José Ramírez’s bat has started talking from both sides of the plate again, and the Guardians are likely happy to hear it.
That’s the cleanest takeaway from the latest round of questions about Cleveland’s lineup, especially the one asking whether Ramírez should just hit right-handed the rest of the season. The answer, at least for now, is no.
Ramírez had an RBI single and a home run Friday while hitting left-handed, a sign he’s beginning to drive the ball again from both sides. And the numbers still show the split: he’s hitting .283 (36 for 127) right-handed and .211 (67 for 317) left-handed.
There was also the question of whether an injured hand might be affecting him more from the left side. The thought makes sense, but the production Friday offered a reminder that the Guardians don’t have to force the issue when Ramírez is doing damage from both sides.
Another topic drawing heat was the ABS, or Automated Ball Strike system. One reader argued that a pitch has to be 50% in the strike zone to be called a strike because the ones that just clip the edge are basically unhittable.
The response: “A pitcher throwing unhittable pitches that are strikes. Imagine the nerve of that guy.”
With the postseason picture getting closer, the Guardians are down to the final stretch. Including Saturday night’s game against the A’s, they have eight games left in the regular season, and those games should tell a lot about what kind of team they’ll be if they get in. The point is simple enough: the way they finish the regular season should be a strong indicator of how they’d handle October, because those games are basically playoff games already.
A bye would be nice, too, if Cleveland can get one. But that’s not a simple path.
To earn it, the Guardians would need to win the AL Central and finish with the second-best record among the three division winners in the American League. Even then, there’s no guarantee it happens.
Still, if given the choice, the answer was clear: take the bye. It gives a team time to line up its starting pitching for the best-of-five ALDS and rest injured players.
There was also a question about whether the Tigers would tank against the White Sox, given how much bad blood there supposedly is with Cleveland. That didn’t look like tanking Friday night. Detroit rallied from an 8-2 deficit, scored nine unanswered runs and beat the White Sox 11-8 at Rate Field, a result that gave the Guardians a one-game lead in the division.
Brayan Rocchio kept coming up, too. One reader wondered whether he should be named the Guardians’ MVP for the 2026 season.
That’s not exactly a stretch given what he’s done, and he should get strong consideration when Cleveland’s chapter of the Baseball Writers of America meets this offseason to vote on the Man of the Year and Good Guy awards. Rocchio has been especially valuable considering how much damage he’s done from the No. 9 spot.
That same lineup spot came up again when another reader suggested moving Rocchio up to the No. 2 hole so he could hit back-to-back with Steven Kwan. The answer leaned on a familiar line: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Rocchio was moved up when Ramírez was out after hand surgery, and he handled it fine. But the ninth spot has been his sweet spot, where he’s hitting .261 (82 for 314) with nine homers and 50 of his 69 RBI.
Petey Halpin was another name in the mix, with a reader asking what changed over the last two months to give him a better approach at the plate. The answer pointed to work that’s been going on since spring training: Halpin has been trying to shorten his swing, and it appears to be paying off.
And finally, there was a comparison between Ramírez’s between-pitch routine and Mike Hargrove’s old between-at-bats ritual. The resemblance is there, though the pace is not.
Hargrove was the Human Rain Delay for a reason, and he even used to get letters from AL presidents telling him to speed it up or risk a fine. Ramírez has to move faster because of the pitch clock, but the idea was that Hargrove would have handled it just fine anyway - while still finding time to bother pitchers.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A George Valera Decision To Make
George Valeras season has turned into a study in patience for the Guardians. The outfielder opened 2026 on the injured list with a calf injury, then was optioned to Triple-A after a slow start in the majors, leaving him to rebuild his case the old-fashioned way. Since late July, he has done exactly that, putting together a strong stretch at the plate in the minors and keeping his name in the conversation even as the big-league roster moved on without him.
The recent surge has pushed a real decision onto Clevelands front office and player development group. Some observers are already talking about a possible return to the major league roster, and the question is not just when Valera might get another look, but how the Guardians handle the 40-man roster if they want to make room. For a player who has answered with production after a rocky start, the next move now feels like it could say as much about the organizations timeline as it does about Valeras future. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Got The Response They Needed In A Tight Division Race
In a tight division race, the Guardians needed a clean response at Progressive Field, and they got one in a 5-3 win over the Athletics. Jose Ramirez and Travis Bazzana delivered the big swings, with Ramirez also reaching his 1,000th career RBI, while Joey Cantillo gave Cleveland exactly the kind of stabilizing effort it needed by working six scoreless innings in relief.
The result nudged Cleveland to 79-75 and kept the pressure on in a stretch where every game feels bigger than the last. It was the kind of night that showed how the Guardians can still win different ways, with veteran punch, a timely contribution from a younger bat and a bullpen bridge that held firm when the game could have slipped. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Depth Tested Again As Colin Holderman Hits Another Snag
Colin Holdermans return from the injured list has run into another detour, with the right-hander pulled from his latest rehab appearance because of wrist discomfort. The Guardians are still trying to sort out what comes next for the pitcher, who has been sidelined since Sept. 4 with wrist inflammation, and his status only adds to a bullpen picture that has already been asked to absorb plenty of uncertainty.
Holderman had been pitching well before the injury, but his season has not been as steady since midseason, when the wrist issue may have started to show up in his performance. For Cleveland, the concern is not just about one rehab outing going sideways, but about how much longer they may have to wait before getting a clearer read on whether he can help down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]