The Cleveland Guardians’ offense is, on paper, not a special unit.
They finished last in home runs last year by a wide margin, and weren’t particularly productive scoring runs using other ways.
However, to say the unit is doomed in 2024 would be a mistake.
They have a myriad of young, talented hitters who could take a step forward.
The top spot of the lineup is reserved for Steven Kwan: even when he wasn’t at his best last year, he returned a solid .340 OBP.
It was .373 in his debut season, and it’s fair to say he gets on base.
In an effort to give more at-bats to Jose Ramirez (the team’s best hitter), manager Stephen Vogt is considering a change.
“Manager Stephen Vogt said he’s talked to Jose Ramirez about hitting second AND third in the lineup this year. He has traditionally hit 3rd, but moved into the No. 2 spot last year to try and help the G’s struggling offense,” Guardians insider Paul Hoynes tweeted.
Manager Stephen Vogt said he's talked to Jose Ramirez about hitting second AND third in the lineup this year. He has traditionally hit 3rd, but moved into the No. 2 spot last year to try and help the G's struggling offense.
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) February 21, 2024
Logic indicates that the higher a player is in the lineup, the more at-bats he will get over the course of a full season.
Since the Guards have their leadoff hitter in Kwan, it makes all the sense in the world to hit J-Ram second.
He is probably best suited for the third hole, but great batters perform everywhere and he will surely keep producing if deployed immediately after Kwan.
Last year, Ramirez started 113 games batting third and 43 batting second, so he is no stranger to the position.
It doesn’t matter if he bats second or third more often: Ramirez is the single most important player on the roster and will need to produce in order for Cleveland to have a chance at the playoffs.
NEXT: Guardians Manager Praises New Outfield Addition
