The Cleveland Guardians entered Thursday with the fourth-worst rotation by ERA, with a lousy 4.84.
There were some question marks surrounding the unit before the season started, but not to this extent.
The fact that Cleveland is still competitive with its inconsistent rotation is nothing short of amazing.
One of the things that most analysts criticized about Cleveland’s rotation was their lack of length.
That trait goes hand in hand with effectiveness: if you allow three runs in the first inning and concede two walks and a double in the second before getting an out, you force your manager to take you out.
It’s that simple.
For a stretch, Guardians starters were allergic to the fifth inning, let alone the sixth.
This creates lots of problems for the offense and, especially, the bullpen.
Things might be starting to look up, though.
Ben there. Done that.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/eywrOygTJZ
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 1, 2025
That’s Ben Lively’s start on Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins.
He tossed 5.2 scoreless frames, with two strikeouts and no walks.
On Wednesday, the struggling Luis L. Ortiz took the mound and pitched 6.1 frames, keeping the Twins off the scoreboard all along.
On Tuesday, it was Tanner Bibee’s turn, pitching seven one-run frames after Gavin Williams’ stinker on Monday.
The key to unlocking the full extent of the Guardians’ potential as a ball club rests in their rotation.
As long as they can consistently reach the sixth or seventh inning while keeping the team in the game, they will have a good chance of winning.
They need Ortiz, Bibee, and Lively to keep this up, and guys like Logan Allen and Williams need to take a step forward, particularly the latter.
When Shane Bieber returns, this unit has an interesting ceiling.
NEXT: Guardians Pitching Star Moves Closer To A Return
