Winning ugly is fine for now, but the Cleveland Guardians need to collectively start playing better soon

The first homestand of the season has been successful so far for the Cleveland Guardians. Taking two of their first three home games of the season is a good starting point for Cleveland, as they are now just one game below .500 on the year. The Guardians entered their series with the Chicago White Sox needing to at least win the series, and they have done exactly that and are on the verge of a sweep. However, the manner in which they have won leaves something to be desired.

No one is going to complain that the Guardians are winning games, but the harsh reality is that they need to start playing better soon if they want this to continue. Facing an uncompetitive White Sox team, the Guardians have managed to get by in this series despite their offense having only six hits and four runs scored in two games. This may be enough against a team like Chicago, but once Cleveland starts playing real teams again, this will be a huge problem.

The bulk of Cleveland's offensive production has come from one of four players, Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and Kyle Manzardo. Eight of the other nine others who have made an appearance for the Guardians this season are hitting below the Mendoza Line, while the ninth, Gabriel Arias, is hitting exactly .200 through 11 games. This is an unacceptable performance at the plate, and the fact that Cleveland is just under .500 on the season, with nearly two-thirds of their lineup being non-factors, is an outcome very few would have thought possible.

As far as their pitching staff is concerned, they are getting by, but better and more consistent performances are also needed on the mound. The Guardians seem to be experiencing a continuation of last season's issues with their starting rotation. The only difference is that this year, their bullpen is not pitching at a level that can negate these issues.

Cleveland's relief corps have been more vulnerable than they were last year, and that could be an ominous sign of what's to come. This was a group of relievers that were used extensively last year, taking on heavy workloads pretty much across the board, eventually leading to diminished effectiveness once the playoffs began. These early season results could be a product of last season's overuse and should be monitored very closely as the year progresses.

The Guardians are still a solid enough team that they can win games, even though they have some clear areas in need of improvement. Winning games against teams with lesser talent, like the White Sox, is fine for now, but they will have to be collectively better if they are to compete with and defeat the teams expected to be in the mix for postseason play.