The Cleveland Indians have a starting rotation led by one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
Having Shane Bieber as the ace is a top reason why the team is still in the playoff conversation in 2021.
He also stands out as a premier draft pick in any fantasy baseball league this season.
MLB.com’s Sarah Langs recently broke down the different tiers of starting pitchers available in 2021 fantasy drafts.
Bieber showed up in his own level alongside only Gerrit Cole and Jacob deGrom.
That is quite the monumental praise for the ace and shows where he stands among national writers.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Shane Bieber, will be our Opening Day starter. 😍 pic.twitter.com/OnsJW3JtNa
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) March 12, 2021
Breaking Down the SP Tiers
Langs’ list has five tiers of starting pitchers and everyone in a rotation is eligible.
That is why it is so cool to see three other Indians pitchers show up.
Zach Plesac shows up next in the third tier among the likes of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, Stephen Strasburg, and even Zack Greinke.
The 26-year-old Plesac only has 29 career starts under his belt with a 3.32 ERA.
He is now being viewed, at least in this list, as a serious No. 2 option in Cleveland and a great choice in fantasy leagues.
The fourth tier of talent sees Triston McKenzie show up alongside big names like Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel, and former Indians ace Corey Kluber.
McKenzie has only made six starts at the MLB level.
But fans have heard about his potential for years and he should be allowed to get a full season of work in 2021 as the third or fourth member of the rotation.
The competition for the third spot is between him and Aaron Civale.
Civale also showed up on Langs’ list in the fifth tier of pitchers among players like Jose Urquidy, Chris Sale, and Marcus Stroman.
A Rotation Filled With Potential
The Indians are known for having dominant starting rotations and seeing four players be named as legitimate fantasy baseball options is impressive.
Fans in Cleveland may be watching one of the best rotations in baseball this season.
Civale stands out as someone who could take a huge leap forward.
Aaron Civale pitched his first career complete game last night.
Guy was lights out. 😏#OurTribe pic.twitter.com/EjDyHS8EeQ
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 20, 2020
He has changed up his delivery in the offseason and posted a 2.34 ERA in 2019.
The right-hander had a rougher go in 2020, however, a lot of stats from that irregular season can be looked at with an asterisk for younger players.
Seeing two or three players on this fantasy baseball list would be exciting for fans of any team.
Indians fans seeing four names almost feels like an expectation after years of so much talent running through the organization.
Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger, and Trevor Bauer have all left in recent years.
But the pitching factory hasn’t stopped and the Indians have a new core in place that can easily lead the team to the postseason.
Indians fans playing fantasy baseball may already have planned to draft all these pitchers even before Langs’ list came out.
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