MLB insider's blurb on Guardians has Cleveland fans laughing at rest of AL Central

This year has been another Cleveland Guardians masterclass. While they still have some holes on their roster, they’ve once again been able to climb to the top of the American League Central thanks to strong pitching and a surprisingly potent offense that looks much better compared to what they put out last year. 

And that production got some much-needed love from USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, who just handed out grades for each team at Memorial Day. And he graded the start of the Guardians’ season as an “A.” 

“The Guardians spent a grand total of $11.5 million during the winter, did nothing to improve their meager offense that hit a franchise-worst .226 last season, and went into the season with a $76 million payroll and forecasts of 75 to 80 victories in the air… They’re running away with the AL Central,” he wrote. 

The Guardians have been firing on all cylinders so far this season

Nightengale’s assessment of the Guardians is spot on. It’s hard to believe, but they’re one of four teams in the American League over .500 along with the Rays, Yankees and Athletics. 

Arguably the biggest reason they’ve been able to turn things around has been an uptick in that offense. While their team batting average is just .228, they have a .320 on-base percentage on the back of a 11.1% walk rate. They’ve also shown a bit more power with 55 home runs (exactly league-average) and an American League-leading 54 steals. It’s been Guards Ball at its finest. 

That strong offensive performance has been buoyed by another strong showing from a pitching staff that has the sixth-best team ERA in baseball (3.55). 

The Guardians’ series against the Phillies was a showcase of just how good their pitching staff can be after Gavin Williams tossed eight strong innings on Friday followed by Parker Messick giving them 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Sunday. Even Slade Cecconi pitched in a solid outing on Saturday. 

The biggest thing now for Cleveland will be keeping it up should the rest of the AL Central wake up from its slumber. The White Sox have been one of the biggest surprises of the season and would be a Wild Card team if the postseason ended today, but the Twins have been their usual selves, the Royals haven’t been able to get out of their way and the Tigers have been one of the most disappointing teams in all of baseball. 

But, as we saw last season, things can change quickly. Still, that doesn’t take away from the team’s fantastic start that’s made them one of the best stories in baseball. Any team with Stephen Vogt and José Ramírez is always going to be a contender, but this has been the best the Guardians have looked since the two of them started to work together.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow