One of the pleasant surprises in the MLB through the first month of the season has been the Cleveland Guardians. Coming into the season, expectations weren’t especially high in what was considered a transitional campaign.
The team was under new leadership with Terry Francona stepping down as manager and being replaced by former major league catcher Stephen Vogt. Vogt had no prior managerial experience and was taking over a team that struggled hitting last season.
Add in staff ace Shane Beiber going down and needing Tommy John surgery and the outlook wasn’t great for the Guardians. But, something has clicked for the club, as they are outperforming all expectations that were placed on them.
They finished April 19-10, losing two of three in a hard-fought series against the Atlanta Braves. The hot start has led to ESPN senior writer David Schoenfield giving the Guardians an elite “A” grade for the first month of the season.
“Here’s a good sign: The Guardians have already received nine home runs from their outfielders. No, that’s not going to erase memories of Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Kenny Lofton, but Cleveland received just 18 home runs all last season from its outfield. Josh Naylor is bashing, Steven Kwan is raking, and the team is hitting .306 with runners in scoring position. With Shane Bieber out with Tommy John surgery and Gavin Williams still injured, the Guardians are scrambling a bit in the rotation, but they’re scoring runs, and the bullpen is protecting leads. Are they for real? The run differential is legitimate. They’ve crushed the A’s (6-1, plus-33 runs), but they’re 5-2 against Boston and took a series in Seattle. The rotation will be tested, and I doubt the offense will finish second in the American League in runs — which is where they currently sit — but the AL Central is wide open,” Schoenfield wrote.
As Schoenfield notes, there is some concern for regression in some areas. But the strong start has set the Guardians up well heading into May, as they are crushing the bad teams they are facing and holding their own against the better ones.
Going 8-5 against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Marines is certainly an encouraging development for the team’s outlook. But, runs were at a premium in some of those games, which points to Schoenfield’s concerns about the offense holding up against better competition.
Competition will be fierce in the AL Central, as every team other than the Chicago White Sox is above the .500 mark. That could change their plans as we move closer to the summer, as the Guardians could be surprise buyers ahead of the deadline.
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