In a year where the Cleveland Indians are likely to miss the postseason, September is the perfect time to show the coaching staff and front office why young players should stay on the roster in the long-term. For players like infielders Ernie Clement and Yu Chang, their versatility is proving to be one of their greatest assets going forward.
Clement is known for his versatility, and to his credit, he has shown that at the big league level, having played 22 games at second base, 15 at third base, and a handful of innings at both shortstop and left field.
“I feel comfortable putting him all over the diamond, whether it’s second [base], third base], [shortstop], there’s some outfield potential,” Indians interim manager DeMarlo Hale said about Clement following the team’s win on Tuesday night. “I just think he’s ready to play when his name is called. … That’s the good thing about having a player like that on the team with versatility.”
He recently spent time on the injured list due to a non-COVID-19 related illness, but on Tuesday night, the young infielder showed off his bat and glove throughout the game, blasting a home run to left-center field and notching a sliding catch and throw to Owen Miller at first base.
Despite his recent missed time, that didn’t stop Indians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill from having full confidence in the young Indians fielder.
“Ernie [Clement]’s a very good player, but he’s extra special when I’m pitching,” Quantrill joked about Clement to the media following the club’s win. “Single handedly saved me four, five, six runs already this year, so he’s my favorite player on this team.”
In addition to Clement, fellow utilityman Yu Chang also flashed an interesting skill set for the club to look at going forward.
Much like Clement, Chang is known for his versatility, having played every infield position, including a majority at first base, where he had never played prior to 2021.
Hale was impressed by what Chang was able to showcase on Tuesday night: “Chang stepped over to shortstop and played very well. … I was interested to see how he’d react. He’s another guy that when you call his name, he goes out there and plays. That’s what you want [to see].”
Since the All-Star break, Chang has really gotten into a groove, hitting .272 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 32 games. While he needs to improve his approach at the plate (four walks compared to 32 strikeouts since the All-Star break), those are the growing pains of a young ballplayer.
“I love having Chang on the field,” Clement said about the infielder following the game. “He’s an incredible, talented baseball player. He’s so positive all the time … he’s an A-1 teammate. Just to be on the field with him is awesome. I love it, every second of it. He’s always smiling and an all-around awesome guy.”
Business as Usual…
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Indians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill put in another quality start for the Cleveland Indians.
For Quantrill, this has become the new normal since the All-Star break, racking up a 1.76 ERA for the team and looking like the ace that has been missing since Shane Bieber went on the injured-list back in June.
“He was in rhythm and attacking the zone with multiple pitches,” Hale said about Quantrill’s performance on Tuesday night. “You keep hitters and teams off balance when you do that.”
Quantrill has more than proved himself as a starting pitcher for the future of Cleveland baseball, which is not only a testament to the development of Quantrill, but also the Indians, who have done a tremendous job of adjusting his trajectory and role midseason.
With Bieber, Aaron Civale, and Zach Plesac seemingly ready for their usual workload in 2022, it’s going to be interesting to see how young pitchers like Quantrill and Triston McKenzie build upon their second half success.
What’s Next?
The Indians will look to tie up the series against the Royals on Wednesday at 6:10 pm from Progressive Field. On the mound for the Tribe will be left-handed pitcher Logan Allen (1-7, 7.11). For the Royals, right-hander Carlos Hernández (6-2, 3.90) will be on the bump.