The Cleveland Guardians All-Century Team

We’re officially 22 seasons into the new century, so who should make the All-Century team for the Cleveland Guardians?

The Cleveland Guardians are one of the most historical franchises in baseball. The team has been around since 1901, with the Guardians being the fifth team nickname. With only two World Series championships in history, the team has had its share of success but also several years of losing.

In the 21st century alone, this team has had seasons of high highs and seasons of low lows, such as going from 68 wins in 2012 to 94 wins in 2013 and securing a playoff berth. In all, the team has made the postseason seven times throughout the century, winning five division titles. The Guardians have had nine 90+ win seasons and even a 102-win season in 2017. The franchise reached the World Series in 2016, losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.

With all that said, the Cleveland Guardians’ pool of talent in this century features a collection of star players and underrated gems who make up the last 22 years of baseball in Cleveland. I will go through that pool of talent and create an all-century team. The team will include a full lineup of nine position players, including DH, five starting pitchers, and three relievers.

The Cleveland Guardians All-Century Team

Catcher

Victor Martinez (2002-2009)

Stats: .297/.369/.463, .832 OPS, 120 OPS+, 19.2 bWAR, 900 H, 103 HR, 518 RBI

Victor Martinez was one of the best catchers in baseball during his time in Cleveland. While injuries are the primary reason he only spent four years as the everyday catcher, he certainly made that time count. In those four years, from 2004 to 2007, Martinez was the second-best catcher in the sport per Fangraphs WAR, with 16.3. Also during that stretch, his 125 wRC+ was second in the sport at his position, behind Jorge Posada.

Cleveland had a few really good years in the mid-2000s and Martinez’s ability to drive in runs was a big part of their offense. The 2007 season was his best in Cleveland, as he posted a .301/.374/.505 batting line, good for a .879 OPS and 129 OPS+. He accumulated 40 doubles, hit 25 home runs, and drove in 114 runs en route to an All-Star appearance and a seventh-place finish in MVP voting. He has been the best catcher for Cleveland in the century and was an easy pick for this 21st-century team.

First Base

Carlos Santana (2010-2017, 2019-2020)

Stats: .251/.368/.450, .818 OPS, 121 OPS+, 29.8 bWAR, 1,197 H, 216 HR, 710 RBI

Carlos Santana was also a consideration for the catcher position, but he spent the majority of his Cleveland career at first base. Quite frankly, Santana is one of the most underrated players in baseball during the 2010s. Even as a low average, high on-base type of player, Santana was 20% better than league average in seven of his ten years in Cleveland.

Similar to Martinez, he never posted the highest home run totals, but was a switch-hitting threat that was as consistent as they come. Santana has also always had elite plate discipline. Since his rookie season in 2010, Santana’s 15.3% walk rate is the fourth-highest in the sport (min. 5,000 PA). Lastly, he had a memorable return to the team in 2019, as he made his first All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby, which took place in Cleveland. Santana’s pure consistency and longevity at first base with Cleveland make him an easy pick for the century team.

Second Base

Jason Kipnis (2011-2019)

Stats.: 261/.333/.417, .750 OPS, 102 OPS+, 20.5 bWAR, 1,120 H, 123 HR, 529 RBI

There is not a very deep selection of great Cleveland second basemen in the last two decades. This came down to Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera for the century team, even though Cabrera’s primary position on the team was shortstop. Kipnis’s inclusion on this team stems from him playing a big role on those mid-2010s teams that were some of the best in the American League.

In 2013, Kipnis was a big part of Cleveland making the playoffs for the first time in six years, as he made the All-Star team and put up 5 WAR while posting a .284/.366/.452 batting line, a .818 OPS, and 130 OPS+. He also reached the All-Star team in 2015, posting a .303 batting average with a .823 OPS. In all, Kipnis was basically a league-average hitter in Cleveland but he still represents the best the team has to offer at this position in the last two decades.

Third Base

Jose Ramirez (2013-Present)

Stats: .278/.354/.501, .855 OPS, 126 OPS+, 34.3 bWAR, 163 HR, 540 RBI

Jose Ramirez has finished in the top six in MVP voting four times in the last five years, and top three in three of those years. Ramirez has been arguably one of the ten best players in the sport since he became an everyday player for Cleveland in 2016. He was one of the easiest selections for this century team because his 34.4 fWAR is the most of any Cleveland player in that span. At his best, Ramirez is a threat to hit 35 homers, steal 25 bases, while posting a .900 OPS and 7 WAR. Additionally, with a walk rate (10%) nearly as high as his strikeout rate (12.2%), Ramirez represents a hitter with above-average plate discipline who consistently makes contact, making him even more dangerous at the plate.

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor (2015-2020)

Stats: .285/.346/.488, .833 OPS, 118 OPS+, 28 bWAR, 138 HR, 411 RBI

Francisco Lindor and Ramirez made for a superstar left side of the infield. They represent two of the most talented players Cleveland has had in the past two decades. From his debut in 2015, Lindor instantly became one of the best, if not the best, shortstops in baseball. He put up five consecutive 4-WAR seasons to start his career, along with four All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and three top-nine MVP finishes.

Lindor’s best season came in 2018, as he hit 38 homers with 92 RBI, stole 25 bases, and posted an .871 OPS and 132 OPS+ while putting up 7.2 WAR. In fact, Lindor posted three-straight seasons of 30 or more home runs from 2017 through 2019, which is historically unheard of from shortstops. Along with Martinez, Santana, and Ramirez, Lindor is already the fourth switch-hitter on this century team.

Left Field

Michael Brantley (2009-2018)

Stats: .295/.351/.430, .781 OPS, 115 OPS+, 24 bWAR, 1195 H, 118 SB, 87 HR, 528 RBI

Michael Brantley made his Cleveland debut as a 22-year-old in 2009, but did not play a full season until his age-25 season in 2012. While not a player with the highest OPS or SLG, Brantley has always had one of the sweetest swings in baseball. He has always been one of the best contact hitters in the sport; putting Brantley in left field for this century team was obvious simply because of the peaks he reached with the team from 2014 to 2018.

During this time, he made three All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger, and finished third in MVP voting in 2014 while posting a very good .312/.371/.475 batting line. His 2014 season was the best of his career, as he put up 7 WAR, hit 20 home runs and drove in 97 runs, stole 23 bases, and posted a .327/.385/.506 line with an elite 148 OPS+.

Right Field

Shin-Soo Choo (2006-2012)

Stats: .292/.383/.469, .853 OPS, 21.8 bWAR, 134 OPS+, 83 HR, 372 RBI

While Shin-Soo Choo never made an All-Star team during his eight years in Cleveland, he belongs on this century team by way of just being a really good hitter. From 2008 through 2012, Choo averaged a .294/.385/.471 batting line, which is a .855 OPS and 135 OPS+. Choo did not have a whole lot of power, never hitting more than 22 home runs, but he consistently posted high batting averages and on-base percentages.

Late in 2007, Choo underwent Tommy John surgery and would not make his 2008 debut until late May. When looking back, 2008 might have been Choo’s best season in Cleveland, as he hit .309/.397/.549, .946 OPS, and 151 OPS+, with 14 homers and 66 RBI in only 94 games. It is easy to imagine what his numbers might have looked like had he been able to play a full season.

Designated Hitter

Travis Hafner (2002-2012)

Stats: .278/.382/.509, .890 OPS, 138 OPS+, 1,039 H, 200 HR, 688 RBI

Travis Hafner was a feared middle-of-the-order bat in Cleveland, especially during his relatively injury-free peak from 2004 to 2007. In this span, Hafner averaged 32 home runs and 108 RBI per season with a .977 OPS and 156 OPS+. In 2006, he hit 42 home runs and drove in 117 runs while posting an absurd .659 SLG, 1.097 OPS, and 181 OPS+. Per wOBA and wRC+, Hafner’s figures of .450 and 176, respectively, were the third-best single-season total for any Cleveland player since the turn of the century.

Lastly, Hafner was so good offensively during his prime that he put up three straight 5+ bWAR seasons from 2004 through 2006 despite primarily being a DH.

Starting Pitchers

C.C. Sabathia (2001-2008)

Corey Kluber (2011-2019)

Carlos Carrasco (2009-2020)

Shane Bieber (2018-Present)

Mike Clevinger (2015-2020)

The pitching of this 21st-century team features some of the best pitching talents of the last two decades in baseball. Outside of these five, there were many other pitchers who were in the discussion. However, these five represent the pitchers who have the best combination of stats, longevity, and skill during their time in Cleveland.

C.C. Sabathia was one of the best pitchers on the team in the 2000s. Yes, he put up an ERA above 4.00 in four of his eight seasons, but he won the 2007 AL Cy Young award, as he won 19 games with a 3.21 ERA and 3.14 FIP in 241 innings pitched. Additionally, Sabathia was nothing short of an innings eater as he never threw fewer than 180 1/3 innings, which occurred during his rookie year.

Corey Kluber had, by fWAR, the two best seasons by a Cleveland starting pitcher in this century; he put up 7.2 fWAR in each of his two Cy Young seasons (2014 and 2017). In 2014, he put up a 2.44 ERA, 2.35 FIP, 160 ERA+, and 269 strikeouts in 235 2/3 innings. In 2017, Kluber pitched 203 2/3 innings with a 2.25 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 202 ERA+, 0.869 WHIP, and 265 strikeouts. In his Cleveland peak, from 2014 through 2018, Kluber averaged 218 innings pitched with a 2.85 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 151 ERA+, 246 strikeouts, and 6.3 bWAR. Along with winning two Cy Young awards in this span, he also finished third in voting in 2016 and 2018.

Onto Carlos Carrasco, who has been one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball since his debut in 2009. He finished as high as fourth in Cy Young voting in 2017, as he posted a 3.29 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 200 innings. During his eleven years in Cleveland, Carrasco put up a 3.77 ERA, 3.42 FIP, and 114 ERA+. His best years, like Kluber, came from 2014 through 2018 as he averaged a 3.27 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 131 ERA+, and 171 innings pitched each year.

Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger are arguably the two most interesting names to be added to this century team. Bieber made his debut in 2018 while Clevinger debuted in 2016 and got traded to San Diego in 2020. It is not their longevity in Cleveland that puts them on this team – it’s how they performed during their years here. Bieber has cemented himself as a top-ten pitcher in the sport with some of the best strikeout stuff we have ever seen. Granted, it came in a shortened season, but Bieber’s 2020 Cy Young performance was nothing short of brilliant. He led baseball with a 1.63 ERA, 122 strikeouts, 2.07 FIP, and 14.2 K/9. He might not have finished a full season with numbers that great, but he sure looks like he still would have been a Cy Young favorite.

As for Clevinger, he struggled to pitch fully healthy seasons in Cleveland. Only once did he clear the qualified mark for innings pitched. However, pitch-for-pitch, Clevinger was one of the best pitchers in the sport from 2017 to 2020; in that time he posted a 2.96 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 152 ERA+, and 10.2 K/9.

Relievers

Cody Allen (2012-2018)

Andrew Miller (2016-2018)

Joe Smith (2009-2013, 2017)

Alongside the last two starters, there might be a couple of controversial names among these relievers. However, it is hard to ignore stats or the legacy that these pitchers possess. Andrew Miller only spent two-and-a-half years with the team, yet was the most reliable reliever in baseball for Cleveland down the stretch in 2016 and in 2017. He struggled a bit in 2018 but his final numbers in Cleveland were a 2.22 ERA, 2.30 FIP, 203 ERA+, and 13.3 K/9 in 125 2/3 innings.

Similar to Miller, Cody Allen played a significant role for Cleveland during the team’s runs in 2016 and 2017. The only difference is that Allen was the closer, as he accumulated 30 or more saves in both seasons and a total of 149 during his seven years in Cleveland. Allen posted a 2.98 ERA, 142 ERA+, 3.17 FIP, and 11.5 K/9, which are stellar numbers for a reliever in a seven-year stretch, as so many usually tend to be erratic from year-to-year.

Joe Smith was on the Cleveland teams that were listless and routinely at the bottom of the AL Central. However, Smith has always been one of the more unique pitchers in baseball, though still very effective. With a 2.80 ERA, 3.49 FIP, and 143 ERA+ in his 289 1/3 innings, Smith’s numbers were fantastic in Cleveland.

Merits Consideration

Jim Thome (2000-2002)

The only reason Jim Thome does not have a position on this team is that he only spent three years in Cleveland during the century. However, he merits some discussion here because his three seasons were arguably the best three individual seasons any player had. He AVERAGED 46 home runs and 116 RBI in those three seasons to go along with a 1.026 OPS and 164 OPS+ (that OPS+ would be much higher had the offensive environment he played in not been riddled with steroids). Regardless, Thome is a legend in Cleveland, but is not a member of this roster because his main years with the team came in the 1990s.