Cleveland Indians: Bradley Zimmer had a solid start to his career in 2017

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer made a positive impact on the team in 2017 and will look to get better in 2018.

The sight of Jason Kipnis in center field during the 2017 postseason was shocking for some Cleveland Indians fans, but it may have never happened if Bradley Zimmer didn’t get injured.

Zimmer knocked himself out for the postseason with a headfirst slide into first base just three weeks before the end of the regular season. If not for that, who knows what would have happened in October.

It is a stretch to say that Zimmer’s presence would have changed the outcome of the ALDS, but it is fair to say that he had a solid rookie season stepping into a situation such as this one. He joined a contending team and never did anything to hurt his team while in town.

Zimmer slashed .241/.307/.385 in 101 games, although his numbers would have been much better if not for a slump that lasted from August up until his injury in September. Zimmer slashed .141/.215/.155 in an August to forget.

But Aaron Judge was also slumping during the latter part of the season, so let’s chalk it up to being a rookie for now.

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The best thing about Zimmer is his range in center field. He actually covers so much ground he has to be careful in the future because he can reach the wall so quickly and he seems to not realize when he is running out of room.

Crashing into the wall to make a catch is an exciting sight, but it could lead to some unnecessary injuries.

That range was sorely missed in the postseason, but the good news is that Zimmer proved himself to where he is an asset for this team moving forward.

He also had 18 stolen bases and was only caught one time.

If he can raise his average and begin to draw more walks, Zimmer can be a weapon in the leadoff spot with players like Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion waiting to drive him in.

Fans are hoping Zimmer’s year wasn’t a fluke, and even his slump later in the season didn’t seem to be due to him losing his ability. Striking out a lot happens to some rookies, so hopefully having a year of experience and an offseason to study what went wrong will lead to a true breakout season for Zimmer in 2018.

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It sure would be nice to have another star in center field.