For much of the year, the Guardians’ lineup wore the same label that’s followed this club around for years: one of baseball’s weakest offenses. And the raw numbers from 2026 back that up. Cleveland finished 24th in runs scored, 21st in wRC+ with a 97 mark, and 27th in home runs with 162.
But that’s not the whole story.
The offense that opened the season looked nothing like the group Cleveland had after the trade deadline. According to Guardians Prospective, once Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe made their first appearance on August 4, the Guardians suddenly stacked up near the top of the American League in several key categories.
After the deadline, Cleveland ranked first in wRC+, second in OPS, second in fWAR, second in OBP, third in runs, and third in batting average. Before those moves, the club sat 14th in wRC+, 15th in OPS, 11th in fWAR, 12th in OBP, 14th in runs, and 14th in batting average.
That kind of jump is hard to wrap your head around, but it happened.
Adell has been a big part of it. In 48 games with Cleveland, he has a 107 wRC+ with seven home runs and 32 RBI.
Lowe has also delivered, driving in 27 runs in 43 games. Still, the turnaround isn’t just about those two additions.
Steven Kwan got rolling again and reclaimed his spot at the top of the lineup, where his bat-to-ball skill and strike-zone control have made life miserable for pitchers. Jose Ramirez has started to come around as well, even though he finished the regular season with a below-average wRC+.
There’s also help coming from the younger group. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao, and Brayan Rocchio have all chipped in.
If Ramirez finds the level that made him a perennial All-Star in the late-2010s and early-2020s, Cleveland’s offense could become a real problem. Even if he doesn’t fully get back there, the Guardians appear to have enough offense to support a strong pitching staff and make a deep run.
In Other News...
Guardians Have A Few Forgotten Names Who Could Crash Clevelands 2027 Plans
The Guardians are heading into the American League Division Series with the kind of roster fans know well, but the organizations long view is shaped by a few names farther down the depth chart. Right-hander Ben Lively has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and pitched effectively in Triple-A, while Cooper Ingle has added value by moving between catcher and the outfield, giving Cleveland another flexible option to track.
Kahlil Watson is another player worth keeping an eye on as the club maps out its next wave. The young outfielder put together a strong minor league season and has already had a brief taste of the majors, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Cleveland looks ahead to 2027 and beyond. For a team that has made a habit of finding contributors in unexpected places, these are the kinds of forgotten names that can quickly become part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Just Gave Cleveland A Huge Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams spent the regular season giving Cleveland a front-line arm to lean on, and the numbers backed up what the Guardians saw every fifth day. He led the American League with 248 strikeouts, finished 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 32 starts, and outpaced both Dylan Cease and Cam Schlittler in the strikeout race.
The encouraging part for Cleveland is that Williams did not fade as the schedule wore on. He sharpened in September, trimming his ERA and missing more bats while the Guardians were fighting for a playoff push, which only added to the sense that he was settling into the role they had been waiting for. For a club that has spent a lot of time searching for reliable rotation anchors, Williams just made the long view a little easier to picture. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Looks Smarter As October Reality Hits Phillies
As Cleveland waits to make its postseason roster official, the early read on the clubs deadline work is encouraging. Nathaniel Lowe, Jo Adell and Foster Griffin are all expected to be included, giving the Guardians a chance to lean on the reinforcements they added when the market opened up.
Philadelphia offered a sharper contrast by unveiling its National League Wild Card Series roster without any of its deadline pickups, Caleb Kilian, Brooks Raley and Luis Arraez. Injuries have kept Kilian and Arraez out, while Raley was left off after a difficult stretch, a reminder that deadline deals can look good in July and much different by October. [Read more 🡒]