3-1 start has Cleveland Guardians in middle of the pack in new Power Rankings

MLB's opening weekend is now behind us, and with that comes some very early power rankings to see how teams stack up. With a 3-1 record, the Cleveland Guardians are sitting right in the middle in a recently published ranking appearing in Bleacher Report.

Joel Reuter's MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 2024 Opening Weekend has the Guardians ranked 17th. The only two teams in the American League Central Division that rank ahead of Cleveland are Detroit (16) and Minnesota (8). Reuter provided some insight along with a question regarding the Guardians' ranking on this list, "The Guardians' lineup hit .290 with an .831 OPS in four games against the Oakland pitching staff. Will that level of production continue against better pitching?". 

It is certainly a valid question from Reuter. Oakland is not a top-tier team by any means. In fact, they rank 29th on this list, only ahead of the Chicago White Sox. There is something else worth noting there about Cleveland's OPS, most of it came from doubles and triples rather than home runs. The Guardians have three triples and 12 doubles on the year compared to just two round-trippers.

While no one expected this lineup to produce a high volume of home runs, an OPS propelled by only extra-base hits of the doubles and triples variety can only result in sustained success for so long. Eventually, this team is going to have to start hitting some balls over the fence on a consistent basis if this season is going to play out in a more successful manner than last.

It is far too early to be concerned about the lack of home run production during four games played in March. But if this team does not start to hit home runs at a more consistent rate, becoming concerned about how long this team can continue their contact-based and limited-powered approach is more than fair.