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The Cleveland Guardians may not have the star power of other teams across MLB, but they keep on winning, and that's what really matters.
Heading into Tuesday night's action, the Guardians had a 24-17 record, which was second best in the American League.
Considering this, it's shocking that the Guardians haven't received more recognition or respect in recent power rankings.
The Guardians did climb from 16 to 13 in ESPN's recent list, but this means they're still viewed as an average team rather than a playoff contender.
MLB analyst Bradford Doolittle pointed out that, "The Guardians have stayed afloat in the standings thanks to a spate of comeback wins and one-run victories. Eventually they'll need some of their underperforming positions to produce."
Yes, this is true. The Guardians need to pick up their offense, or their one-run games may start to even themselves out.
Doolittle pointed out that the position group that must pick it up at the plate is the outfield.
"Steven Kwan has arguably been the best at his position in left field but his outfield partners have collectively been among the worst. Right fielder Jhonkensy Noel has sputtered along with a sub-.500 OPS while, in center, Opening Day starter Lane Thomas had an OPS under .400 before hitting the IL because of a bruised wrist."
Noel and Nolan Jones each have solid advanced stats, but that hasn't yet translated to run production.
Thomas' injury has hurt this team, but thankfully, he's starting a rehab assignment, which means he should return to the big league roster sooner rather than later.
No, the Guardians aren't a perfect team, but they're winning, and that probably deserves a little more respect than being ranked as just the 13th-best team in baseball.
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