Cal Quantrill Needs Some Respect

Indians’ Twitter is a horrible place.

No matter what the team does, the fans find something to complain about. Shane Bieber could throw a complete game shutout and they would whine that he didn’t throw a no-hitter and that the Dolans haven’t paid him yet.

But recently, this toxic cesspool has actually shown some signs of positivity. Most fans believe that Cal Quantrill could be this team’s fifth or even fourth starter. I love this positive change of pace, but I still don’t agree with them. I think he could be even better.

Quantrill By The Numbers

Player 1: Age 26, 97.2 IP, 3.37 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 10-2 Record

Player 2: Age 26, 80.1 IP, 4.26 ERA, 4.84 FIP, 6-3 Record

Player 3: Age 26, 84.2 IP, 3.40 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 2-2 Record

When judging these three players blindly, you’d most likely say that Player 1 is the best, Player 3 is very close behind, and Player 2 is a step behind the others. The three players listed were Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, and Cal Quantrill.

Most would assume that Plesac and Civale are much better than Quantrill, but I believe an argument needs to be made that Cal could easily be the No. 2 or 3 starter on this squad.

I know Quantrill’s starting pitching experience comes as a small sample size, (only 12 starts this year), but he’s shown poise that most pitchers with his level of major league exposure could never accomplish. Besides the number of walks he’s given up, there’s no stat that makes him any worse than Civale or Plesac.

The problem I have is that it still feels like some people are doubting Cal. There hasn’t been a bad part of Quantrill’s season, so why are people still considering him a No. 5 starter on this roster? I understand that Triston McKenzie is only 23, but Quantrill has pitched circles around a guy he competing with for the “fifth spot."

The Case For Triston McKenzie? Maybe not.

McKenzie has looked better recently, but not as good as Quantrill. In Cal’s last four starts, he has 23IP, 15H, 4R, 3ER, 10BB, 18SO, and a 1.17 ERA. These aren’t fourth starter numbers, these are ace-like stats (minus the walks, I’m selectively ignoring those).

All I’m saying is to put some respect on Cal Quantrill’s name. He’s under contract until 2026, so there’s no reason to complain about needing to pay him. Unlike Francisco Lindor, we can “enjoy him” for a few years without any worries.