Where do the Cleveland Guardians rank among MLB's best following the All-Star Break?

The Cleveland Guardians are getting ready to begin the second half of the 2024 season following the festivities that took place down in Texas for the All-Star Break. With a record of 58-37, they have established themselves as one of the best teams in all of baseball by leading both the American League and AL Central, respectively. But where does their first-half performance rank them with the rest of the top teams in baseball?

As part of Joel Reuter's MLB Power Rankings 2024: Where All 30 Teams Stand Post All-Star Break on Bleacher Report, the Guardians maintain their status near the top of this list. Coming in at third overall and hanging on to their previous ranking is Cleveland. Reuter would go on to note the improved Guardians offense as a primary factor to their success this season and as a reason why they are still ranked very high on this list. 

With the Guardians' offensive output spiking from 27th in the majors (4.09 runs per game) last season to ninth in the majors (4.79 runs per game) this year, this team is a legitimate title contender.

The Guardians' offense has been significantly better than most expected this season, which has allowed them to get into their current position atop the division. But there is one area on the roster that is going to need some supplementation if they are going to hang on to their current status as the best team in the central division. Starting pitching. Reuter mentions that Cleveland's starting rotation needs some help following the events of the season's first half.

However, the starting rotation will need reinforcement with Shane Bieber injured and both Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen demoted to Triple-A after struggling.

This is not exactly breaking news to anyone who has paid attention to what the Guardians have received from their starting rotation. Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively carried this group throughout the first half, and even then, Lively's effectiveness was beginning to decrease as the break neared. The recent return of Gavin Williams will help moving forward, but that is not nearly enough quality starting pitching at this time. Cleveland needs to acquire at least one quality starter before the trade deadline if they are going to capitalize on what is a clearly open contention window.