The Cleveland Guardians shocked the world and made the playoffs last season. Even so, it seems like some people aren’t impressed. Despite their late-season surge, some analysts might believe the Guardians were a fluke.
That may be the case with Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, who has the Guardians at No. 17 in his power rankings following the Winter Meetings.
“Unless the Guardians finally pull the trigger on a Steven Kwan trade, expect another quiet offseason from a franchise that rarely spends in free agency. Adding a veteran starter to take some of the pressure off Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick and Logan Allen behind Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee would go a long way, though they will likely focus on one-year deals,” Reuter wrote.
The Guardians do not have the most stacked roster. They do have young and promising players, and they’ve already proven to be a playoff-caliber team.
Manager Stephen Vogt has led the team to back-to-back AL Central titles. In 2025, the Guardians overcame the largest deficit to win a division in MLB history (15.5 games), and it did so despite having one of the worst offenses in the game.
The sky should be the limit for the Guardians if one or two of the prospects break out at the plate next season. They’re just a slugger away from turning things around on offense and being even better than they were last season.
Granted, it would probably be easier to go out there and find one on the market this offseason, but that is not the way this front office operates. Then again, given the plethora of talent in the farm system, it’s hard to blame the organization for putting that much weight on the prospects’ shoulders.
Hopefully, they will justify that confidence with their on-field production in 2026.
NEXT: Guardians Named Potential Suitor For Former Brewers Slugger
