4 role players who are making a difference for the Cleveland Guardians on the field and 2 who aren't

The Cleveland Guardians have burst out of the gate in 2024, and it certainly looks like they are for real. With an offense that has rebounded from 2023's disaster and an MLB-best 16-6 record entering Monday, the Guardians are a team that is more than deserving of praise and leaguewide attention.

A big part of their early success has been the contributions of their role players. There are four players in particular who have been able to make an impact so far, and that has ultimately played a huge factor in winning six out of their first seven series to begin the season. Being able to get this type of production out of non-starters is the hallmark of playoff-caliber teams, and this was an area they did not get nearly enough out of last season. 

While the production from a few of their role players has helped the Guardians to begin the year, there are a couple that have not been able to do much of anything so far. Even though there is plenty of time in the season for these players to turn things around, they may find themselves looking for work elsewhere relatively soon if they are unable to do so in the near future.

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Gabriel Arias - Early Season Difference-Maker

2024 stats: .298/.313/.468 slash line, three doubles, one triple, and one home run

Raise your hand if you were someone who reasonably (emphasis on reasonably) believed that Gabriel Arias was capable of this. Alright, now that everyone's hands are down, we can all appreciate the early-season production from Arias. 

The 24-year-old infielder has been a nice surprise early on for the Guardians, being able to show a level of poise and comfort at the plate that was absent in his previous 138 games at the major league level. This has contributed to Arias being an incredibly valuable option for Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to call upon when needed.

Even though Arias' 128 OPS+ is very encouraging, there are a couple of areas that could point toward some corrections happening in the near future. Arias is striking out 29.2% of the time, hardly an ideal rate at which to swing and miss. Additionally, Arias' batting average on balls in play (BABIP) currently sits at .406, just behind Rod Carew's single-season best of .408.This is clearly an unsustainable rate, and it is destined to come back to reality sooner rather than later. The hope is that it does not completely crater out and result in Arias reverting back to being the hitter he was in previous seasons. Settling in somewhere between where he is now and where he was before could still result in productive at-bats coming from Arias as the season progresses.

David Fry - Early Season Difference-Maker

2024 stats: .303/.432/.485 slash line, three doubles and one home run

No one now or ever is going to confuse David Fry with being a superstar, but being a competent bat off the bench capable of playing multiple positions is definitely a nice consolation prize.

There is something about a guy who can just hit, and that is what Fry has been able to do so far in his limited chances. Collecting 10 hits in 33 at-bats with seven runs driven in while walking six times, Fry is someone who has been able to make the most of his time in the lineup. 

Fry's production in the batter's box is making Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt's job a whole lot easier. With Fry being able to produce at the plate and play multiple positions in the field, it allows Vogt to plug him into the lineup when someone is in need of an off day or if he wants to make use of the mostly vacant designated hitter position to get someone off their feet for a game. This is incredibly valuable and should be used as much as they can right now, as there will come a time rather soon when the DH position is going to be filled by either Josh Naylor or Kyle Manzardo on a daily basis.

Ramon Laureano - Early Season Dud

2024 stats: .178/.339/.244 slash line, three doubles and three stolen bases

It has been a very rough start to the 2024 season for veteran outfielder Ramon Laureano. Having only eight hits in 45 at-bats is far from ideal, and being second in strikeouts (17) to a second-year catcher in Bo Naylor (24) is a major cause for concern. Larueano's 30.4% strikeout rate is 3.5% more than his career average (26.9%) and is 2.2% higher than last year's rate. It would be less concerning if this was not a year-over-year trend, but Laureano's strikeout frequency has increased every season, from 25.9% in 2021 to its current over 30% rate. 

The only thing really keeping Laureano's early season results from being a complete disaster is that he is tied for the team lead in stolen bases with Andres Gimenez. Three of his eight hits being doubles does not hurt either, but the Guardians need him to be a lot more consistent at the plate, and soon. While there is a chance that he could be sent packing if he does not turn things around, Laureano's ability as a defender and speed on the basepaths could keep him around longer than others would if they were in the same situation. But that will only buy him so much time if he is not able to produce with a bat in his hands.

Tim Herrin - Early Season Difference-Maker

2024 stats: 0.79 ERA, 0.706 WHIP, 11.1 innings pitched

The Cleveland Guardians bullpen has been one of the unsung heroes so far this season, but their second-best ERA in all of baseball is something that deserves to be noticed. A major contributor to the early season success of that group is left-hander Tim Herrin.

Herrin's 11.1 innings pitched leads all of Cleveland's bullpen arms (Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith are right behind him with 11 innings), and he has been able to be a valuable left-handed arm for the Guardians in his first 11 appearances.

Being able to turn to someone who is not expected to be a high-leverage reliever or even a back end of the bullpen arm and get these types of results is very impressive. Seven of Herrin's 11 appearances have come in the 6th inning, which has become a very important part of the game for the Guardians, considering their starting rotation's issues getting deep into games so far. With the hinge point of a game-changing to one of the middle innings, it is crucial that they can get shutdown outings from their relievers, and Herrin has been able to provide that for the most part. 

If there is one area in need of work, it is walks issued. Herrin has issued five walks so far, but not more than one in the same appearance, and only once has a walk been paired with a hit. Having this type of confidence and command of his pitches will pay dividends later in the year, as walks issued by relievers usually result in more trouble than Herrin has allowed so far. 

Austin Hedges: Early Season Dud At Plate, Clubhouse Difference-Maker

2024 stats: .120/.115/.160 slash line, one double, and one stolen base

The early season performance of Austin Hedges would fall in the complete opposite end of the spectrum as the previously mentioned Gabriel Arias. Anyone and everyone was expecting a very low amount of production from Hedges at the plate this season, and the early returns have fallen in line with what was projected.

Hedges has just three hits in 25 at-bats with 10 strikeouts and has failed to reach base via a walk. Although one of his three hits was a double, and he does have three runs driven in so far, one coming on a sacrifice fly. Surprisingly, Hedges has managed to steal a base, an uncommon sight for a catcher of his stature, and that came during Cleveland's 6-3 win over Oakland on Saturday. 

Even though it has been an extremely rough start for Hedges, he is not in jeopardy of losing his spot on the roster. Hedges is the primary backup catcher behind Bo Naylor, with the occasional appearance coming from David Fry. But it goes beyond what he does on the field, as he has proven to be an incredibly valuable veteran presence on the roster. Hedges has made sure that his teammates do not look past a team, as noted in a recent article by Zack Meisel in The Athletic (subscription required). This was missed dearly last season during Hedges' time with two other organizations, and it appears to be aiding the Guardians' cause early on, and it should continue as the season progresses.