IP)
Carlos Carrasco, RHP (6-7, 5.29 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 96 K in 80 IP)
Adam Plutko, RHP (7-5, 4.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 78 K in 109.1 IP)
Jefry Rodriguez, RHP (1-5, 4.63 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 33 K in 46.2 IP)
Brad Hand, LHP (6-4, 3.30 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 84 K in 57.1 IP, 34/39 saves)

Don’t look now, but Bieber and Clevinger are bordering on aces. If you are like me and don’t like to overpay for pitching, I’d be happy with either of them at the top of my fantasy rotation. I prefer Bieber a touch more than Clevinger, but you really can’t go wrong with either of them in the third round.

Carlos Carrasco’s injury-riddled 2019 is something to forget. At the age of 34, he may never get back to the level he was at in the mid-2010’s, but he’s still better than he showed last year. He’s a good bounceback candidate in the middle rounds. The strikeout totals still make him worth a look.

It’s a make-or-break season for Rodriguez. He has been the buzz of prospect circles for a few years now, but at 26, he is starting to look like a bust. If you like to take a wild shot in the last round or two, Rodriguez will get a chance to prove himself. The Indians don’t have many other options. Zach Plesac is a better pick if you are going to gamble on the back end of this rotation.

Hand has elite strikeout totals and will snare you a few more wins that most closers since Cleveland has no issues using him in high-leverage situations as well as the ninth inning. He’s not an elite tier closer, but Hand isn’t far off either.

Prospects to watch:

Logan Allen struggled at AAA last year and in four starts with the Padres before being traded to Cleveland. Still, he’s only 23, so you can’t call him a bust yet. If he pitches well at AAA, look for him to replace Rodriguez or Plutko. He has good enough strikeout ratios to make him worth picking up if he gets the call.

Scott Moss dominated at three levels of the minors last year and could be ready to join this rotation. Right now he’s still behind Allen, but if he starts hot, he’ll claim a rotation spot first. Judging by his minor league track record, he may not rescind it either. That said, neither he nor Allen are ahead of Zach Plesac.

There are 12 more of these where this came from! Sports may be on hold, but we will have baseball sometime this season. We here at FanSided Fantasy are going to make sure you’re prepared!