Why David Fry needs to step up if the Guardians want to make the postseason

Go back to last October. It's Game 3 of the 2024 American League Championship Series. David Fry is up to the plate in a 1-2 count with two outs and a runner on third. Clay Holmes tries to sneak a 96 mile per hour fastball past him. Fry swings see's the pitch at 96 miles per hour up and in the zone and decides to swing.

The bat cracks, the cheers roar and Fry is mobbed at home plate after his walk-off home run secures Cleveland's win.

While that moment still feels surreal, there's no denying that Fry has the ability to pulverzie a baseball every night. That said, he hasn't done much of it this season.

Why David Fry needs to step up if the Guardians want to make the postseason

At this point in the season, it's clear that the Guardians have a lot of holes on their roster. There's a reason they entered play on Thursday four games under .500, after all. While there need more contributions from everyone up and down the roster, they're going to need more from Fry if they want to make a run toward the postseason.

Entering play on Thursday, Friday's only played in 21 games this season after he missed nearly three months while rehabbing from offseason elbow surgery.

Last season, Fry was unstoppable at the plate en route to his first career All-Star nod when he slashed .263/.356/.448 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 18 doubles and one triple.

His offensive approach that is disciplined yet aggressive when needed has made him a trusted bat for manager Stephen Vogt. What separates himself from others is his calm demeanor when the game is on the line, which plays right off his approach.

In his career, Fry has crushed 11 home runs in the sixth inning and beyond. Four of those have come in the eighth or ninth inning. He showcased that clutch gene with his home run last year, which was just the third postseason walk-off homer in Guardians history.

What makes things interesting around Fry is his lack of versatility. He's only able to play as a designted hitter this year due to that aforementioned offseason surgery, so his lack of versatility could end up hurting the Guardians' bench. But that won't matter if he ends up hitting like he did last year.

While it looks like the Guardians could go after an impact bat at this year's trade deadline, Cleveland may not have to look far for an answer to their offensive struggles.

If Fry can begin to return to pre-injury form for Cleveland, there is certainly hope for the team to reignite their hopes to play meaningful baseball in October.