The Guardians can’t hit. Fortunately for them and their .229 team batting average (.369 slugging), they haven’t needed to. They’re fifth in all of baseball in walks. That’s been enough because -on the mound- three of the starters have been solid. Parker Messick (2.24 ERA), Gavin Williams, and Joey Cantillo are 1-2-3 I. The rotation and could go up against anyone. Remember those names come playoff time. Tanner Bibee and Slade Cecconi could certainly be better. The ERA for Cleveland’s bullpen is more than half a run less than the nearest team in the division, the Detroit Tigers (4.11). The ERAs of the Twins (4.62) White Sox (4.75) and Royals (4.89) put those three in the bottom quarter of Major League Baseball (Source:covers.com). 

Offensively, the Guardians are trying to take advantage of their opportunities.  Cleveland has stolen 54 bases -tied for third with the surprising Washington Nationals. The problem is that opportunities have been few and far between. The Killer Z’s are trying. Travis Bazzana is hitting .300. Kyle Manzardo and his mustache are hitting .229. That’s two points higher than Jose Ramirez, who is hitting 50 points below his career average (.167 in his last seven games). Brayan Rocchio’s first 800 at-bats as a pro were forgettable. This year he’s hitting .293 with four homers and nine stolen bases. Rookie Chase DeLauter has been solid (.260, seven HRs).

Their catchers could be the worst offensive tandem ever. Combined they’re hitting .200. Oh, wait a minute. I forgot about Miguel Maldonado. Fun fact: when he was with the Houston Astros, he and Jason Castro combined to hit .136 in 2022 according to FoxSports. Un-be-liev -able. Okay, so they’re not that bad, but they are very far from good. Bo Naylor (.194 career ave.) won’t be any better when he comes back from his assignment in the minors. Good grief. Is Rhys Hoskins a catcher? (Shoutout Sacramento State!) He’s hitting .190. 

Forecast: They’ve made it this far with two really good starters and a handful of relievers. Their July schedule has only a couple of games you’d call easy. The White Sox and Marlins and Pirates are all fighting for a playoff spot. If they can be at .500 entering August, they’ll face Colorado and Anaheim enough times they can get to 85 wins.