Absence from recent ranking reinforces the Cleveland Guardians' need for starting pitching

One of the main storylines from the 2024 MLB season for the Cleveland Guardians is how they overcame their lack of starting pitching and still were successful. Cleveland essentially had one starting pitcher (Tanner Bibee) remain a constant in their rotation from the beginning to the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Considering what took place, it would be in the Guardians' best interests to aggressively upgrade their rotation, and a recent ranking of the best starting pitchers in baseball reinforces that fact.

Ranking the Top 25 Starting Pitchers of the 2024 MLB Season was put together by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, and it shows just how large the gap is between the talent level in Cleveland's rotation and those that are considered the best in the sport. There is not a single Guardians pitcher who cracks the Top 25 of the list, although the above-mentioned Bibee is one of many named in the Honorable Mention section.

Normally, having a starting pitcher making an appearance in the Honorable Mention section is not a problem, but that is usually in conjunction with having someone inside the Top 25. The Guardians' only inclusion on this list being in the almost good enough but not quite group, is far from acceptable for a team that made it to the ALCS last year. Sure, it shows just how impressive it was for them to get as far as they did in the first place, but it also magnifies a clear area of need on this roster that has to be addressed in the offseason.

The Guardians have to ask with a sense of urgency when it comes to bolstering their starting rotation. This is a team on an upward trajectory, and they are at a point on their competitive timeline when it would make sense for them to go beyond the normal threshold of their spending comfort zone. The reality is this is likely the last competitive window this team will have with Jose Ramirez on the roster, and if there is anyone on this team who deserves another legitimate chance for a World Series Championship, it is Ramirez.