It’s been a long road for Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill in the 2021 season.
Starting as the team’s long reliever after the team went with left-hander Logan Allen out of Spring Training, Quantrill has developed into one of the club’s most intriguing young arms heading into the 2022 season, as well as all but solidified a spot in the rotation.
Quantrill, again, looked like his dominant self that Tribe fans have become so familiar with since the All-Star break. In that span, Quantrill is 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 68 ⅔ innings. For Quantrill, getting back into form as a starter has something he takes great pride in.
He told reporters about his journey back to starting following the game, “I’ve worked extremely hard to become a starter again and to earn the trust of my manager to leave me out there for 109 pitches. I take pride in the fact that he felt confident enough to leave me there past 100 pitches.”
“I think our game has really taken a turn toward limited pitch counts,” Quantrill continued. “It’s too bad because sometimes what you have to offer at the end of the game might be the best that you’ve had [in] the entire game. You really want to reward your manager when he gives you that opportunity.”
With pitchers Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, and Zach Plesac all having missed significant time this season, Quantrill has had a lot of expectations on his shoulders throughout this season, and with the way he’s pitched in the second half, it seems to have made him into a seasoned vet.
Quantrill, following giving up 5 runs against the Red Sox on September 6th, wanted to redeem himself for the lackluster outing, saying following the game, “I felt like I let the team down in Boston and I wanted a second chance today, so it was good.”
The right-hander’s energy and demeanor on the mound have been a spark for the Tribe every time he’s been on the mound, and the club hopes that he keeps that same energy into 2022.
Keeping his eye on the ball
For Owen Miller, it’s almost been like a tale of two seasons for the young infielder.
When he was initially called up, the Indians were looking for an offensive spark, having just lost slugger Franmil Reyes to the injured list. Miller had been the best hitter in Columbus for the Clippers and many were clamoring for Miller to get the call up to the majors.
With the expectations and change in the speed of the game, Miller struggled and, quite frankly, looked overwhelmed. In his first 17 games in the big leagues, he managed to have a batting average of .106 with an on-base percentage of .143.
It’s taken some time and adjusting, but it seems that Miller has finally turned a corner as of late. In his last 15 games, he has hit .286 with an on-base percentage of .305. In addition to the uptick in production at the plate, he’s also been much more selective at the plate.
With so many players fighting to show what they can bring to the table for the club in 2022, Miller has shown tremendous growth with the added playing time throughout the season. He also has shown resourcefulness as he’s played across the infield, and even a bit in the outfield.
With a loaded system of middle infielders, Miller will have to continue to show his growth to stand out from the fast-filling room.
What’s next?
The Indians will take on the Twins at Progressive Field on Wednesday night at 7:10pm. On the bump for the Tribe will be the young right-hander Eli Morgan (2-6, 5.48). Morgan will be facing off against fellow right-hander Adrian Houser (8-6, 3.41) for the Twins.