The Cleveland Guardians left October with the sting of an American League Championship Series defeat still hanging around, but one longtime observer sees the bigger picture trending up. Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com came away from the series convinced that this club is getting closer to breaking through, even after Tampa Bay knocked Cleveland out in six games and controlled much of the matchup.
Hoynes framed the Guardians’ outlook around a young core that got a hard dose of postseason experience and a veteran group that is still producing. He asked whether it is too much to believe Cleveland is moving toward its first World Series trip since 2016, “but also perhaps winning it.”
“Is it a stretch to believe the Guardians are inching closer to not only the World Series for the first time since 2016, but also perhaps winning it? Messick learned so much this year and he’ll be ready for next October.
Williams is a Cy Young candidate right now. DeLauter, Bazzana, Martinez, Halpin and Angel Genao had their moments.
They have some oxymoron players - young veterans - as well in Bailey, David Fry, Rocchio and Adell, who is still under contract through 2027,” Hoynes wrote.
The rotation is a big part of that optimism. Parker Messick showed enough in his rookie season to make the All-Star team, then finished the year with a 2.56 ERA before running out of gas late after piling up about 70 more innings than he had ever thrown before.
Gavin Williams, meanwhile, gave Hoynes plenty to work with: the right-hander led the American League with 248 strikeouts, posted a 2.16 ERA in October, and went 2-0 in the postseason. His 44 strikeouts across his first five career postseason starts trail only Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson.
The lineup pieces are starting to show up, too. Chase DeLauter set a franchise record for hits by a rookie in a single postseason, and Hoynes also pointed to moments from Travis Bazzana, Angel Martínez, Petey Halpin and Angel Genao.
On top of that, he noted the value of Patrick Bailey, David Fry, Brayan Rocchio and Jo Adell - the kind of “young veterans” who can give a roster more stability. Adell arrived at the trade deadline and added much-needed power, while Rocchio’s vastly improved defense helped him rank among the most valuable shortstops in baseball this year.
That doesn’t mean everyone is sold. There are still questions about whether a team that reached the ALCS with a payroll of roughly $75 million has enough firepower to finish the job. The offense still needs more power, and Steven Kwan’s future remains uncertain, as does Stephen Vogt’s reported interest from the Mariners.
Even with those concerns, the case for Cleveland is easy to see. The Guardians have won three straight division titles and came within two wins of the World Series with one of the youngest cores in baseball. If that group keeps growing and the front office adds the right help, the wait for another title run may not last much longer than a season.
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Guardians Face Tough Free Agency Calls With Key Veterans Up Next
The Guardians are heading toward another familiar offseason crossroads, with several veterans set to hit free agency and each one carrying a different kind of value to the roster. Shawn Armstrong, Foster Griffin, Austin Hedges, and Rhys Hoskins all fit into that category of players who helped fill needs during the season, even if their futures now look increasingly uncertain as Cleveland weighs fit, performance, and long-term planning.
Armstrong appears to be the likeliest departure, while the rest of the group is drawing varying levels of outside interest as clubs look for short-term help or depth. Griffin is projected to land with the Braves, Hedges with the Rockies, and Hoskins on a minor league deal with the Athletics, leaving Cleveland with more work to do if it wants to keep any of that experience in-house. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Make Their Stephen Vogt Stance Clear Amid Seattle Buzz
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The bigger takeaway for Cleveland is stability. The Guardians expect continuity not just in the dugout but throughout the staff, with pitching coach Carl Willis also slated to return in 2027. For a team that has leaned on consistency to stay competitive, keeping the current structure intact matters almost as much as any offseason move. [Read more 🡒]
Steven Kwan Puts Cleveland At A Tough Offseason Crossroads
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For a team still trying to add more power to the lineup, the calculus is not simple. Cleveland can keep Kwan and explore an extension, or it can listen to trade interest before he gets any closer to free agency, and the speculation around him has not gone away even with his recent surge. That leaves the front office trying to balance present value, payroll concerns and the possibility that one of its most reliable players could become the centerpiece of a bigger offseason decision. [Read more 🡒]