5 players who can make an impact for the Guardians down the stretch

4. Matthew Boyd

Back to the mound with this entry. The Cleveland Guardians brought Matthew Boyd into the fold, hoping to get something out of the former Detroit Tiger. Like the previously mentioned Alex Cobb, Boyd is to throw a pitch in the majors in 2024. Bringing Boyd aboard was always a gamble, and the time to see if it pays off is rapidly approaching.

Boyd has made four appearances at various levels of the minor leagues, compiling a 1.15 ERA and 0.830 WHIP in 15.2 innings. The 33-year-old veteran has 20 strikeouts compared to two walks in that span, with 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. While it is only against minor leaguers, it is very encouraging to see someone who should be dominating inexperienced players doing exactly that. This is what teams want to see from veterans when they are facing lineups full of youngsters, and Boyd being able to do that is somewhat promising.

Yes, there are concerns about what Boyd will or will not be able to do against major leaguers, considering his last go-around in 2023 was far from ideal. Boyd had a 5.45 ERA and 1.324 WHIP in 15 games with Detroit last season, but his return to the Tigers was cut short due to undergoing Tommy John surgery. These struggles could have been a result of that injury, and the hope is that a fully healthy Boyd will be able to provide something of note to Cleveland's pitching staff moving forward.