The Cleveland Guardians have a 15-13 record after 28 games, and they trail the Detroit Tigers by 2.5 games for the top spot in the division.
They entered the season with some questions about their offense and a strong bullpen.
The bullpen has been up and down, and the offense has lacked power as expected.
However, perhaps the biggest concern has been the starting rotation.
The starters currently rank No. 27 with a 5.24 ERA, and they’ve failed to get deep into games more often than not.
That’s why Bruce Drennan believes that this will be the biggest need and point of emphasis for this team going forward (via Bruce Drennan Show).
“The starting rotation has to get deeper into games,” Drennan said.
What's the biggest need for the #Guards to be contenders? #GuardsBall
"The starting rotation has to get deeper into games!"
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— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) April 29, 2025
Stephen Vogt has turned to Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Logan Allen, and Luis L. Ortiz.
They have combined for a grand total of seven years of MLB service, which clearly isn’t ideal.
Of course, getting Shane Bieber and John Means at some point in the season will be a huge boost, but someone needs to hold down the fort in the meantime.
Bibee has been fairly disappointing with a 2-2 record and a 5.19 ERA, which is far from what was expected from the No. 1 guy in the rotation.
Williams hasn’t been much better, boasting a 2-2 record with a 5.14 ERA through six starts, and he’s coming off a dreadful outing vs. the Minnesota Twins.
Allen had been mostly solid, but his ERA skyrocketed to 4.21 after giving up seven runs to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Lively has a 1-2 record, and his 4.40 ERA isn’t necessarily encouraging.
Last but not least, Ortiz has been all over the place with a 5.96 ERA and a 2-3 record, and while the potential is there, his struggles with command have been worrisome.
NEXT: Kyle Manzardo Gets Honest About Guardians' Chemistry
