The Cleveland Guardians are a decent baseball club. They are 52-48, one game behind the division leaders in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox. They can be sloppy, but they are mostly competitive.
Why is their ceiling capped, then? Well, the problem mainly stems from their inconsistent offense. They are 23rd out of 30 MLB teams with a 92 wRC+ in 2026.
Since team star Jose Ramirez went down with an injury on June 13, the Guardians are 28th with an 84 wRC+. They are trying to survive without him, but it has been an uphill battle to say the least.
Can Cleveland stay competitive until Ramirez returns in the upcoming weeks? Analyst Gabrielle Goudy wonders if the pitching can carry the team until then.
“I’m not worried in the sense of, ‘Oh, this team is gonna be terrible.’ I’m just, ‘Can the pitching, again, carry them enough?’ That’s what we say every single time. It’s gonna have to come down to that. Without Chase DeLauter over that last week before we went to the break, what would our record be right now? At least he’s stepping up and doing something. Outside of Chase DeLauter, Steven Kwan was kind of heating up a little bit at the end. Those have been the only two,” Goudy said.
Could a decline in the Guardians' offense derail their deep postseason hopes? #GuardsBall
"Can the pitching, again, carry them enough?"
– @gabbgoudy pic.twitter.com/x9gMKh4wm3
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) July 17, 2026
The Guardians’ pitching staff is amazing, having developed a bona fide ace in Parker Messick, one of the best closers in baseball in Cade Smith, and incredibly talented supporting actors throughout the roster. Those arms have more pressure because of the offensive shortcomings, though.
DeLauter has been amazing since returning on June 28. Kwan is starting to turn his season around after a horrible first half that saw him post an 81 wRC+. Other than the steady Brayan Rocchio and some key contributions from Travis Bazzana, however, the unit is wildly inconsistent. And it’s starting to cost them games.
The Guardians will get Ramirez back soon, and the same can be said about Angel Martinez. They also have the trade deadline to retool and get some much-needed upgrades. Still, the existing offensive core has to do more if the team is going to be among those fighting for the World Series title. Much more.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals A Glaring Concern About Young Guardians Roster
