The Cleveland Guardians have gotten a lot of criticism for their lack of power this season, and it has been well deserved.
They are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, and they don’t have a lot of consistent pop around the roster except for Jose Ramirez.
On Friday, however, a respected veteran showed up in the box score with a key two-run homer that proved to be the difference in the first game of the doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.
Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann hit solo blasts, but Carlos Santana represented the two-run difference with which the Guardians beat the Pale Hose 4-2, with a two-run home run.
With the long ball, the 39-year-old star not only put himself closer to the league-average hitter threshold of 100 wRC+, as he finished the game at 97, but he also moved up in the franchise leaderboards.
Santana broke a tie with Earl Averill in the fifth spot with his 227th homer as a member of the Guardians, and is now the sole owner of the fifth position.
Carlos taking a page out of Hosey's playbook as he moves up the franchise leaderboard.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/nB73Qwkd1l
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 11, 2025
Up next is Manny Ramirez with 236 round-trippers.
If Santana stays in Cleveland past the trade deadline, he has a fair shot at tying Manny in the fourth spot.
It will all depend on the team’s deadline strategy: if Cleveland decides to sell, Santana is a lock to go.
Whether he surpasses Ramirez or not, the slick-fielding slugger has had an incredible career, and most of his contributions came with the Guards.
He is one of the fan favorites in 2025 and has done everything to earn the love, respect, and admiration of the Guardians’ fan base.
NEXT: Guardians Make Key Roster Move Ahead Of Weekend Series
