Cleveland Sports Forum

On the other hand:

1. They sent Lavastida to Cleveland to be ready to be activated if necessary
2. Hedges was feeling better Saturday
3. Naylor played for Columbus on Saturday, singled, avg now 258 OPS a lofty 876

Myles Straw’s metrics, AL Central contenders’ schedules, and what managers really yell about


CLEVELAND — When is a player’s elite defense no longer sufficient enough to compensate for a punchless bat?

Defensively, Myles Straw is a Gold Glove Award candidate, a pitcher’s best friend in center field, with the metrics to support the suggestion that he has some powerful magnet in the webbing of his glove.

Offensively, well, Straw has slumped. A lot. Cleveland’s Opening Day leadoff hitter has settled into the No. 9 spot in manager Terry Francona’s order, and it’s fair to wonder whether he should hold a firm grip on that gig.

Francona, though, treasures the defense. And, at least for now, that outweighs the .202/.279/.256 slash line.

“We’d love to get offense everywhere,” Francona said. “That’s easy. Saying that, when you hear people say, ‘Well, why don’t you not play him?’ Well, he’s a pretty good center fielder. As much as we care about our pitching and defense, he’s a big part of that. So if he chips in offensively, good, because when he’s on base, his speed can change a game. It certainly does in the field. But you’re hesitant not to play him because of what he can do defensively.”

Let’s first commend the defensive resume. Straw has totaled 10 defensive runs saved, which is tied with teammate Steven Kwan for fourth-most, among outfielders, in the majors. He ranks in the 96th percentile in the league in Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Without question, Straw is one of the most reliable patrollers of center field.

Now, for the output — or lack thereof — at the plate.

Straw has a healthy strikeout rate — the best, by far, of his career, at 14.6 percent. That ranks in the 89th percentile in the league. His whiff rate ranks in the 98th percentile. So, he makes a ton of contact. He almost always puts the ball in play. And he ranks in the 95th percentile in chase rate, so he’s putting strikes — pitches with which a hitter can typically do damage — in play.

But that isn’t resulting in base hits. He produces a ton of weak contact.

Hang on a second, though. An elite whiff rate, contact rate and chase rate, paired with a bottom-barrel hard-hit rate and exit velocity? That describes Straw’s profile, sure. It also describes Kwan’s profile. So why is one guy threatening to win American League Rookie of the Year, and the other is threatening absolutely no one on the mound?

One key might be Straw’s walk rate, which has plummeted throughout the summer. He has never been a hitter with a lofty batting average, but he props up his overall slash line by exhibiting plate discipline. And his speed helps to offset his slugging deficiencies. He has 15 stolen bases this season; now imagine that total if he reached base more than 28 percent of the time. If you’re a pitcher, you might as well pound the strike zone until Straw proves he can inflict some damage.

Straw’s walk rate, by month

April: 14.0 percent
May: 13.5 percent
June: 8.7 percent
July: 6.2 percent
August: 3.3 percent

Kwan’s walk rate dipped to 3.1 percent in July, but he’s sat between 10.4 percent and 14.8 percent in every other month. He also owns the second-best strikeout rate in the league, at 9.3 percent. The greatest difference between the hitters this season: batting average on balls in play. Kwan’s is .328; Straw’s is .240, the ninth-lowest mark in the league. Kwan has been adept at slapping line drives and bloops across the field. Straw has produced a lot of weak groundouts.

Straw is on pace for 620 plate appearances. His OPS+ is 57. (In other words, he’s been 43 percent less productive than a league-average hitter.) In the last 40 years, only Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar (2013) had that many plate appearances and a lower OPS+ (53).

Straw posted a .285/.362/.377 slash line in 60 games with Cleveland last season. That led to a contract extension that guarantees him more than $23 million from 2023-26, with club options for the following two years. The organization has a glut of young outfielders — Oscar Gonzalez, Nolan Jones, Will Benson, Will Brennan, George Valera and Richie Palacios — who are either receiving or nearly ready for big-league at-bats. Brennan and Benson have played plenty of center field. Valera has spent most of his time in right this season.



The rookie conundrum
Jones’ playing time plummeted last week, as he appeared in only two of the Guardians’ six games. That resulted in the club optioning him to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. Jones was playing regularly while Gonzalez was sidelined with an abdominal injury, but Gonzalez positioned himself ahead of Jones in the right field pecking order since he returned at the start of the month.

Benson and Tyler Freeman have found it difficult to nudge their way into the lineup, too. Freeman has bounced around the infield a bit, but José Ramírez, Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez rarely receive days off. Benson has yet to appear in a game at first base, so his action has come in place of Straw or via an occasional start in right field.

How does the team balance whether it’s more beneficial for young players to amass daily at-bats at Triple A or get limited playing time in the majors?

“I think there are different criteria for different people,” Francona said. “I think that’s being honest. With Freeman, I think we felt like we got to the point where he had enough at-bats where, if he wasn’t playing every day, it wouldn’t hurt him. Will Benson’s at a different point in his career where, he’s going to be a minor-league free agent if we didn’t get a chance to look at him. I would say a guy like (George) Valera, he’s been in Triple A (for a short time). You’d like him to play. So it’s probably different for a lot of people and maybe sometimes where they’re at in their development, too. Like, can they handle coming off the bench or playing sparingly? Is it going to set them back? Their personality, there’s a lot of things to think about. I check with (Triple-A Columbus manager Andy) Tracy all the time on stuff like that.”

Race to the top
Here are the remaining schedules for the three AL Central contenders.

Twins: Rangers (1), @Astros (3), Giants (3), Red Sox (3), @White Sox (3), @Yankees (4), Guardians (3), Royals (3), @Guardians (5), @Royals (3), Angels (3), White Sox (3), @Tigers (3), @White Sox (3)

White Sox: @Royals (1), @Orioles (3), Diamondbacks (3), Royals (3), Twins (3), @Mariners (3), @Athletics (4), Rockies (2), @Tigers (3), Guardians (3), Tigers (3), @Twins (3), @Padres (3), Twins (3)

Guardians: @Padres (2), @Mariners (4), Orioles (3), Mariners (3), @Royals (3), @Twins (3), Angels (3), Twins (5), @White Sox (3), @Rangers (3), Rays (3), Royals (6)

What stands out? Well, Cleveland’s six-game series against the Royals at Progressive Field to close the regular season could be a gift. The Twins and White Sox still face each other nine times, including six times in the final nine games. And the Guardians and Twins will square off eight times in the span of a week and a half in September, including a five-game set in Cleveland.

Next arm up
Before Cody Morris’ outing over the weekend, Triple-A pitching coach Rigo Beltran told Francona he thought Morris needed about three more tuneups before he was back to being himself following a lengthy injury recovery. And that might be a pitcher who’s ready to help the Guardians.

Morris, who suffered one of those upper back/shoulder strains that also plagued Mike Clevinger and James Karinchak in recent years, breezed through three rehab appearances at the club’s Arizona complex before transitioning to Columbus. There, he has struck out half of the 48 batters he has faced in 12 1/3 innings.

Morris turns 26 in November. He has a limited minor-league track record — 168 innings, and only 79 over the last three seasons — but offers tantalizing stuff, including a fastball that sits in the mid-90s mph. Last year, he posted a 1.62 ERA across 61 innings, with 93 strikeouts, as he climbed to Triple A.

An ace in the making?

Triston McKenzie reacts after one of his career-high 14 strikeouts Friday. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
A few Triston McKenzie figures to consider …

• Since the start of July, he owns a 1.91 ERA in nine starts. He has held opponents to a .180/.235/.270 slash line, and has averaged about seven innings per start.

• McKenzie induced 25 swings-and-misses Friday night, the most in a start by a Cleveland pitcher since Shane Bieber on May 5, 2021. It’s the ninth-most in a start by any pitcher in the league this season. McKenzie’s curveball accounted for 12 of those whiffs (on 19 total swings). He also recorded 14 called strikes with his fastball.

• McKenzie became the fifth pitcher in franchise history to record at least 14 strikeouts in a start with no walks, joining Bieber, Sam McDowell, Luis Tiant and Corey Kluber.

Familiar face
Danny Salazar didn’t pitch in a professional game in 2018, 2020 or 2021. He made only one big-league appearance and nine minor-league appearances in 2019. But he’s finally back on a mound, as he logged two innings for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Sunday, almost three years to the day of his last professional outing. A 2016 All-Star, Salazar made 109 appearances for Cleveland and registered a 3.82 ERA and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Blowing off steam
A decade ago, when manager-umpire confrontations were more common (since replay hadn’t been instituted), I wrote a feature on managers’ bizarre ramblings in instances in which they aimed to be ejected but didn’t actually have anything to argue. Sometimes they feel a need to create theater to blow off some steam or to rile up their team.

For instance, Tommy Lasorda once zoomed out of the dugout to yell at umpire Bob Davidson. But really, Lasorda just ranted about some bad wine he drank at an Italian restaurant. He told Davidson he had to eject him to appease the 48,000 people in the ballpark. Crew chief John Kibler walked over to diffuse the situation, and instead had to cover his mouth with his hand so fans wouldn’t see him laugh.

Joe Torre once vented about his own playing career to an umpire. Terry Collins once emerged from the dugout after a call to tell umpire Dale Scott: “I know that was the right call. But we suck. You have to run me.” When Scott told him he hadn’t demonstrated enough displeasure to warrant his dismissal, Collins flung his hat.

Joe Maddon once went nose to nose with Davidson in what appeared to be a heated exchange. But Davidson said the manager actually was “telling me how much he liked me.” Maddon received a standing ovation upon his exit. Umpire Ted Barrett once told Maddon that one more word would result in his ejection. Maddon replied, “I love you.” And then he retreated to his office.

“I ejected him and then realized, ‘What do I put in my report, that I ejected him because he told me he loved me?’” Barrett told me. “That just stumped me. I had never had a manager tell me he loved me before.”

Those interactions are mostly a thing of the past. Francona considered voicing his frustration in the first inning last Tuesday to warrant an early departure, but he ultimately cut short his diatribe after league officials determined Austin Hedges blocked home plate against the Tigers. Hedges, by the way, was fined an undisclosed amount by MLB for his postgame airing of grievances.

When Francona left his dugout seat in the ninth inning after a confusing strike call on Straw, there was no doubt the manager would merit his second ejection of the season (and 46th of his managerial career). Francona originally thought the umpires were debating whether Straw had made contact with a Gregory Soto two-strike pitch. Home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale initially ruled it a foul tip. The umpires, though, were actually discussing whether catcher Tucker Barnhart had caught the foul tip. They ruled he did. Francona was already on the field, already plotting his exit. So, he relayed his dissatisfaction.


I asked Francona if he ever had any memorable moments in which he sought to be ejected, even without a worthwhile disagreement with an umpire.

“It was my last year in Philly and it just wasn’t good,” he said. “And Charlie Williams, one of the nicest umpires ever, he’s at second base one night and we’re down like 8-0 — which was every other day. One of our guys hit a home run and he called it a ground-rule double. Now it’s not going to affect the score of the game, but I go out there. There’s no replay. I go ‘Charlie, what the fuck are you doing?’ I said ‘God, do you hear these fucking people? They’re yelling at me, not you.’ I said ‘I can’t go off this field without getting thrown out.’ And he’s like, “Well I’m not going to throw you out.’ I said, ‘Don’t make me say something that, just, like you know. …

“He goes, ‘I ain’t throwing you out.’ Well, he ended up throwing me out.”

Love those umpire stories!

Amazing how many times those "controversies" are faked.

Singing Steven Kwan’s praises: 4 key elements of Guardians rookie’s breakout season


By Zack Meisel

Triston McKenzie does a Steven Kwan impersonation, shaking his head as he coyly repeats “nah, nah” as if he’s downplaying someone’s compliment about his on-field performance.

The two are locker mates at Progressive Field, so McKenzie has watched Kwan sidestep questions about his stellar rookie campaign, how he ranks near the top of the league in batting average, how he has settled into the leadoff spot for an American League contender, how he has rated as one of the sport’s top defensive outfielders, and how he manages to swing-and-miss only once a week.

There’s always a shrug, a shake of the head and some modest adaptation of “I don’t know” or “things even out” or “I got lucky.”

“He isn’t going to talk himself up at all,” assistant coach Kyle Hudson said. “That’s our job.”

Kwan was a long shot to crack the Guardians’ Opening Day roster, a prospect with an intriguing skill set but a limited track record. He has spent four and a half months in the big leagues, and yet his manager can’t stop commenting about how Kwan is “beyond his years” and how he resembles a veteran, and those aren’t plaudits Terry Francona typically dishes out to rookies.

Kwan faces an uphill climb in the AL Rookie of the Year race. Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez and Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, his primary competition, were two of the sport’s top prospects and the favorites to claim the award entering the season. Both have delivered. So has Kwan, a prospect who gained zero traction, publicly, until this spring.

AL ROY contenders
Steven Kwan
.301/.373/.396
124
9.5%
9.3%
2.9
3.9
Adley Rutschman
.259/.366/.455
139
13.5%
17.8%
3.5
3.4
Julio Rodriguez
.274/.332/.474
134
6.5%
26.7%
3.5
4.4
Kwan didn’t anticipate making the team. He wasn’t sure if he’d stick in the majors. He frequently cautions that regression is around the corner. McKenzie and other teammates say he demonstrates that level of humility with every activity, from baseball to chess. So, we’ll turn to others for input as we examine the components that are making Kwan’s rookie season so impressive.

He’s done it since Day 1

Steven Kwan celebrates after hitting a triple Friday against the White Sox. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
The morning of the season opener, hours before his alarm was set to blare, Kwan woke up in his Kansas City hotel room with a coughing fit. All week, he had downplayed the magnitude of his leap to the majors, but in that moment, it struck him.

Until the late stages of spring training, Kwan never really thought he stood a chance at breaking camp with the big-league club. His minor-league numbers glistened, but because of injuries and the pandemic, he had appeared in only 217 games since Cleveland selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. This spring was his first chance to showcase his ability to the major-league staff, to demonstrate why he was worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

Though Kwan ultimately earned an Opening Day role, Francona suggested they would reassess whether it made more sense for him to return to Triple-A Columbus after a few weeks.

And then Kwan set the record books ablaze. He collected hit after hit. He made history. He received beer showers. He pocketed baseballs and lineup cards and other mementos. He soared toward the top of Francona’s lineup. He was bombarded with interview requests.

All along, he insisted his production would regress, that the law of averages would slow his season-opening blitz. He was right; he endured a few rough weeks in May, as pitchers learned his tendencies.

He rebounded, though, and has batted .341, .314 and .329, respectively in June, July and August, with an overall OPS of .802.

Kwan’s slash line, by month

April: .354/.459/.500
May: .173/.271/.253
June: .341/.412/.388
July: .314/.347/.405
August: .329/.413/.471

“To have that level of consistency at the big-league level in your first year,” McKenzie said, “I don’t know if I could brag more about it. One of the wristbands I used to try to steal from him, it says, ‘Stay consistent.’ That’s him, every day.”

He’s made life easier for the rest of the rookies
Kwan was first, one of three rookies on the Opening Day roster, alongside catcher Bryan Lavastida and pitcher Konnor Pilkington. He’s the only one who has remained on the roster throughout the season.

Fourteen rookies have debuted for the Guardians this season. Several have leaned on Kwan for guidance. Nolan Jones turned to Kwan when Jones joined the team for the first time in Kansas City last month. Will Benson credits Kwan with exposing him to meditation, which he says helped to fuel his own rise to the majors. When Tyler Freeman earned a promotion, Kwan assured him “it’s still the same game.”

“He goes out there and doesn’t make it look like it’s too big of a deal,” McKenzie said. “It allows guys to come up here and know, ‘Hey, he’s had some success. He also failed a little bit. But he’s the same guy. We have to do the same.’”

The Guardians’ offensive identity is a reflection of his profile

Steven Kwan has 12 stolen bases this season. (Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)
Chris Valaika, Cleveland’s hitting coach, contends he doesn’t try to convert every pupil into some contact-obsessed slap hitter. He gears his coaching toward the personnel on the roster.

The Guardians, though, have excelled in those small-ball facets that were treasured when your great-great grandparents followed the sport. They constantly put the ball in play. They don’t strike out. They’re aggressive on the basepaths.

That describes Kwan’s style, too, and he sets the tone for the rest of the lineup as the leadoff hitter. Kwan ranks second in the majors in contact rate, strikeout rate and swinging strike rate. (As a team, Cleveland ranks first in all three categories.) He ranks in the 95th percentile in chase rate, so he’s dictating the action in a plate appearance. Pitchers usually can’t tempt him to offer at anything outside the zone. When he does chase, he makes contact 80.6 percent of the time (league average is 58.4 percent). And if he falls behind in the count, he doesn’t panic. In such situations, Kwan is hitting .313.

Kwan is one of six qualified hitters — along with Juan Soto, Yandy Díaz, Luis Arraez, Alex Bregman and Alejandro Kirk — with more walks than strikeouts.
He has also gained confidence on the bases. He stole one base in his first 35 games. He has swiped 11 in his last 72 games.

“I think we’re going to be watching him for a long time,” Hudson said.

He might win a Gold Glove Award
As a left fielder this season, Kwan has totaled 16 defensive runs saved. No player at any position has amassed more. Kwan ranks in the 94th percentile in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric.

Hudson works with the team’s outfielders on their alignment and preparation, and he raves about Kwan’s work ethic. He said Kwan’s reads on balls off the bat have improved as the season has unfolded, the result of some tweaks to his pre-pitch stance.

“His ability to get angles, take his eye off the ball, turn and go get it,” Hudson said, “he’s probably the best left fielder in the game right now, for me, because of what he does.”

Of course, Kwan would never say that himself. Even after a 5-for-5 showing in his third big-league game, he chalked it up to “coincidence, variance. A lot of those balls could have been fielded or caught. … I just got lucky.”

That’s where his teammates and coaches step in.

“You look at him,” Hudson said, referencing Kwan’s 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame, “and you’re like, ‘This guy’s not a major-league player.’ But he’s a freaking beast.”

I just ran across this article which by now is dated, since some of his projected DFAs: Reyes and Call, are already gone; and some of his projected additions: Curry and Gaddis are already on board. But it's a pretty decent summary of the names and possibilities.

There has been a lot of talk about a roster crunch, so let's take a bit of a look at what it looks like at this point in time. Obviously things can change between now and the end of the season, but this is where we stand heading into the August grind and then September push for a playoff spot.

This is our current 40 man roster (* is in the minors, ** is on the 60IL):

C (3) - Hedges, Maile, Lavastida
INF (11) - J. Naylor, Gimenez, Rosario, Ramirez, Miller, Freeman, Arias*, Clement*, Rocchio*, Tena*, Noel*
OF (9) - Straw, Kwan, Jones, Benson, Gonzalez, Call*, Palacios*, Reyes*, Valera*
P (19) - Bieber, McKenzie, Quantrill, Plesac, Civale, Pilkington, McCarty, Clase, Morgan, Stephan, DLS, Hentges, Shaw, Karinchak, Sandlin, Vargas*, Castro*, Morris**, Gose**

So we are at 42 guys "on" the 40 man as two are on the 60IL and don't count. I suspect Gose just get's let go at some point, and let's say Castro gets DFA for Morris when he needs to get activated in a week or two.

Here is the list of guys I think are gone, either through FA loss or DFA:

Shaw, Hedges, Maile, Clement, Call, McCarty (6)

Here is the list of guys I think COULD get DFA'd:

Reyes, Miller, Hentges (3) [I'd add Vargas, he has good stuff but he's not got very far following surgery, and mediocre bullpen work in AA this summer]

So I see 6 spots very likely to be opened up for R5 additions, and maybe 3 more in addition. Obviously a November trade could happen, November trades certainly happen. They may trade someone who has minor value for low level guy who doesn't need to get added to the roster for a year or two to help a bit.

Here is the list of guys I think are very likely to be added (or at least very likely to be taken in a R5):

B. Naylor, Brennan, A. Martinez, Gaddis, Curry, Battenfield, Hankins, Cantillo, Mikolajchak (9)

Here is the list of guys I think have some potential to be taken in an R5 draft, but are longshots to be added due to multiple factors:

Fry, Pries, G. Rodriguez, Planez, J. Rodriguez, Misiaszek, Enright

So they likely have 6 free open spots, maybe 3 more depending on what they decide to do with some guys, and like 8 or 9 guys they are going to want to add (I can see the RP, Mikolajchak being left exposed).

If they added all 9, and cut all 9 from what I said, the Roster Balance would be 20 pitchers and 20 position players which would be balanced after a year of a very unbalanced roster. I do, however, see some of the 3 longshot CUTS as being pretty clear longshots (in particular Miller and Hentges - I doubt they want to tender a contract to Reyes but maybe they will), so I personally think they have at least 2 spots that they need to clear (or should have cleared at the deadline)

Longtime drummer Adams honored by Guardians

CLEVELAND -- No matter how many hurdles John Adams has to face when it comes to his health, he’s determined to get back to Progressive Field at some point in the future. In the meantime, the Guardians are doing their part to make his presence known at every home game moving forward.

The Guardians surprised Adams on Wednesday afternoon -- the anniversary of the first game he brought his enormous bass drum to in 1973 -- at his living facility with a special announcement in a small ceremony in front of friends, family and Guardians staffers. Adams learned that he’ll be the 11th member of Cleveland’s Distinguished Hall of Fame and that the bench he sat on in the top of the left-field bleachers will be moved to Heritage Park with a bronze sculpture of his drum sitting on top of it.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Adams blurted out, with an enormous grin as the Guardians continued to explain how his legacy would live on at Progressive Field.

The left-field bleachers have been quieter the past two years since Adams began dealing with medical concerns. In 2021, he had triple bypass surgery and another heart surgery, along with four broken ribs. He had three trips to the ICU and was bedridden for an extended period. When it finally seemed to be getting better, Adams broke his hip and had a serious infection in his heel that limited his ability to walk as the new year rolled around.

So Adams hasn’t been able to get himself down to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario to do his usual drumming to help spark a rally when Cleveland needs it most. It’s been foreign for him to be stuck watching games from only his television screen after attending more than 3,700 games over the last 50 years.

He had a brief moment to reflect on those memories, as the Guardians put together a poster board with a collage of photographs of Adams with fans during his time in the stands. One of his friends at the living facility he’s currently residing at had a picture of him with Adams after a game many years ago -- back when he didn’t know Adams personally and was just a fan wanting a photo.

Adams has never been difficult to spot in a crowd. He’s the man with the enormous bass drum strapped to him. An idea that began mostly because he was tired of hurting his hand against the wooden bleachers that hardly made any noise became a staple of the Cleveland franchise for nearly five decades.

“How many inanimate objects have a season ticket?” Adams said, with a laugh.

That inanimate object will forever be honored in Progressive Field with an identical bronze replica (with his USA beads dangling off the side of the drum and everything) placed on his usual seat that was removed from section 182 to move to Heritage Park for all fans to see.

This doesn’t mean that Adams has given up hope that he will eventually get back to leading the crowd in cheers with his instrument. It’s quite the opposite. No matter how much he’s facing, Adams refuses to have anything but a positive outlook. If you ask him, he’s positive he’ll be able to get himself back to Progressive Field at some point in the future.

“Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a little bit of a health issue here,” Adams said, “but we’re going to fight and come back.”

Guardians mailbag: Postseason chatter, bullpen’s strength, Tito’s future, TV ratings

Aug 24, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) gestures after hitting a home run against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
4h ago
15

Save Article
Six weeks ago, the Guardians sat 4 1/2 games behind the Twins in the AL Central standings. Now, the Guardians hold a four-game edge over both the Twins and White Sox, with six weeks remaining in the regular season.

To your questions, which have been edited for clarity and length …

What’s your prediction for longevity of Emmanuel Clase’s dominance? Seems like no elite closers besides Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman last more than three to four years. How can teams extend their closer’s best years? — Thomas D.

Relievers are impossible to predict, but Clase has an extremely high floor given his two elite pitches. He doesn’t have much mileage on his arm, either. He’s logged 145 innings in the majors and another 191 in the minors (some of that was as a starter). He seems like a safe bet to remain consistent — or as consistent as someone in the sport’s most volatile role can be. Clearly, the Guardians believe he’ll maintain his output, given they invested in him with a long-term contract.

One key to reliever longevity: avoiding overuse. Clase has averaged fewer than 11 pitches per outing over the last six weeks.

While we’re on the topic, let’s survey the bullpen as a whole. Clase has been automatic in the ninth inning. Trevor Stephan has proven pretty steady throughout the season as a primary setup man. James Karinchak has replicated what worked in the first half of 2021, when he was one of the league’s top relievers. Nick Sandlin has fixed his command troubles. Sam Hentges and Enyel De Los Santos have been solid. The group was full of question marks at the start of the season. Now, it might be the team’s strength.

Clase: 0.47 ERA over the last three months and held opponents to a .312 OPS; has converted 23 consecutive save chances.

Karinchak: 16 consecutive scoreless outings, with seven hits allowed and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Stephan: 1.00 ERA in his last 17 outings, with three walks and 30 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Sandlin: 14 consecutive scoreless outings, with five hits allowed and one walk in 13 1/3 innings.

Since July 9, those four have produced a 0.41 ERA and an opponent batting average of .146. In that stretch, Clase has limited opponents to five base runners in 18 appearances. The Guardians have a 26-15 record over that span.


Luke Maile and Enyel De Los Santos celebrate Wednesday’s 7-0 win. (Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)
Wild-card round, Game 1: No. 3 Cleveland vs. No. 6 Tampa Bay. Who is in the starting lineup? Who is the starting pitcher? — Kyle F.

(Sends bat signal for Danny Salazar.)

(Bat signal strikes Salazar in the shoulder, injuring him.)

Assuming Cy Young Award candidate Shane McClanahan, a lefty, would pitch for the Rays, I’d imagine manager Terry Francona’s lineup would look something like this:

1. LF Steven Kwan
2. SS Amed Rosario
3. 3B José Ramírez
4. DH Josh Naylor
5. RF Oscar Gonzalez
6. 2B Andrés Giménez
7. 1B Owen Miller
8. C Austin Hedges
9. CF Myles Straw

The Guardians have fared far better against righties (.721 OPS) than lefties (.643 OPS) this season. (I’d probably swap Giménez and Naylor in the order, given how each has fared against southpaws this season, but I’m just a lowly sportswriter, not a major-league manager.)

Shane Bieber would start for the Guardians, though kudos to Triston McKenzie for making me think about my answer for a minute.

While we’re on the subject, the new wild-card weekend format should be an entertaining postseason wrinkle. The top two seeds in each league receive a bye, but the remaining four teams on each side will play a best-of-three series on consecutive days: Oct. 7, Oct. 8 and, if necessary, Oct. 9.

In the spirit of selling high, could Giménez be a trade candidate this offseason to make way for Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias or Brayan Rocchio? Or is an All-Star in the hand better than two in the bush? — Kyle F.

The only player I’ve ever known to be in a bush was reliever Scott Sauerbeck, and he was hiding from police, not pitching in an All-Star Game.

The Guardians hope Freeman, Arias or Rocchio can eventually develop into the type of player Giménez has blossomed into this season. So, no, you don’t get greedy. You try to identify Giménez’s long-term partner (in the event Rosario doesn’t stick around beyond next season). Giménez ranks third in the American League in wRC+ and fifth in fWAR, a meteoric rise after a forgettable 2021 campaign. And he’s 23. That’s someone you extend, not trade.

Related: Giménez’s journey from undersized to All-Star

Do you have a sense of whether Tito is leaning toward retirement? Any thoughts on top choices to replace him? Matt Quatraro, Lou Marson, Rouglas Odor? — Quincy W.

The top five questions I’d like to have answered:

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Is there life in other solar systems and galaxies?
3. If the universe is always expanding, what is it expanding into?
4. How much longer will Terry Francona manage?
5. Who pulled the briefcase from Stone Cold Steve Austin’s grasp during the ladder match against the McMahons at King of the Ring 1999?

Some weeks, I’ve thought Francona will retire at the end of the season. Other weeks, I’ve thought he’ll keep going for another few years. I think he’s perhaps enjoyed this season more than he anticipated he would. He hasn’t really tipped his hand. Maybe he doesn’t even know yet. But if he wants to keep managing and his body permits, the Guardians will welcome him back.

As for identifying an eventual replacement, it’s basically uncharted territory for this regime, so it’s difficult to say what criteria they would prioritize . When they dismissed manager Manny Acta in 2012, they immediately had their sights set on Francona because of their familiarity with him. When they hired Acta, Mark Shapiro was in charge. One thing that stands out: When the club has made staffing changes/additions in recent years – Brian Sweeney, Chris Valaika, Justin Toole, Kyle Hudson — it has tended to go with younger, data-driven coaches.

Your story on McKenzie pitching in Boston was fascinating. How easy was it to get him to open up and talk about pitching in-depth like he did? — Ralph W.

He’s one of the more approachable and thoughtful players I’ve encountered in my 12 seasons on the beat. What started as a simple question about his instant reaction to surrendering a home run at Fenway Park sparked a compelling discussion about a pitcher’s thought process during and after a pivotal pitch.

Cleveland has had plenty of starting pitchers who enjoy talking about their craft. (Mike Clevinger, Trevor Bauer, Adam Plutko and Cal Quantrill, to name a few.) If you do your homework ahead of time, they’ll pull back the curtain. McKenzie and I sat down one afternoon in the home dugout at Progressive Field last summer and he took me through a few videos of pitch sequences I had stored on my phone. During that conversation, he revealed how he had finally started to feel like he belonged in the big leagues. A year later, that, uh, holds true.

Give us your prediction for the 2023 starting rotation. — Chris R.

A lot of soothsaying in this mailbag. I’ll say Bieber, McKenzie, Quantrill, Aaron Civale and … an external acquisition of some sort. A trade, perhaps. Or how about signing Carlos Carrasco — if his vesting option doesn’t exercise — or Corey Kluber to a one-year deal?

Anyway, top prospects Daniel Espino, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee could all be ready to debut at some point next season. Plus, Cody Morris and Logan Allen and Xzavion Curry and Peyton Battenfield and Hunter Gaddis and Konnor Pilkington and Tanner Burns and Joey Cantillo are lurking in the upper levels of the minors.

There’s a ton of depth … or a ton of trade ammunition, if the Guardians want to consolidate some prospects. Maybe they’ll use that prospect capital to obtain another front-line starter. This seems to be the area of the roster with the most flexibility entering the offseason.

What are the Guardians TV ratings like this year? — Edwin L.

According to a source, the club has averaged a 3.72 rating, or an average of 56,800 household impressions per broadcast, through mid-August. July telecast ratings were up 17 percent over those from April telecasts, and as of about a week ago, August telecast ratings had exceeded July telecasts.

The Aug. 1 game against Arizona, for instance, totaled 80,900 household impressions (a 5.3 rating), the most-viewed game since the home opener.

Two elements haven’t helped: First, doubleheaders are a network’s sworn enemy. The Guardians have played 10 of them. Those weekday afternoon makeup games typically don’t attract a lot of viewers. The second hurdle: Cord-cutters don’t have access to Bally Sports. That could eventually change with the advent of Bally’s streaming service.

What happens if Bo Naylor doesn’t pan out as the catcher of the future? — Jeff T.

What happens if the sun explodes? (Add that to the list of questions I need answered.) There could be a ton of pressure on Naylor next season as a rookie, but I imagine the front office will pair him with a catcher who’s qualified to show him the defensive ropes, whether that’s retaining Hedges for another year or swinging a trade for someone else. It helps, too, to have Sandy Alomar Jr. on staff.

Naylor owns a .267/.405/.482 slash line with 17 stolen bases this season between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. His slash line last season at Akron: .189/.280/.332.

Hypothetical: MLB expands and there’s a draft where the expansion teams can choose from the teams’ 40-man rosters to start their ballclubs. The Guardians get to protect 10 players on the 40-man. Who gets protected? — Chris W.

Only 10? What a cruel alternate universe.

Ramírez, Giménez and McKenzie are the first three names that come to mind. Clase. Bieber — even though he has limited team control, he remains a front-line starter and has plenty of trade value. I’m tempted to say Quantrill, but in this scenario, I probably wouldn’t protect another starting pitcher since the organization has some blue-chip starter prospects on the way (who are not yet on the 40-man). Kwan. Josh Naylor. George Valera. Gonzalez, ahead of Nolan Jones. Rocchio, ahead of Arias and Freeman.

Clase has averaged fewer than 11 pitches per outing over the last six weeks.

i think that is an amazing stat. extremely efficient pitching

comment on the minor league pitchers who might be ready to move up:

top prospect Espino hasn't been in a game since April; no surgery, they're being awfully careful.

Logan Allen was the 2nd rated pitcher preseason. Had a great start at Akron. Has been as bad in Columbus as his namesake was in Cleveland; didn't make it out of the first inning yesterday.

Gavin Williams has ascended fast and makes top 50 prospects. We've move many other pitchers from AA to Cleveland with only brief stop over in Columbus. He could follow the lead of Bieber and McKenzie and Nagy

Tanner Bibee has been outstanding; debuted in Lake County, excelled moved to Akron where he's been better. Last night: 6 innings 1 run on 3 hits 1 walk and 10 strikeouts.

Joey Cantillo is back on the IL; pitched very well when he was healthy
Gaddis and Curry have had their Cleveland debuts; neither has the ceiling of Williams or Espino or apparently Bibee but could make major league rotations.
Burns too, but also not yet to AAA

Best debuts in baseball in 2022 at each position, including:

Left field: Steven Kwan, Guardians
The 24-year-old Kwan wasn’t widely cited as a top prospect to watch going into 2022, but he made Cleveland’s Opening Day roster and instantly made history, becoming the first player since at least 1901 to reach base safely 15 times in his first four games and the first since at least 2000 to go 116 pitches without a swing-and-miss. We’ve seen many players debut with some kind of historical oddity and quickly fade into oblivion. Not so with Kwan. With an approach not all that unlike that of Ichiro, Kwan has made the necessary adjustments as this season has rolled along and been an important leadoff presence for the first-place Guards’ high-contact lineup, with a .298/.371/.393 slash line. He’s been an excellent defender in left, too, as evidenced Friday, when he pulled a Derek Jeter with a swan dive (Kwan dive?) into the stands

Designated hitter: Oscar Gonzalez, Guardians
The 24-year-old Gonzalez, who debuted on May 26, has the best offensive numbers of any player we haven’t already named to a starting spot, and he’s seen some time at DH this year (in addition to right field) for the Guards. Listed at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Gonzalez is an imposing presence who has made his presence known early, with a .303/.329/.478 slash line and 25 extra-base hits in his first 210 plate appearances. Gonzalez wasn’t ranked as a prospect and wasn’t protected from the Rule 5 Draft (that didn’t end up happening last year) [or in 2020], but he’s been impressive.

How the Cleveland Guardians built a roster that’s contending ahead of schedule

Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez watches his solo home run against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
By Zack Meisel
3h ago
9

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Hey, have you heard about how 14 rookies have made their major-league debuts for the Guardians this season? Or that the team has a crowded 40-man roster, with even more participants scheduled to join the game of musical chairs in a few months? Or that Cleveland fields the youngest roster in the majors?

Those are three of the primary talking points. But how did the Guardians front office construct this team? How did it piece together a group of young players attempting to fend off the Twins and White Sox and capture a surprising AL Central title?

The process has required apt scouting in three arenas: the amateur and international ranks, as well as other teams’ farm systems and big-league rosters. Development is a critical component, too. The Guardians’ roster is largely a blend of draft picks, international signings and trades.

26-man roster
Catchers

Austin Hedges: Acquired from the Padres in the Mike Clevinger trade in August 2020.

Luke Maile: Signed as a free agent to a one-year, $900,000 deal in March 2022.

Infielders


Cleveland landed Josh Naylor and five other players for Mike Clevinger. (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)
Josh Naylor: Acquired from the Padres in the Clevinger trade in August 2020.

Owen Miller: Acquired from the Padres in the Clevinger trade in August 2020.

Amed Rosario: Acquired from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor/Carlos Carrasco trade in January 2021.

Andrés Giménez: Acquired from the Mets in the Lindor/Carrasco trade in January 2021.

José Ramírez: Signed as an international free agent in 2009.

Tyler Freeman: Selected in the second round of the 2017 amateur draft.

Outfielders

Steven Kwan: Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft.

Myles Straw: Acquired from the Astros in a trade for Phil Maton in July 2021.

Oscar Gonzalez: Signed as an international free agent in 2014.

Will Benson: Selected in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft.

Richie Palacios: Selected in the third round of the 2018 amateur draft.

Starting pitchers


Shane Bieber’s 2016 draft class was particularly fruitful for Cleveland. (Steven Bisig / USA Today)
Shane Bieber: Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft.

Triston McKenzie: Selected in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft.

Cal Quantrill: Acquired from the Padres in the Clevinger trade in August 2020.

Aaron Civale: Selected in the third round of the 2016 amateur draft.

Zach Plesac: Selected in the 12th round of the 2016 amateur draft.

Relievers

Emmanuel Clase: Acquired from the Rangers in the Corey Kluber trade in December 2019.

James Karinchak: Selected in the ninth round of the 2017 amateur draft.

Trevor Stephan: Selected in the 2020 Rule 5 draft from the Yankees.

Nick Sandlin: Selected in the second round of the 2018 amateur draft.

Sam Hentges: Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 amateur draft.

Enyel De Los Santos: Signed as a minor-league free agent in December 2021.

Eli Morgan: Selected in the eighth round of the 2017 amateur draft.

Bryan Shaw: Re-signed as a free agent to a one-year, $3 million deal in March 2022.

Others on the 40-man roster
Position players


George Valera was part of a strong international signings class in 2017. (Chris Coduto / Getty Images)
Nolan Jones: Selected in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft.

George Valera: Signed as an international free agent in 2017.

Brayan Rocchio: Signed as an international free agent in 2017.

Gabriel Arias: Acquired from the Padres in the Clevinger trade in August 2020.

Ernie Clement: Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 amateur draft.

Bryan Lavastida: Selected in the 15th round of the 2018 amateur draft.

Jhonkensy Noel: Signed as an international free agent in 2017.

Jose Tena: Signed as an international free agent in 2017.

Pitchers

Konnor Pilkington: Acquired from the White Sox for César Hernández in July 2021.

Anthony Castro: Acquired from the Blue Jays for Bradley Zimmer in April 2022.

Xzavion Curry: Selected in the seventh round of the 2019 amateur draft.

Hunter Gaddis: Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 amateur draft.

Carlos Vargas: Signed as an international free agent in 2016.

Kirk McCarty: Selected in the seventh round of the 2017 amateur draft (though, technically, claimed off waivers from the Orioles in July).

There are also two pitchers on the 60-day injured list who don’t count against the 40-man roster.

Cody Morris: selected in the seventh round of the 2018 amateur draft

Anthony Gose: signed as a minor-league free agent in March 2019

Of the 40 players on the 40-man roster …

• 11 were acquired via trade
• One was selected in the Rule 5 draft
• Three were signed as free agents
• 18 were selected in the amateur draft
• Seven were signed as international free agents

For a couple of comparisons, here are corresponding breakdowns for the Twins and White Sox.

Twins: Fifteen players acquired via trade, three selected off waivers, five signed as free agents, three signed as international free agents, 13 selected in the amateur draft.

White Sox: Twelve players acquired via trade, two selected off waivers, nine signed as free agents, three signed as international free agents, 14 selected in the amateur draft.

The year each player on the 40-man roster joined the Cleveland organization …

2009: 1
2014: 2
2015: 1
2016: 6
2017: 9
2018: 4
2019: 3
2020: 6
2021: 5
2022: 3

Final thoughts
1. The Clevinger trade is responsible for four players on the 26-man roster (and five on the 40-man). The Guardians’ games at Petco Park last week essentially served as a family reunion. The Guardians and Padres completed four trades from 2018-20, and have discussed other deals since. There might not be another farm system Cleveland’s front office knows better.

The sixth player the Padres sent east in that trade, left-handed pitcher Joey Cantillo, must be added to the 40-man roster this winter or he’ll be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. That was the case last offseason, too, and he might have been snagged by another team if the league hadn’t canceled that draft after the lockout. Cantillo boasts a 1.93 ERA at Double-A Akron this season with 87 strikeouts and only 38 hits allowed in 60 2/3 innings.

The Padres, by the way, have 39 players on their 40-man roster, and 22 of them were obtained in trades.

2. The Lindor trade gifted Cleveland its starting middle infield, and Giménez has blossomed into an All-Star at the age of 23. Rosario is eligible for free agency after one more year of arbitration. The club acquired two prospects in the deal, too. Outfielder Isaiah Greene has jarring walk and stolen base totals in A-ball this season. His teammate, pitcher Josh Wolf, has logged 21 2/3 innings with 20 walks and 21 strikeouts.

3. The organization acquired 60 percent of its starting rotation in the 2016 draft. And that doesn’t include Quantrill, the eighth overall selection that summer. Cleveland’s 2016 class is one to try to replicate. The organization tabbed Benson in the first round, Jones in the second, Civale in the third and Bieber in the fourth. Catcher Logan Ice, picked between Jones and Civale, topped out at Double A. Plesac, a 12th-round pick, underwent Tommy John surgery about six weeks before the draft.

The fWAR leaderboard for pitchers drafted in 2016:

1. Shane Bieber, 17.9
2. Corbin Burnes, 13.3
3. Zac Gallen, 7.3
4. Tony Gonsolin, 5.5
5. Eric Lauer, 5.1
6. Cal Quantrill, 5.0
7. Aaron Civale, 4.5
8. Zach Plesac, 4.3
9. Ian Anderson, 3.8
10. Cole Irvin, 3.7

4. The 2017 international class is Cleveland’s golden standard. It included Valera, Rocchio, Noel and Tena. Aaron Bracho was once well-regarded, too, but he’s endured a couple of rough seasons at the plate for High-A Lake County. Rocchio and Valera recently earned promotions to Triple-A Columbus. Rocchio could factor into Cleveland’s middle-infield equation at some point next season. He has played only shortstop for Columbus, while Arias has bounced around to first base and left field in recent days.

As for that year’s amateur draft, Cleveland forfeited its first-round selection when it signed Edwin Encarnación to a three-year contract. The franchise’s top pick was Quentin Holmes, a speedy outfielder who was selected at No. 64. His slash line in 243 minor-league games: .190/.254/.281. Holmes was released earlier this month.

5. In a couple of years, Ramírez will have spent half his life as a member of Cleveland’s organization. He and Shaw are the only players from the 2016 World Series team who remain on the roster, though Shaw took a three-year sabbatical to get whacked around in Colorado and then straightened out at Seattle’s alternate site.

Even when examining the team’s 2018 ALDS roster against the Astros, it’s evident how much has changed in a short period. Of the 11 pitchers on that roster, only Bieber remains, and he was a rookie who didn’t appear in the series. Ramírez is the only position player still on the roster. In fact, more than one-third of the players on that roster don’t even play anymore: Jason Kipnis, Brandon Guyer, Rajai Davis, Melky Cabrera, Encarnación, Oliver Pérez, Dan Otero, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.

only one edit to that thorough article:

Myles Straw: Acquired from the Astros in a trade for Phil Maton in July 2021.
AND CATCHER YAINER DIAZ who's looking like a very good prospect. He has leapt up to NO.2 on the Astros prospect ranking at midseason and this could turn out to be a loser for the G's. AA this year 872 OPS; AAA 932 OPS has fueled his surge in the ratings.

May Update: In a system lacking well-rounded positional prospects Diaz offers balance in a solid defensive profile with offensive skills. His combination of average contact skills and plus raw power gives him some offensive upside to pair with his defense. It's a backup catcher profile, but Diaz could end up having a long major league career.

Track Record: Cleveland signed Diaz for $25,000 during the 2016 international signing period. Five years later, the Astros acquired him and Phil Maton in exchange for Myles Straw at the trade deadline. Diaz played just 12 games at Low-A Fayetteville before earning a promotion to High-A Asheville. He hit .396/.438/.781 in 105 plate appearances there to finish his season batting .324.

Scouting Report: Diaz is an above-average hitter and a well-sequenced swing that easily produces contact. His hit-over-power profile does not fit a typical catcher, but the Astros are intrigued by the possibility. His exit velocities are near major league average and he hits hard line drives to all fields, but needs to tap into more power within his thick frame. His pitch selection needs to improve, and that may help in unlocking some power. Diaz has an above-average arm, but needs to refine his receiving and defense if he will stick behind the plate. He plays first base, too.

The Future: Diaz has hit at every level and passed every test. Facing more advanced pitching at Double-A in 2022 could dictate his immediate trajectory.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 55. Run: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 55.

Meisel’s Musings: What isn’t working for the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup



Jun 7, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (7) runs the bases while scoring in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
2h ago
9

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The Guardians outhit the Mariners in each of the four games of their series in the Pacific Northwest. They outscored Seattle only once. Seven runs in four games is not exactly a winning formula.

To the musings …

1. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has documented a galaxy known as Messier 60, which has a diameter of 120,000 light-years. At the center of that galaxy is a black hole that’s 4.5 billion times as massive as the sun that peeks out in Northeast Ohio a few times a year.

All of this is to say, no, it’s probably not fair to compare the bottom of Cleveland’s lineup to a black hole — especially one that gargantuan, and especially now that the club’s catchers have started to contribute a bit at the plate. Since the All-Star break, Austin Hedges and Luke Maile have combined for a .269/.370/.389 slash line. Their 123 wRC+ in that span ranks sixth in the majors.

That said, like a black hole, it’s hard to see the light with Myles Straw.


Myles Straw dives to make a catch in April. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)
He’s an elite defensive center fielder. There’s no understating that, and manager Terry Francona routinely mentions it when asked whether a change is in order at the bottom of his order. Straw has also proven capable of performing better than this during his career.

This is a .199/.274/.251 slash line, which equates to a 53 wRC+ (meaning he’s 47 percent worse than a league-average hitter).

Here’s the list of qualified hitters who have logged a worse wRC+ this season:





No, the above isn’t written in invisible ink. There is no list. Straw ranks last.

To put a 53 wRC+ in context, Owen Miller owns the 16th-worst wRC+ in the league, but he’s been 31 percent better than Straw.

Straw has one of the better strikeout rates in the league (14.7 percent, tied with Freddie Freeman and not far behind Juan Soto), and elite whiff and chase rates, but he’s produced countless weak flyouts to right field and harmless grounders on the infield.

Last season, the final year in which pitchers batted in the National League, 66 pitchers racked up at least 30 trips to the plate. Of those 66, eight registered a higher slugging percentage than Straw’s .251 mark.


2. It’s understandable for the Guardians to continue to deploy Straw in center field because of a firm belief that he can rediscover his form from 2021, when he posted a .362 on-base percentage after being dealt to Cleveland. Understandable to a point, that is. Eventually, someone else has to start garnering some of his playing time, just to find out if there’s a better alternative. But it’s a tricky situation, given the team’s inexperienced candidates and desperation to win games.

Straw’s slash line, by month:

April: .291/.387/.380
May: .178/.286/.222
June: .149/.231/.181
July: .278/.323/.356
August: .095/.117/.108

Will Benson, who singled when he pinch hit for Straw on Sunday, has played so sporadically that it’s difficult to draw any conclusions about his big-league staying power. He’s been a notoriously slow starter at new levels throughout his professional career. But, as has been the theme this season, the team does not know unless it tries.

After a two-week cold spell, Will Brennan has had a recent revival at the plate. He has appeared at all three outfield spots for Triple-A Columbus this season. Granted, throwing him into the fray as the Guardians charge toward a September division title race might be placing unfair expectations on his shoulders.

The Guardians could shift Steven Kwan to center field with more regularity, though they seem reluctant to do that. Kwan has played Gold Glove-caliber defense in left field but hasn’t fared as well, at least per the metrics, in center. He hasn’t played center field since July 12.

3. After he swung and missed at a Luis Castillo heater out of the zone Saturday, José Ramírez smacked himself on the helmet with his bat. He rarely loses his composure on the field, but Ramírez — and admittedly, this is nitpicking — has had some uncharacteristic swing decisions at the plate this summer.

Let’s turn to his hitting coach for his perspective.

“He’s a guy who always is looking for fastballs,” said Victor Rodriguez, Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach. “And they throw him a lot of breaking balls, and he starts looking for it and they throw the fastball that he can do something with and he misses. He gets upset. Now he’s thinking, ‘I’m looking for something that I’m not going to do damage with. I’m going to do damage with fastballs and I’m getting beat with fastballs because I’m looking for something else.’”

Pitchers have adjusted to Ramírez’s tendencies, and it has resulted in stretches of what seems like one popup after another.

“He gets anxious at times and starts chasing pitches out of the zone,” Rodriguez said. “If you look at the videos, his swing is not bad. It’s just he’s missing under the ball. Most of the time, he’s been anxious and trying to do more, instead of letting the ball come to him and using the whole field.

“If he comes to me and says, ‘What do you see wrong?’ I say, ‘Nothing. What I see is you probably need to let the ball travel a little more or maybe use the big part of the field. But mechanically, everything is good. They are not pitching to you like they pitch to the rest of the guys.’ For example, if there’s a pitcher who has thrown 1 percent changeups the whole year. That 1 percent is for José Ramírez. It’s amazing. You don’t throw a changeup, but then José is standing at the plate, and then it’s a changeup.”

Ramírez has exhibited less patience at the plate as the season has unfolded, as evidenced by this graph that looks like a representation of a couple of people who should see a cardiologist.

He owns an elite whiff rate, but that rate over the last two months has been twice what it was in May. And that’s what can lead to a rare demonstration of frustration.

“He’s learning that he’s not going to be able to hit every pitch,” Rodriguez said, “especially the way they pitch to him. So he knows when he throws at-bats away. That’s what gets him (frustrated).”

José Ramírez's BB/K rates by month
April
10.0 percent
10.0 percent
May
16.2 percent
5.7 percent
June
4.6 percent
9.2 percent
July
3.7 percent
14.7 percent
August
6.0 percent
13.0 percent
And with all of that said, it must be mentioned that Ramírez still boasts a 150 wRC+, has nearly as many walks as strikeouts, has piled up RBIs by the bushel, ranks second in the American League in fWAR and figures to finish somewhere in the top five in the AL MVP balloting yet again. It’s just been a bit odd watching him look mortal on occasion.

4. One final criticism of Cleveland’s offense (because, it should be noted, a lot has gone right on the position player side this season, as we have covered at length): The Guardians have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching this season, with a .230/.300/.340 slash line before they went 3-for-23 against Robbie Ray on Sunday. That .640 OPS is 20 percent below league average against southpaws. Cleveland has been above-average against righties (.716 OPS).

Josh Naylor has had a rough time against lefties. Andrés Giménez’s production, on the other hand, hasn’t suffered much against lefties. There’s no need for him to be dropped to seventh in the order when a lefty is on the mound.

Part of the issue is the composition of the roster often leaves Miller playing first base against lefties, but he has mustered a .588 OPS against them.

If Naylor needs regular time as the designated hitter next season, the club should seek help this winter in the form of a right-handed thumper who can play first.

5. The Guardians’ pitching staff is humming at the moment. In the last 20 games, it has allowed more than four runs just once. In all, the staff has surrendered 2.3 runs per game in that stretch, during which the team has amassed a 13-7 record.

Cleveland bullpen scoreless streaks:

Sam Hentges: 11 outings, spanning 13 1/3 innings
Nick Sandlin: 15 outings, spanning 14 innings
James Karinchak: 18 outings, spanning 20 innings

The Guardians’ bullpen ERA over the last two weeks: 0.00. Cleveland’s relievers have not allowed an earned run since an Aug. 15 loss to Detroit.

Since the All-Star break, the Guardians’ bullpen owns a 1.93 ERA. The team with the second-best ERA? Toronto, 120,000 light-years behind, at 2.73.

Been meaning to address the Straw discussion for a few weeks. I too was a weak hitter but a good defensive player.
When my team had me bat first I was a pesky slap hitting .300 hitter with lots of walks. When I batted 8th or 9th the pitchers threw all strikes and I got myself out.
I always felt like less of a hitter batting at the or near the bottom of the order.