The Cleveland Guardians have hit their stride, winning six games in a row and nine of their past 10 after a four-game sweep of the rival Detroit Tigers. It took a slow evolution of the lineup to reach this point, but the Guardians look to have finally put all of the pieces together for a sustained run of success.
It started with the regular-season debut of outfielder Chase DeLauter on Opening Day. It continued with a position change for infielder Brayan Rocchio after an injury to Gabriel Arias, while outfielder Angel Martinez took full advantage of playing time that opened up with an injury to George Valera. There was a more significant change with the demotion of catcher Bo Naylor to the minor leagues after a trade for Patrick Bailey.
The moves continued when slumping Jose Ramirez was moved up in the order, and struggling Steven Kwan was moved down. Meanwhile, top prospect Travis Bazzana was finally promoted and took over at second base.
Now, with Cleveland scoring 35 runs during its current winning streak, insider Jon Morosi is making a bold claim about the Guardians’ 2026 lineup, saying it is better than the 2024 version that almost made it to the World Series.
“The 2026 Guardians lineup is more dynamic than the 2024 edition, and the latter version was good enough to reach the ALCS,” Morosi posted.
The 2026 Guardians lineup is more dynamic than the 2024 edition, and the latter version was good enough to reach the ALCS. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) May 21, 2026
After scuffling through the early part of the season with very few regulars batting above .220 and again ranking near the bottom of the league in runs scored, the Guardians’ offense has started to mature in May. That directly coincides with the MLB debut of Bazzana, which was on April 28.
Now, every regular except Kwan is batting above .220. That includes first baseman Kyle Manzardo, who went through an extended slump to begin the season, which included his batting average falling to .061 at one point.
Though the Guardians still rank 26th in the majors in team batting average, they are 10th in on-base percentage, 10th in runs scored, and 15th in OPS. They are also second in stolen bases and third in walks, with the fifth-fewest number of strikeouts.
It has helped Cleveland take control of the AL Central, and it bodes well for another lengthy postseason run.
NEXT: Guardians Make Notable Move In Latest Power Rankings
