Few Contenders Need Bats More Than the Guardians
The Guardians are contenders, but adding offense at the deadline could separate them from the rest of the American League.
In a season that has seen the Cleveland Guardians struggle at the plate as much as nearly any team in baseball, they remain firmly in the thick of the American League playoff race.
At 46-42, Cleveland currently holds a wild-card spot and is tied for the lead in the AL Central. That position is surprising, considering how inconsistent the Guardians have been at the plate, but it is a reflection of both their strong pitching staff and the lack of separation across the American League.
While several teams are in the mix to make the postseason, few have established themselves as overwhelming favorites, leaving room for a club like Cleveland to remain in contention despite major flaws. They have done enough to keep themselves in a position to compete, but their activity at the trade deadline will determine how serious of a threat they will be down the stretch.
Their pitching has provided a solid foundation, giving the lineup consistent opportunities to win close games. The offense, however, has not done enough to capitalize on that support.
With the deadline approaching, Cleveland has an opportunity to bolster its lineup, and few contenders need offensive help more. Doing so would vastly improve its postseason outlook and make it a legitimate threat to go on a deep playoff run.
An Offense That Can’t Keep Up
The Guardians’ offense has been a disappointment to say the least. They have been one of the worst teams in the American League at the plate. Their overall failure to score runs stems from multiple different factors.
Beginning with the lack of power, they have a .366 team slugging percentage and just 79 home runs through 87 games this season. Only three Guardians players have reached double-digit home runs, and no single player has a slugging percentage that exceeds .450.
The squad also generally fails to reach base at a high rate, posting an on-base percentage of .311 thus far. While they do have a solid 9.8% walk rate, the .229 batting average really limits their ability to get on base.
Even their star players haven’t been their normal selves. José Ramírez has posted a 111 wRC+, which is solid, but it would be his lowest since 2015.
You can’t pin the struggles all on him, however. They do need more out of Steven Kwan. He entered the season a career .281 hitter with a 112 wRC+. So far this season, he’s batting .216 with the lowest slugging percentage in Major League Baseball among qualified hitters.
They need answers, and they’ve already begun to search internally. Cleveland called up Travis Bazzana who has provided a steady bat through his first 56 major-league games. He’s been solid, but not enough to turn the offense all the way around.
If they’re serious about contending this season, they’ll need to expand their search.
Pitching Themselves Into Wins
Even with the extreme offensive struggles, the Guardians still find themselves in the thick of the playoff standings. Despite a negative run differential (-7), they’re still tied for the division lead and hold a playoff spot.
How have they stayed there? Pitching.
While they do not have a truly dominant starting group or bullpen, both have been very solid, consistent, and a steady force in them winning ball games.
Their rotation has combined for a 3.72 ERA, good for fifth in the AL. They excel at limiting hard contact and constantly induce ground balls. This allows for them to limit base hits and slug from opponents. To go with that, they’ve posted a solid 23.2% strikeout rate, and really have limited holes in their game.
The bullpen has been just as important. The relief corps has a 3.89 ERA, while running top-notch strikeout rates. Both their 10.36 strikeouts per nine innings and 26.4% strikeout rate top the AL by a wide margin. They haven’t been immune to the home run ball, but with high strikeout rates and opponents batting .237 against them, big rallies have generally been kept at a minimum.
Pitching alone will not carry Cleveland through October, but it has done it’s job in keeping a few offensive additions away from being legit contenders. The Guardians do not need to be an elite offensive team, they simply need to support a pitching staff that has proven itself.
A Wide-Open American League
The Guardians are not in position to go out and fix every offensive issue before the deadline. However, in an American League that is wide-open, they simply need to get to around league average.
Over halfway through the season, only six out of the 15 teams in the AL around over the .500 mark. While Cleveland is in a playoff spot now, there are still five teams within five games of them. There has been movement throughout the league all season, and it is very possible that it will continue through the end of the year.
This makes it that much more important for the Guardians to separate themselves from the pack. Add offense and let the pitching staff continue to do its job, and the Guardians could put themselves in position to put the division out of reach.
Cleveland does not need a complete offensive overhaul to become a legitimate threat in the American League. Its pitching staff has already proven capable of keeping the club competitive, and just a few improvements on offense would make a meaningful difference.
If the Guardians can add a reliable bat or two before the trade deadline, they could turn one of baseball’s most frustrating offenses into one capable of supporting a roster built to win deep into October.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Carson Wolf is an intern at Just Baseball covering the Chicago Cubs and is the creator of The Wrigley Wire on X. He is currently studying…