10 greatest Guardians players of all time, ranked

Position: Third Base, Second Base, and Shortstop

Years with Guardians: 2013-2025

Notable Accolades: Six-time AL All-Star, Five-time Silver Slugger

Jose Ramirez has been one of the best all-around players in MLB for more than a decade and could very well end up several spots higher on this list when all is said and done. He’s been an anchor in the middle of the lineup for the Guardians in their most recent run of success as they have reached the postseason in six of his 13 seasons.

Ramirez not only is an excellent hitter with a career 130 OPS+, but also a great base runner with 20+ stolen bases seven times, and an excellent defender at third base. It’s very surprising that he’s never won a Gold Glove, however, he’s been a finalist for the award six times. Ramirez is just 32, and he’s already second all time for the Guardians in home runs and third in total bases.

5. Earl Averill

Position: Centerfield

Years with Guardians: 1929-1939

Notable Accolades: Six-time AL All-Star, Hall of Famer

Earl Averill was one of the Guardians first great sluggers, and he was consistently one of the top hitters in the league. There wasn’t much Averill couldn’t do at the plate, as he was almost always hitting over .300 or hitting 20 home runs. Averill always seemed to be in the running for the MVP award but never ended up winning it, finishing as high as third place in 1936.

That season was easily Averill’s best (.378 BA, 28 HR, 126 RBI, 1.065 OPS) and probably is the best way to show just how good Averill was. He never stood out like other old school players, but he was a consistent presence in Cleveland’s lineup throughout his career.

4. Lou Boudreau

Position: Shortstop

Years with Guardians: 1938-1950

Notable Accolades: 1948 AL MVP, Eight-time AL All-Star, 1948 World Series winner, Hall of Famer

Lou Boudreau was the key piece of the Guardians last World Series title back in 1948. He put together the best season of his career that year (.355 BA, 18 HR, 106 RBI, .987 OPS) which earned him his lone MVP award, but that’s not the only reason he’s this high on his list.

Despite never being a power hitter, Boudreau was one of the best contact hitters in the game. He always found his way on base and played solid defense at shortstop, and during a time where good shortstops weren’t exactly common, Boudreau stood out. But it’s his contributions from that legendary 1948 season that will always save him a place in Cleveland’s history.

3. Bob Feller

Position: Starting Pitcher

Years with Guardians: 1936-1941, 1945-1956

Notable Accolades: 1940 Triple Crown winner, Eight-time AL All-Star, 1948 World Series winner, Hall of Famer

The Indians were in good shape throughout the 1940s with a pair of Bobs leading the way for them. And while Lemon, who we looked at earlier, was great, it’s clear that Bob Feller was always the ace of the staff.

Feller quickly proved he was one of the best pitchers around when he entered the league as a 17-year-old back in 1936 and had one of the greatest pitching seasons in MLB history in 1940 when he won the AL pitching triple crown.

Feller’s career was put on hiatus from 1942 to 1944 as he served in the military for World War II, but when he came back, it was like he had never left. Feller was instrumental to the team winning it all in 1948, and he easily earns one of the top three spots on this greatest Guardians list.

2. Nap Lajoie

Position: Second Base and First Base

Years with Guardians: 1902-1914

Notable Accolades: Three-time batting average champ, Hall of Famer

Nap Lajoie started his career in Cleveland one year after the founding of the Indians. Lajoie was the first great Indian, and to this day, he remains one of the franchise’s all time best players.

Lajoie was a pure contact hitter back in a day when home runs weren’t prevalent, but even then, he was always one of the best players in the game. He came around before accolades were ever truly a thing, although he did manage to win the NL Triple Crown in 1901 with the Philadelphia Athletics.

Still, Lajoie’s greatness cannot simply be measured in accolades, and he helped make baseball relevant in Cleveland. His impact is still felt over 100 years after he played, and while he may not exactly be a household name, it’s clear that Cleveland baseball fans cherish Lajoie’s impact on baseball for the Guardians franchise.

1. Tris Speaker

Position: Centerfield

Years with Guardians: 1916-1926

Notable Accolades: 1920 World Series winner, Hall of Famer

Tris Speaker’s best seasons may have come with the Boston Red Sox earlier in his career, but that didn’t stop him from being wildly productive in Cleveland as well. Speaker’s 1916 season, where he hit a then career-high .386, proved right away that this guy was going to be a steal for Cleveland.

Despite spending just half of his career in Cleveland, Speaker dominates the franchise’s all-time leaderboard. He’s their all-time leader in doubles, which is no surprise since he still holds the all-time record for career doubles. Speaker also has the franchise record for career on-base percentage at .444. He also is second in hits, triples, runs scored, and total bases.

Speaker helped the Indians win their first World Series in 1920 when he upped his batting average career-high to .388, but he managed to set a new high in his age 37 season when he somehow hit .389. Speaker is one of the best pure contact hitters the game has ever seen, and it’s easy to see why he is the greatest Guardians player of all time.