Atlanta Braves: Q&A with Believeland Ball Expert on upcoming series

In preparation for the Atlanta Braves upcoming series with the Cleveland Indians, we were able to talk to the expert at Believeland Ball.

Carson Ferrell, the site expert at Believeland Ball, was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for us to get our readers ready for the Atlanta Braves taking on the Cleveland Indians.

This is a very important series for the Atlanta Braves coming off a disastrous homestand, so let’s see what we’re up against.

Q: Do you think Francisco Lindor plays this weekend? If so, how effective will he be?

A: I do think we will see Lindor this weekend. I think we could even see him tonight (Friday) if the weather permits. Lindor has played in three Triple-A rehab assignments in Columbus. He hit two homers, doubled, and hit .417. Lindor doesn’t need many at-bats to get going, so there’s a chance he could have a positive effect for a Tribe lineup still looking for consistency.

Q: What is going on with Corey Kluber this year? Is it his mechanics or is he on his last leg?

A: I’d like to know the answer to this myself. He was lights out on Opening Day despite the loss, but since then it’s been a bit of a roller coaster. Some Indians fans feel that we should have moved him in the offseason. I wouldn’t say he’s on his last leg but his fastball velocity has never been through the roof, now it seems like teams are attacking him early.

Q: Is Trevor Bauer the favorite for the AL Cy Young? What has he done to elevate his game?

You could make the argument that every pitcher in the Indians rotation has a shot at the AL Cy Young. If Mike Clevinger hadn’t gotten hurt, he was my dark horse pick. But it’s safe to assume Bauer is the favorite. He had one shaky outing against Detroit, but aside from that, he’s been a force. He is the mad scientist of the rotation. He is so focused on his mechanics and how he can improve that, and it keeps making him a better pitcher. He added a new slider this offseason that devastated in Spring Training. Part of what makes him so good is that he has so many pitches at his disposal.

Q: What can we expect from this offense?

Flip a coin. Heads, the Indians will get one hit. That hit could be the difference in a very boring game or it could be a whimper in the middle of a blowout. Tails, they will run a starter out of the game in the early innings and never look back — that’s how it’s been this year. Carlos Santana has been the best hitter and he’s a tough out. This is not the same Santana that was in Philly last season. He is happy to be home and it shows. If Lindor is back you can expect the lineup to shift around. Lindor was primarily the leadoff man all year last year. This year it has been Leonys Martin, who is off to a pretty hot start himself. As for Jose Ramirez, his slump from the ALDS is continuing and he just looks lost at the plate sometimes.

Q: What is your feeling about the Indians through the first 18 games? How do you think they’ll fair against the Braves in this series?

A: One thing that has stood out for the Tribe has been the bullpen. People were so concerned that the team did next to nothing to bolster it in the offseason and it’s actually been really good. In fact, they have the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball. I also know the same cannot be said for Atlanta. After watching some of the Braves games in their last series I’ve seen the bullpen woes. Sorry, we had that problem last year. I think that could play a big role in this series. Depending on how the Indians’ starters look, it could be a tough series for the Braves. But consistency has not been on the Indians side this season. One bad outing from a starter could turn into an easy win for Atlanta. It’ll also be interesting if we get to play much of this series, as the forecast in Cleveland is not pretty for Friday and Saturday.

Thanks again to Carson for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. The Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians begin a three-game series in Cleveland Friday night at 7:10 ET.