4 Guardians who must bounce back in playoffs alongside Jose Ramirez
09/14/2024 01:57 PM
The Cleveland Guardians are in first place in the American League Central. Cleveland has a three-game lead over the Kansas City Royals in the division as of this story’s writing. Barring a late-season collapse, the Guardians should find themselves in a position to win the division. But Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez could use some help from a few specific players.
Starting pitcher Alex Cobb was recently placed on the IL. Starting pitching has been an area of concern for the ball club throughout the 2024 season, something that hasn’t been true in recent seasons. Cleveland’s starting pitching has carried them over the past decade for the most part, but in 2024 it has been the bullpen and offense that has led the way.
The hope is that Cobb will return before the postseason. Whether he returns or not, there is one pitcher who needs to find his groove before the 2024 MLB playoffs get underway.
Of course, the bullpen has been reliable. Closer Emmanuel Clase has established himself as a legitimate American League Cy Young candidate.
Although the offense has been fairly impressive at times, Cleveland could use more consistency overall. There are multiple hitters who will need to step up in October.
Without further ado, here are four Guardians who must bounce back in the playoffs alongside Jose Ramirez.
Andres Gimenez can be X-factor in playoffs
Gimenez, a second baseman, was an All-Star in 2022. It looked like he was on the verge of becoming one of the best players in MLB. Cleveland even rewarded him with a multi-year contract extension.
He then took a big step in the wrong direction in 2023, however. Gimenez struggled throughout the campaign. The 2022 All-Star has seen another decline in his offensive production in 2024.
Gimenez is currently slashing just .253/.302/.339/.641 across 140 games played. He has hit eight home runs and stolen 28 bases. Gimenez hit 15 home runs and stole 30 bases in 2023.
He features a respectable amount of power and an impressive ability to steal bases. Gimenez is also a two-time Gold Glove Award winning infielder. But the Guardians need him to produce at a higher level offensively. His ceiling is quite high, but Gimenez’s offensive frustrations in 2024 have been difficult to ignore.
If he can bounce back and play at a respectable level, the Guardians Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor-led lineup will instantly add valuable depth.
Lane Thomas hasn’t been what the Guardians expected
Thomas was the Guardians’ prized acquisition before the 2024 trade deadline. Cleveland needed a steady-hitting outfielder and that is exactly who Thomas was with the Washington Nationals. However, Thomas’ performance in Cleveland has been forgettable for the most part.
He hit .253 with a .738 OPS in Washington. With the Guardians, Thomas is hitting just .222 with a .648 OPS. Thomas is another player with sneaky power and quality base-stealing ability. Overall, he has hit 11 home runs and stolen 32 bases between the Nationals and Guardians during the ’24 campaign.
Thomas doesn’t need to be a superstar. He only needs to be a bit more consistent to add crucial value to the lineup. Many of the Guardians best offensive players are either switch-hitters or left-handed hitters. Thomas, who bats from the right-side of the plate, adds versatility regardless of how well he performs. Being able to command the respect of opposing pitching rotations would only improve the overall results of the entire lineup.
Shortstop uncertainty
Cleveland baseball has seen some incredible shortstops on the roster throughout the years. Most recently, Francisco Lindor was a star at the position, as he established himself as one of the game’s best players.
Although the Guardians are playing well in 2024, shortstop has not been a strength.
Brayan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman are listed as the team’s top two shortstops on the depth chart, per MLB.com. Neither player has swung the bat well in 2024, though.
Rocchio is slashing .209/.301/.320/.621 across 131 games played. He is the team’s primary shortstop. Freeman, meanwhile, is slashing .209/.305/.321/.626 across 118 games played.
The majority of Freeman’s games have come in the outfield. Nevertheless, he is a shortstop option for Cleveland. Whether it is Rocchio or Freeman, the Guardians need someone to step up at the position. Shortstop is an incredibly important position and Cleveland has not received much value from it.
Of course, having a talented defender at the position helps matters. In today’s game, however, many superstars happen to be offensive juggernauts at shortstop (Francisco Lindor, for example).
Guardians’ starting rotation needs Gavin Williams to live up to potential
Williams was selected by the Guardians with the 21st overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. The 25-year-old pitched well during his first taste of big league action in 2023, recording a stellar 3.29 ERA across 82 innings of work. 2024 has been a different story for the right-handed hurler, though.
Williams currently has a 5.23 ERA in 65.1 innings of work on the mound. He has still displayed strikeout potential, but Williams is surrendering far more hard contact. When hitters are making contact on Williams’ pitches they are often making him pay.
The Guardians need another reliable pitcher in October. Cleveland doesn’t feature a true ace at the moment (Shane Bieber is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery) so it will require a complete team effort in the playoffs.
Tanner Bibee is a good pitcher, but he would be a No. 2 or No. 3 for most teams. For Cleveland, Bibee is currently the best healthy pitcher in the rotation. Ben Lively has been fairly reliable and Alex Cobb’s return will help the situation. Matthew Boyd has also pitched well since joining the ball club.
With all of that being said, Gavin Williams can play a pivotal role for the Guardians in the postseason if he lives up to his potential.
The post 4 Guardians who must bounce back in playoffs alongside Jose Ramirez appeared first on ClutchPoints.
