The Cleveland Guardians are universally regarded as a young team.
They do have some veterans in specific spots, but many of their projected starters and regulars are actually 25 or younger.
Still, they were absent from a list compiled by The Athletic: The All-Under-25 Team, a depth chart with starters at all positions who are not older than 24 years old.
MLB insider Jim Bowden published the list on his social media accounts:
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) February 20, 2024
The Guardians’ best player, Jose Ramirez, is already 31.
A couple of candidates for being the best at their positions, Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez, are 26 and 25, respectively.
And many of the young players on the Guardians roster are very solid, but not considered the absolute best at their positions.
There is a chance that Bo Naylor (23) eventually blossoms into a star at catcher and takes the top spot, and the same can be said about pitcher Tanner Bibee (24).
Still, the 25-year-old cutoff is kind of arbitrary: the Guardians don’t need anyone to tell them that they are doing a great job with their prospects.
They have the Naylors at catcher and first base, Gimenez at second, an exciting competition that includes Brayan Rocchio, Gabriel Arias, and others for shortstop, and Ramirez at the hot corner.
Steven Kwan (26) has established himself at a young age, and Estevan Florial (26) will try to earn a spot.
There are many prospects ready for primetime or relatively close: Johnathan Rodriguez, Chase DeLauter, Daniel Espino, George Valera, Juan Brito, and others.
Despite not appearing on that The Athletic’s list, there is plenty of youth in Cleveland.
NEXT: Guardians Make A Change For The Fans In 2024
