The Cleveland Guardians entered the 2025 MLB season with some concerns about the starting rotation.
Unfortunately, the concerns may have been warranted.
The team hasn’t been as sharp on the mound as one would’ve wanted.
And while they’re still 22-15 for the season, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com believes their success might not be sustainable.
In his latest column, he pointed out some of the concerns he has about the starting rotation, such as the lack of strikeouts, the issues with command, and how much they struggle to pitch deep into games:
“Cleveland’s rotation has walked the most hitters in the American League, allowed the second highest batting average against, the third most runs and the fourth most hits. They rank eighth in innings pitched and have struck out only 161 batters, 11th in the league,” Hoynes wrote. “Some experts say the Guardians’ fast start is not sustainable with this kind of production from the rotation.”
Even so, as right as he is, the rotation has looked much better over the past week or so.
Also, they should get better at some point once they get Shane Bieber back.
The MLB season is a long grind with plenty of ebbs and flows, and it’s still way too early to panic.
The bullpen is starting to turn things around after a slow start to the season, and while getting them overworked because of the rotation’s struggles is far from ideal, it’s still refreshing to see that they can take care of business when needed.
The Guardians rank 21st in ERA and 25th in WHIP
There’s clearly plenty of room for improvement.
Then again, if the team has been able to overcome these early woes and has still been one of the best in the league, the fans should feel quite encouraged about them, as they’re just a couple of tweaks away from being a force.
NEXT: Former Guardians Outfielder Experiences Rocky Pitching Debut
