The Cleveland Guardians are a quality baseball team. Their 7-5 record is the best in the AL Central. However, it’s also true that they have some important shortcomings, with the offense being the main area of concern.
Cleveland entered Tuesday’s game ranked 28th out of 30 MLB teams in runs scored, with 34, and they scored just two vs. the Royals. Their pitching staff, led by Gavin Williams, held Kansas City to just one run, though, so the Guardians still won.
That has actually been a common occurrence this year: Cleveland winning low-scoring affairs thanks to their superior pitching staff.
The offense does have potential, but things will start improving when the heart of the lineup gets going. Right now, the third, fourth, and fifth slots of the batting order are a problem.
“The Cleveland Guardians are now 7-5 on the season despite their 3/4/5 hitters Ramirez, Manzardo, and Naylor starting the year (12-107) hitting for a .112 AVG with just six RBI’s,” he posted on X.
The Cleveland #Guardians are now 7-5 on the season despite their 3/4/5 hitters Ramirez, Manzardo and Naylor starting the year (12-107) hitting for a .112 AVG with just six RBI's.#GuardsBall
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 7, 2026
Cleveland might actually have a serious issue in the middle of their lineup. Of the three hitters, the level of concern about Ramirez is very low, given his long track record of excellence.
Manzardo’s early-season slump would qualify as slightly concerning, because while he was excellent last year with 27 home runs and 13 percent more production than the league-average hitter, he has looked completely lost at the plate in 2026 so far. Still, if the team is patient, he should eventually rebound, but it would be a good idea to remove him from the cleanup spot for the time being.
Naylor, however, might be entering dangerous territory with his struggles, mainly because he hasn’t been an above-average hitter since 2023. It’s hard to justify someone with such an inconsistent 2025 (and 2024) being a middle-of-the-order producer.
If Juan Brito can be an asset, and especially when Travis Bazzana is up in a few weeks, maybe Cleveland can mix and match some lineup combinations that don’t give Naylor or Manzardo, if he’s still struggling by then, such a premium spot in the order.
It’s a delicate situation, but there’s still time to sort things out.
NEXT: Gavin Williams Makes History In Guardians Win Over Royals
