The Cleveland Guardians Fixed Their Broken Lineup By Not Fixing It

So much for all those dire predictions about the state of the Cleveland Guardians’ offense.

Problem? What problem?

When last seen, at the end of the 2021 season, Cleveland’s lineup was one of the worst in baseball. In order to fix that weakness, the Guardians, to the consternation of their fans and other critics, spent the offseason doing exactly nothing.

Not a single position player was brought in from outside the organization to help bolster a lineup that at one point last season got no-hit twice in the span of 16 days, and finished at or near the bottom of the American League in most of the important offensive categories.

More specifically: last year’s Guardians finished between ninth and 13^th in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, runs scored, and hits.

Two weeks into the 2022 season, the Guardians lead the American League in all those categories.

Who saw this coming?

Exactly nobody.

At least nobody not employed by Cleveland’s American League Baseball club. Incredibly, coming off one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history, the Guardians are suddenly one of the most prolific offensive teams in the major leagues.

Leading the way is Cleveland’s new $141 million man, Jose Ramirez, who on opening day in Cleveland signed a seven-year $141 million contract extension intended, according to both parties, to keep Ramirez in Cleveland for the remainder of his career.

The Guardians are reaping instant benefits from Ramirez’s new contract. For example, At the start of play Friday the switch-hitting Ramirez had more grand slams than Miguel Cabrera and Aaron Judge, combined, had home runs. In addition to his two grand slams, one from each side of the plate, Ramirez leads the league in everything worth leading: offensive WAR (1.2), hitting (.426), slugging (.830), OPS (1.301), hits (20), total bases (39), RBI (20, almost twice as many as anyone else in the league), runs created (18), extra base hits (10), and times on base (25).

Equally amazing, is the fact that Cleveland’s early, dramatic offensive turnaround has come without any significant offseason trades or free agent signings. It’s come from what was basically the same lineup from last year, with two exceptions: left fielder Steven Kwan and infielder Owen Miller.

Kwan, was a fifth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2018 draft out of Oregon State University. Miller is one of six players the Guardians got from San Diego in the 2020 trade that sent pitcher Mike Clevinger from Cleveland to the Padres. In addition to Kwan, three other players from that trade have also become core players for the Guardians: pitcher Cal Quantrill, first baseman Josh Naylor, and catcher Austin Hedges.

Kwan, who benefits from hitting immediately in front of Ramirez in the Guardians’ lineup, hits as though he invented the strike zone. His strike zone judgement is impeccable, especially for a rookie. He hit his way onto the club in spring training, batting .469 with no strikeouts in 34 plate appearances.

Then he started his big-league career with 39 swings and no misses. He reached base 18 times in his first five games – the most for a player in his first five career games in major league history (since 1900) – going 10-for-15, with seven walks and a hit-by-pitch. He’s also just the second major leaguer since 1933 to have a five-hit game within his first three career games.

Kwan currently leads all American League position players with a 1.1 WAR. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter ranks third in the league in defensive WAR. He’s also second in on-base percentage (.511), fourth in OPS, fifth in hitting (.382), tied for second in runs scored, fourth in walks, and tied for third in times on base.

Miller, a 25-year-old right-handed hitter, is currently sidelined after a positive COVID test. If he was still active, he’d be leading the league in hitting (.500), doubles (7), and would be second in slugging, OPS and runs created. Miller hit five doubles in his first three games, the most by a Cleveland hitter in 90 years. His seven extra base hits in his first four games of the season tied a major league record. He also is hitting .571 with runners in scoring position.

So the Guardians’ break from the gate has, at once, been explosive, unexpected, but also explainable. It’s the reverse of Murphy’s Law. Everything that could go right has gone right.

One of the league’s worst offensive teams last year has, at least for the first two weeks of the season, become one of the league’s best offensive teams this year – without any outside help.

Is it sustainable? That’s still to be determined. The pitching staff, two weeks in, is solid. Among all American League staffs, they’ve allowed the fewest hits and walks per nine innings, they lead the league in WHIP, and are second in team ERA.

However, it’s the offensive surge that is the biggest head turner. At the end of last season, the offense was broke. They didn’t fix it. But now it’s better.

So far.