The 1998 Cleveland Indians season was the 98th season for the franchise and the 5th season at Jacobs Field. The Indians hoped to improve upon their American League pennant-winning season of 1997, but succumbed to the New York Yankees in the ALCS in six games. The Indians would lead the American League Central division wire-to-wire in 1998, becoming the first team in franchise history (and , the only team in franchise history) to do so.

Offseason November 12, 1997: Paul Assenmacher signed as a free agent. December 1: Matt Williams traded by Cleveland to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Travis Fryman, Tom Martin, and cash. December 8: Kenny Lofton and Dwight Gooden signed as free agents. December 8: Marquis Grissom and Jeff Juden traded by Cleveland to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Fetters, Ben McDonald, and Ron Villone. December 20: David Weathers was selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds from Cleveland.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Transactions April 14, 1998: David Bell was selected off waivers by Cleveland from the St. Louis Cardinals. May 6, 1998: Mark Whiten signed as a free agent.Mark Whiten Statistics Baseball-Reference.com June 2, 1998: CC Sabathia selected by Cleveland in the first round with the 20th overall pick of the 1998 MLB draft. Sabathia signed on June 29.C.C. Sabathia Statistics Baseball-Reference.com July 2: Rex Hudler signed as a free agent. August 13: Cecil Fielder signed as a free agent.Cecil Fielder Statistics Baseball-Reference.com August 31: Bell traded by Cleveland to the Seattle Mariners for Joey Cora. September 18: Fielder released by Cleveland.

Roster 1998 Cleveland Indians Roster Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches (First base) (Bench) (Bullpen) (Hitting) (Third base) (Pitching) (Bullpen catcher)

Game log

|- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 1 || March 31 || @ Mariners || 10–9 || Mesa (1–0) || Fossas (0–1) || Jackson (1) || Kingdome || 57,822 || 1–0 || W1

|- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 2 || April 1 || @ Mariners || 9–7 || Wright (1–0) || Moyer (0–1) || Jackson (2) || Kingdome || 24,523 || 2–0 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 3 || April 3 || @ Angels || 6–2 || Burba (1–0) || McDowell (0–1) || – || Edison International Field of Anaheim || 26,240 || 3–0 || W3 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 4 || April 4 || @ Angels || 11–0 || Colon (1–0) || Watson (0–1) || – || Edison International Field of Anaheim || 34,834 || 4–0 || W4 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 5 || April 5 || @ Angels || 6–4 || Nagy (1–0) || Dickson (0–1) || Jackson (3) || Edison International Field of Anaheim || 35,628 || 5–0 || W5 |- bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | – || April 6 || @ Athletics || colspan=8 | Suspended (curfew, continuation April 8) |- bgcolor="#bbffbb | 6 || April 8 || @ Athletics || 6–5 || Krivda (1–0) || Candiotti (0–2) || Jackson (4) || Network Associates Coliseum || 6,963 || 6–0 || W6 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 7 || April 8 || @ Athletics || 1–3 || Rogers (1–0) || Burba (1–1) || Taylor (1) || Network Associates Coliseum || 8,361 || 6–1 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 8 || April 10 || Angels || 8–5 (10) || Plunk (1–0) || Percival (0–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,707 || 7–1 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 9 || April 11 || Angels || 8–5 || Nagy (2–0) || Dickson (0–2) || Jackson (5) || Jacobs Field || 42,802 || 8–1 || W2 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 10 || April 12 || Angels || 1–12 || Finley (2–0) || Wright (1–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,555 || 8–2 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 11 || April 13 || Mariners || 6–5 || Burba (2–1) || Cloude (1–1) || Jackson (6) || Jacobs Field || 42,793 || 9–2 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 12 || April 14 || Mariners || 8–3 || Assenmacher (1–0) || Slocumb (0–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 40,490 || 10–2 || W2 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 13 || April 15 || Mariners || 3–5 || Spoljaric (1–0) || Assenmacher (1–1) || Ayala (1) || Jacobs Field || 40,527 || 10–3 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 14 || April 17 || @ Red Sox || 2–3 (10) || Gordon (2–1) || Assenmacher (1–2) || – || Fenway Park || 26,924 || 10–4 || L2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 15 || April 18 || @ Red Sox || 7–4 || Martin (1–0) || Eckersley (1–1) || Jackson (7) || Fenway Park || 31,735 || 11–4 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 16 || April 19 || @ Red Sox || 0–2 || Saberhagen (3–0) || Burba (2–2) || Gordon (4) || Fenway Park || 31,846 || 11–5 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 17 || April 20 || @ Red Sox || 5–6 (11) || Gordon (3–1) || Plunk (1–1) || – || Fenway Park || 33,001 || 11–6 || L2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 18 || April 21 || White Sox || 14–6 || Mesa (2–0) || Baldwin (2–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,836 || 12–6 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 19 || April 22 || White Sox || 7–14 || Sirotka (3–1) || Nagy (2–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,840 || 12–7 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 20 || April 23 || White Sox || 5–4 || Plunk (2–1) || Castillo (0–1) || Jackson (8) || Jacobs Field || 42,865 || 13–7 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 21 || April 24 || Red Sox || 5–7 || Wakefield (1–1) || Burba (2–3) || Gordon (6) || Jacobs Field || 40,570 || 13–8 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 22 || April 25 || Red Sox || 2–3 || Saberhagen (4–0) || Colon (1–1) || Gordon (7) || Jacobs Field || 40,571 || 13–9 || L2 |- bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | – || April 26 || Red Sox || colspan=8 | Postponed (rain, makeup July 21) |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 23 || April 27 || @ White Sox || 3–10 || Sirotka (4–1) || Ogea (0–1) || – || Comiskey Park || 13,575 || 13–10 || L3 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 24 || April 28 || @ White Sox || 4–1 || Nagy (3–1) || Karchner (0–1) || Jackson (9) || Comiskey Park || 13,208 || 14–10 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 25 || April 29 || Athletics || 4–11 || Rogers (4–1) || Wright (1–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,190 || 14–11 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 26 || April 30 || Athletics || 2–5 || Mathews (3–3) || Assenmacher (1–3) || Taylor (6) || Jacobs Field || 42,855 || 14–12 || L2

|- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 27 || May 1 || Devil Rays || 7–5 || Colon (2–1) || Springer (1–4) || Jackson (10) || Jacobs Field || 42,712 || 15–12 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 28 || May 2 || Devil Rays || 5–1 || Ogea (1–1) || Saunders (1–3) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,525 || 16–12 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 29 || May 3 || Devil Rays || 10–8 || Mesa (3–0) || R. Hernandez (0–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,597 || 17–12 || W3 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 30 || May 5 || Orioles || 6–5 || Assenmacher (2–3) || Benitez (1–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 40,706 || 18–12 || W4 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 31 || May 6 || Orioles || 14–5 || Burba (3–3) || Erickson (3–3) || – || Jacobs Field || 40,672 || 19–12 || W5 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 32 || May 7 || @ Rangers || 7–2 || Colon (3–1) || Sele (5–2) || – || The Ballpark in Arlington || 28,504 || 20–12 || W6 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 33 || May 8 || @ Rangers || 3–6 || X. Hernandez (1–0) || Mesa (3–1) || Wetteland (8) || The Ballpark in Arlington || 38,067 || 20–13 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 34 || May 9 || @ Rangers || 3–7 || Oliver (2–4) || Nagy (3–2) || – || The Ballpark in Arlington || 46,355 || 20–14 || L2 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 35 || May 10 || @ Rangers || 3–5 || Burkett (3–4) || Wright (1–3) || Wetteland (9) || The Ballpark in Arlington || 31,232 || 20–15 || L3 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 36 || May 11 || @ Devil Rays || 2–4 || Arrojo (5–2) || Burba (3–4) || R. Hernandez (4) || Tropicana Field || 27,097 || 20–16 || L4 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 37 || May 12 || @ Devil Rays || 5–6 (14) || Santana (1–0) || Jackson (0–1) || – || Tropicana Field || 27,084 || 20–17 || L5 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 38 || May 13 || @ Orioles || 1–8 || Drabek (3–4) || Ogea (1–2) || – || Oriole Park at Camden Yards || 43,379 || 20–18 || L6 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 39 || May 14 || @ Orioles || 5–4 || Nagy (4–2) || Rhodes (2–2) || Jackson (11) || Oriole Park at Camden Yards || 43,039 || 21–18 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 40 || May 15 || Rangers || 3–2 (14) || Krivda (2–0) || Levine (0–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 41,128 || 22–18 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 41 || May 16 || Rangers || 10–3 || Burba (4–4) || Witt (4–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 40,925 || 23–18 || W3 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 42 || May 17 || Rangers || 0–1 || Sele (7–2) || Colon (3–2) || Wetteland (12) || Jacobs Field || 42,247 || 23–19 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 43 || May 19 || @ Royals || 16–3 || Ogea (2–2) || Rapp (3–4) || – || Kauffman Stadium || 13,367 || 24–19 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 44 || May 20 || @ Royals || 14–5 || Nagy (5–2) || Belcher (2–6) || – || Kauffman Stadium || 13,575 || 25–19 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 45 || May 21 || @ Royals || 6–2 || Wright (2–3) || Rosado (0–4) || – || Kauffman Stadium || 17,243 || 26–19 || W3 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 46 || May 22 || Blue Jays || 9–7 || Burba (5–4) || Hanson (0–2) || Jackson (12) || Jacobs Field || 43,269 || 27–19 || W4 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 47 || May 23 || Blue Jays || 2–7 || Clemens (5–5) || Colon (3–3) || – || Jacobs Field || 43,306 || 27–20 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 48 || May 24 || Blue Jays || 0–5 || Williams (5–2) || Gooden (0–1) || – || Jacobs Field || 43,194 || 27–21 || L2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 49 || May 25 || Tigers || 7–4 || Nagy (6–2) || Castillo (2–2) || – || Jacobs Field || 43,342 || 28–21 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 50 || May 26 || Tigers || 9–2 || Wright (3–3) || Worrell (2–6) || – || Jacobs Field || 42,372 || 29–21 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 51 || May 28 || @ Blue Jays || 6–2 || Burba (6–4) || Carpenter (1–1) || – || SkyDome || 30,282 || 30–21 || W3 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 52 || May 29 || @ Blue Jays || 7–3 || Colon (4–3) || Clemens (5–6) || – || SkyDome || 29,085 || 31–21 || W4 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 53 || May 30 || @ Blue Jays || 2–4 || Williams (6–2) || Gooden (0–2) || Myers (13) || SkyDome || 37,179 || 31–22 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 54 || May 31 || @ Blue Jays || 8–3 || Nagy (7–2) || Hentgen (7–4) || Mesa (1) || SkyDome || 30,090 || 32–22 || W1

|- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 55 || June 1 || @ Tigers || 2–0 || Wright (4–3) || Florie (3–1) || – || Tiger Stadium || 18,230 || 33–22 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 56 || June 2 || @ Tigers || 8–3 || Burba (7–4) || Thompson (3–6) || – || Tiger Stadium || 16,351 || 34–22 || W3 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 57 || June 3 || @ Twins || 2–3 || Swindell (1–2) || Colon (4–4) || Aguilera (10) || Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome || 8,897 || 34–23 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 58 || June 4 || @ Twins || 3–2 || Gooden (1–2) || Radke (7–4) || Jackson (13) || Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome || 9,417 || 35–23 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 59 || June 5 || @ Reds || 1–2 || Harnisch (6–1) || Nagy (7–3) || Shaw (17) || Cinergy Field || 43,532 || 35–24 || L1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 60 || June 6 || @ Reds || 10–1 || Wright (5–3) || Remlinger (3–7) || – || Cinergy Field || 51,796 || 36–24 || W1 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 61 || June 7 || @ Reds || 6–1 || Burba (8–4) || Klingenbeck (0–1) || – || Cinergy Field || 49,589 || 37–24 || W2 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 62 || June 8 || Pirates || 8–0 || Colon (5–4) || Peters (1–4) || – || Jacobs Field || 43,068 || 38–24 || W3 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 63 || June 9 || Pirates || 4–7 || Lieber (4–7) || Morman (0–1) || Rincon (6) || Jacobs Field || 41,762 || 38–25 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 64 || June 10 || Pirates || 3–4 (11) || Loaiza (4–3) || Mesa (3–2) || Loiselle (12) || Jacobs Field || 43,101 || 38–26 || L2 |- bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | – || June 12 || @ Yankees || colspan=8 | Postponed (rain, makeup September 21) |- bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | – || June 13 || @ Yankees || colspan=8 | Postponed (rain, makeup September 22) |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 65 || June 14 || @ Yankees || 2–4 || Cone (9–1) || Wright (5–4) || Rivera (13) || Yankee Stadium || 42,949 || 38–27 || L3 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 66 || June 15 || Royals || 6–7 (10) || Montgomery (1–3) || Mesa (3–3) || Whisenant (1) || Jacobs Field || 43,246 || 38–28 || L4 |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 67 || June 16 || Royals || 9–1 || Colon (6–4) || Pichardo (2–6) || – || Jacobs Field || 43,184 || 39–28 || W1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 68 || June 17 || Royals || 3–4 || Rosado (3–5) || Gooden (1–3) || Montgomery (12) || Jacobs Field || 43,196 || 39–29 || L1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb"