The Cleveland Guardians embarked on this season with a lot of unknowns, especially for a team coming off back-to-back AL Central titles. There were some prospects looking to make their mark, some newcomers in the bullpen, and some returning players who were being counted on to improve.
As was to be expected, some of these things worked out (Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Martinez), and some of them didn’t (Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo). But overall, the positives have outweighed the negatives, which is why the Guardians are on the verge of their third straight division crown.
Heading into the final week, FOX Sports analyst Rowan Kavner has named two big surprises for the Guardians this season, with pitcher Parker Messick as a good one, and third baseman Jose Ramirez as a bad one.
“The good surprise? Parker Messick has the third-lowest ERA among all qualified AL starters and is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate who will likely also receive Cy Young votes. The bad surprise? The Guardians are doing all this despite Jose Ramirez being a below league-average hitter for the first time in more than a decade. (Worth noting: He has looked a lot better lately.)” Kavner wrote.
Messick was very impressive when he was added to the rotation during last year’s historic pennant race rally. But in spring training, it was uncertain if he would remain there and how he would perform over a full season if given the assignment.
Well, it couldn’t have gone any better for the 25-year-old left-hander, who became a contender for major postseason awards. In 30 starts, he is 12-9 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP that each rank sixth in the majors. Messick was named to the AL All-Star team, and Cleveland is 18-12 in the games he has started.
As for Ramirez, if the perennial All-Star is considered the worst thing that happens to your team, you are probably still in pretty good shape. Yes, the 34-year-old struggled before getting injured in June, and yes, he will fall well short of his usual 30 homers, but he was in the lineup whenever he was available, and on a young team, that leadership counts for a lot.
Even in the midst of his worst season since 2015, Ramirez found other ways to contribute. He leads the team with 35 stolen bases and is second with 68 runs scored, and during this final pivotal stretch, he has eight hits in his past four games.
So, with the Guardians almost certain to reach the postseason again, there is still time for some even bigger surprises to emerge.
NEXT: Insider Names Guardians Player As Favorite For New Award
