2025 MLB Season Recap: Cleveland Guardians

The Pitching

The Good

The Guardians would not have made their improbable run to the postseason without the pitching staff.

Much like in 2024, the Guardians’ bullpen was among the best in baseball this past season. However, it did not have the kind of depth compared to ’24 (and I’ll get to that in a minute). Yet, the Guardians — much like many of the best teams in the Majors this season — were able to give teams different looks with different pitchers.

Cleveland’s bullpen had one of the top-15 BB/9 men in the league in Kolby Allard. IVB star Nic Enright, who made his MLB debut after beating cancer, struck out 30 over 31 frames as a rookie (he won’t be available in 2026, though). Hunter Gaddis and rookie Erik Sabrowski, another IVB star, also logged heavy work.

Cade Smith, meanwhile, was forced into the closer’s role in the summer. While he had a hiccup here and there, Smith maintained his status as a reliever. The 26-year-old, who finished 10th in K/9 (12.7, min. 35 IP) among relievers, won six games and notched 13 saves from August 1 onward.

As for the rotation, it was a mixed bag. Ace Tanner Bibee struggled for much of 2024 but came around in September. Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo both logged MLB career-highs in innings pitched. In Cantillo’s case, he finished top ten in the Majors in opponents’ wOBA (.255) during a very good second half.

However, the real superstar in the rotation was Gavin Williams. One year after elbow inflammation cost him a healthy chunk of 2024, Williams had a career season.

Forget about the walks — he led the Majors in total walks (83) — for a minute. The 26-year-old struck out 173 over 167.2 IP. Williams had significant success thanks to the addition of a new sweeper to his arsenal. He ditched the slider and opened up a new dimension in his game.

Williams also had the booming fastball, as well as the hard curveball. With the sweeper — which netted a 44% Whiff% in 2025 — the righty took off.

As for the Guardians’ offense, it was a complicated season. However, Cleveland received help from a lot of different sources.

Eight Guardians had double-digit home run seasons. Jose Ramirez was the leader of the pack once more, as the 2025 All-Star hit 30 home runs and 44 stolen bases. Yes, he was the only MLB player to have 30+ home runs and 40+ stolen bases this season.

Kyle Manzardo hit 27 home runs in his first full MLB season.

The Bad

It’s hard to get overly critical of the Guardians’ lineup.

Yes, it was far from productive for much of 2025. It’s a key reason why the Guardians finished last in the American League in runs scored. And why Cleveland became the first division winner in almost 20 years to have a negative run differential.

Gabriel Arias posted the second-worst K% (34.4%) in the Majors (min. 350 PA). Arias hacked outside of the zone too much. At the same time, he’s a strong defensive infielder with one of the best arms in baseball.

The Guardians also had four players (Nolan Jones, Angel Martinez, Brayan Rocchio, Carlos Santana) in the bottom 16 of the Majors in OPS. Daniel Schneemann and Arias weren’t far off. And yet, Cleveland managed to figure it out — and even received playoff offensive production from Rocchio.

But arguably the biggest gut punches this season were the gambling-related investigations into Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase. Both pitchers were very important before their suspensions.

Ortiz, acquired from the Pirates in the winter, saw a big uptick in strikeouts and swing-and-miss, thanks in part to increased usage of his four-seamer. The 26-year-old Ortiz was placed on the restricted list in early July. Clase, meanwhile, was suspended in late July, right before the relief pitcher buying spree from contending teams.

Early Projected Lineup for 2026

• C: Bo Naylor
• 1B: Kyle Manzardo
• 2B: Brayan Rocchio
• 3B: Jose Ramirez
• SS: Gabriel Arias
• OF: Steven Kwan (LF), Chase DeLauter (CF), C.J Kayfus (RF)
• DH: David Fry
• SP: Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick
• RP: Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Andrew Walters, Erik Sabrowski, Tim Herrin, Daniel Espino, Sam Hentges, Kolby Allard

Heading into 2026, the Guardians will not have much money on the books. The only player on the roster making $10+MM next season is Jose Ramirez. However, Cleveland’s been known to be a frugal franchise.

The Guardians’ 2026 roster will be complicated by several factors. One, clarity on Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred didn’t have a timetable for the completion of the investigations into the two players, something the league must set a tone with, given the recent gambling-related arrests of NBA figures Damon Jones, Terry Rozier, and Chauncey Billups.

Two, what will the Guardians do with Steven Kwan? Kwan, like Clase, was a potential trade target in the summer. It’s obvious what Kwan’s strengths and weaknesses are. He’s an exceptional bat-to-ball player and is a multi-time Gold Glove winner in left. At the same time, would Cleveland realistically keep him in town through 2027 — his final pre-arbitration year — and beyond?

Third, it will be an important year for several players at this time. Logan Allen threw 156 innings for the Guardians last year. But heading into 2026, he’ll have competition for a job in the rotation. Specifically, Parker Messick, who had a great last month of the 2025 season.

As for the catcher position, the Guardians will have to weigh Cooper Ingle‘s viability as a Major Leaguer.