After spending time with five different teams and failing to find the kind of success that had made him a three-time All-Star with Cleveland from 2016–18, the 37-year-old’s career flamed out over his final five years on the mound from 2019–2023. But Kluber’s stellar five-season stint with the AL Central team (before to their transformation as the Guardians)—a span that yielded two AL Cy Young awards—should be remembered.
The right-hander made his big-league debut with Cleveland in 2011, four years after the San Diego Padres selected him in the fourth round and one year after he was moved to the east. He was a relative late bloomer.
After struggling through 12 starts in 2012 and appearing in just three games out of Cleveland’s bullpen in 2011, Kluber finished 2013 with an excellent 3.85 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. After making his major league debut in 2014, Kluber went on to become one of the game’s top pitchers during the following five years.
With a 2.44 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a career-high 269 strikeouts that season, the Stetson University product tied for the AL lead in wins (18) and won his first Cy Young award. In 2015, Kluber tied for the MLB lead with four complete games and recorded an exceptional 1.05 WHIP, but he also led the junior circuit in losses (16) due to a mix of poor run support, bullpen problems, and other issues.
After finishing 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 2016, he was selected for the first of three consecutive All-Star teams. He also played a significant role in Cleveland’s historic 19-year pennant victory. Despite Kluber going 2-0 in the team’s final seven-game classic loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Undoubtedly, Kluber’s 2017 campaign was his strongest to date. In addition to winning his second AL Cy Young award, he tied for the league-high total in wins (18), complete games (career-high five), and shutouts (career-high three). He also led MLB in ERA (career-best 2.25) and WHIP (0.86).
When Kluber won a career-high 20 games in 2018, it was his last season in which he was entirely fit and productive. It was also the fourth time in the previous five years that he had at least 18 wins. It was also his seventh consecutive season with a WHIP under 1.10, more than 200 innings pitched, two complete games, at least 29 starts, and a sub-3.50 ERA.
Before injuries and consistency issues seized control, Kluber’s half-decade run from his age-28 to age-32 campaigns briefly put him in an intriguing conversation about potential future Hall of Fame elevation.
When considering “Klubot’s” retirement, baseball fans should consider his supremacy with Cleveland from 2014 to 2018, rather than concentrating on the latter seasons of his career.
