Top 50 Cleveland Indians

The origin of the Cleveland Indians begins in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1894, where they played in the Western League.  The franchise relocated in 1900, becoming the Cleveland Lake Shores, and eventually were an inaugural team of the American League, going through multiple name changes (Bluebirds, Broncos, Naps) before becoming the Indians for over a decade.

Cleveland would become a great sports town, but the baseball team has not given them very much to cheer for over the years.  The Indians have only won the World Series twice (1920 and 1948), with three other appearances.  

The team has announced that they will soon drop the Indians nickname, though as of this writing, it is not sure what they will change it to and when precisely it will take place.

This list is up to the end of the 2020 regular season.

Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.

39. Charles Nagy

39. Charles Nagy
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An Olympic Gold Medalist in 1988, Charles Nagy debuted in the Majors for the Cleveland Indians in 1990 and remained with them for 13 seasons.
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40. Luis Tiant

40. Luis Tiant
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Luis Tiant is far more known as a member of the Boston Red Sox, but his early work in Baseball with the Cleveland Indians should not be slept on.
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41. Francisco Lindor

41. Francisco Lindor
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As of this writing, Puerto Rican Shortstop Francisco Lindor has played six seasons with the Cleveland Indians, which is the only team he has ever played for at the Major League level.
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42. Carlos Santana

42. Carlos Santana
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Whenever we hear a nickname we love, we have to open with that.  “Slamtana."  How awesome is that?
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43. Michael Brantley

43. Michael Brantley
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The “Player to be Named Later” doesn’t often amount to much.  Michael Brantley was that player, as he was an eventual throw-in to deal C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee.  It was one hell of an add-on.
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44. Charlie Jamieson

44. Charlie Jamieson
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Charley Jamieson had already played in the Majors for four years before being traded to Cleveland before the 1919 season.  He didn't do much early, but in 1920, he began to see more playing time, and he helped the Indians win the World Series. That would be the only time he was in the playoffs, but his best years were about to occur.
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45. Ray Chapman

45. Ray Chapman
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Ray Chapman made his Major League debut in 1912 with Cleveland, and a year later, he was a fixture in the Indians' infield.
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46. Travis Hafner

46. Travis Hafner
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After a brief time with the Texas Rangers, Travis Hafner was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he brought a solid power game to the Tribe.
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47. Bert Blyleven

47. Bert Blyleven
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The most successful baseball player to be born in The Netherlands (although he was raised in California), Bert Blyleven played five of his 22 seasons in the Majors with the Cleveland Indians.
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48. Sonny Siebert

48. Sonny Siebert
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Sonny Siebert was a multi-sport athlete as he was not just a coveted baseball player but was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA.  Siebert focused on baseball, which proved to be the right move.
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49. Carlos Carrasco

49. Carlos Carrasco
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Carlos Carrasco was one of the prospects that the Cleveland Indians received in the 2009 deal for Cliff Lee, and shortly after this happened, the Venezuelan made his Major League debut, appearing in five Games.
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50. Johnny Allen

50. Johnny Allen
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A World Series Champion as a rookie with the New York Yankees in 1932, the meat of Johnny Allen's career was five years (1936-40) he played for the Cleveland Indians.
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