Cleveland’s first half has been a study in beating the numbers, and one national analyst rewarded that overachieving act with one of the better midseason grades in the American League.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly handed the Guardians an “A,” and his reasoning centered on a team that has gotten real mileage out of its pitching while still leaving room for help on offense. Stephen Vogt’s club, Kelly wrote, keeps finding ways to stay in the division hunt even though the underlying profile says it probably should not be there.
“There’s a lot to like about Cleveland’s pitching, with a strong trio of Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Parker Messick to go with a bullpen headlined by Cade Smith and Colin Holderman. This team not only has the pitching to get to October, but to be a pain there.
Some work needs to be done to bolster the offense. Former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana has had a strong rookie season, and Jose Ramirez will likely return to regularly scheduled programming when he comes back from a left hamate fracture,” Kelly wrote.
That pitching group has been the backbone of the Guardians’ season from the start. Williams, Bibee and Messick have each made every start in the rotation since Opening Day, something no other team in baseball has matched. On top of that, the three have posted some of the American League’s better ERA numbers among starting staffs this month.
The bullpen has been just as central to the story. Cade Smith’s 26 saves lead the majors, and Colin Holderman has given Cleveland a steady presence ahead of him. Together, they’ve helped make the late innings one of the club’s most dependable areas.
Kelly also pointed to Vogt’s place in the conversation for another major honor. The two-time defending AL Manager of the Year could be in line for a third straight award if he can steer Cleveland to the division title despite a negative run differential. That’s a reflection of how much his in-game choices and roster management have mattered while the lineup has been short-handed and the offense has sat near the bottom of the league in several categories.
With Ramirez getting closer to returning from a left hamate fracture and the trade deadline set for August 3, Cleveland has a chance to address the offensive holes Kelly identified. The “A” is a strong midseason nod, but the larger message is clear: the Guardians have not been content to merely hang around. They want to be a problem in October.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Face A Heartbreaking Venezuela Crisis Close To Home
The earthquakes that rocked central Venezuela on June 24 have hit close to home for several Guardians players and staff, turning a distant disaster into something painfully personal. The twin quakes, measured at 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, caused widespread damage and casualties, and the impact has been felt deeply inside a clubhouse with strong ties to the country.
Brayan Roccio said his family and homes are OK, and Gabriel Arias also reported that all of his family is safe, even as they know many people whose families are missing or dead. MLB and the MLB Players Association have donated $1 million to the Red Cross for relief efforts, but for those with loved ones in the affected areas, the wait for better news remains the part they are still living through. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Let A Brutal Rookie Mistake Ruin A Winnable Loss
The Guardians had enough in front of them to keep this one tight for seven innings, with Tanner Bibee matching up against Jacob deGrom in a game that never really loosened up at Progressive Field. Cleveland even got an early lift from its offense, but deGrom settled in the way he often does and kept the pressure on a lineup that could not afford many wasted chances in a series opener already carrying some urgency.
Then the seventh inning turned a winnable loss into something messier. A rookie mistake on the infield opened the door for Texas to grab the lead, and the Rangers never gave it back, eventually finishing off a 4-2 win that sent Cleveland to a second straight defeat. For a club trying to squeeze value out of every close game, it was the kind of breakdown that lingers because the margin was so thin until it suddenly was not. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Are Split After Cooper Ingle's Costly Mistake
Cooper Ingles rough moment against Texas quickly turned into a familiar Cleveland debate: how much patience should a team show when a young player makes a costly mistake in the field? The throwing error in the outfield sparked some fan frustration and immediate calls for a benching, but both broadcaster Ken Carman and manager Vogt stepped in to defend him, stressing that Ingle is still learning the position and should not be defined by one play.
The bigger context matters here, because Ingle is not an outfielder by trade and has been asked to handle the spot so his bat can stay in the lineup. Cleveland has made clear it wants to keep developing him in that role rather than yank him after one bad night, which leaves the discussion less about punishment and more about how much growing pains the Guardians are willing to absorb while they keep his offense in play. [Read more 🡒]