Three Guardians players who must perform better in the second half

The Cleveland Guardians have fallen flat as the dog days of summer have progressed. Seemingly on a nightly basis, the Guardians (55-54) find themselves struggling to produce runs at a level necessary to compete. Yet, the team is 1.5 games behind the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox and truly in the playoff race. 

The Guardians need help, though. Whether it's call-ups from the minors, trades at the deadline, or just players hitting better, they need reinforcements. With the cash-strapped nature of the club, the most likely scenario is for the team to just hope guys start hitting better. 

That's not unbelievable to happen; just look at Steven Kwan. He went from being a player some were ready to give away to now being the team's best hitter once again. So it is possible, and if this team is going to turn its fortunes around without investing new money, these three players have got to be better.

Kyle Manzardo, first baseman

It's hard to give Kyle Manzardo any more passes. After three years in the pros, his batting average has plummeted to .210. It wasn't great as a rookie (.234), but he showed enough power in 2025 (27 home runs) that maybe he was on his way to success. 

However, he's all but fallen off in 2026. He has just 12 home runs and a whopping 109 strikeouts in 98 games. He's on pace for eight fewer home runs than he hit in 2025 and will blow past the number of strikeouts he had in 2025 (135). His power is real, but everything else about his skills at the plate is lacking. 

Patrick Bailey, catcher

Unfortunately for Patrick Bailey, his usual is no longer good enough. Just a career .224 hitter, Bailey has watched his co-catcher, Austin Hedges, have a career year at the age of 33. Hedges is currently leading the club with a .282 batting average, far better than Bailey's .228 with the Guardians (.195 on the year). 

Bailey was traded for what essentially was a first-round pick, a rarity in the sport. While he was acquired for his defense, if he can't hit well consistently, it doesn't matter how good his defense is. Maybe if the Guardians were killers at the plate, his subpar bat would be an easier pill to swallow, but this team can ill afford even one player dragging down its depleted offense. 

Jose Ramirez, third baseman

This isn't a shot at Jose Ramirez. He's only hitting .235 at the moment and missed over a month due to a hand injury. Historically, his numbers should bounce back, but they need to bounce back soon. He's only hitting .200 since he returned — after he hit .295 in June. 

The talent for a deep playoff run isn't on the major league roster just yet, and for Ramirez to see a deep run, he will need to return to his old form and then some. It's not fair to keep asking him to be the driving force in this offense while everyone else does the bare minimum, but to find success, he's going to have to do just that.