For the second time in three seasons, the Guardians won the AL Central. Cleveland did so with Stephen Vogt under the helm, as the Guardians won 92 games and made it back to the ALCS for the first time since 2016. However, things derailed in the ALCS, as Cleveland’s offense lacked punch against the Yankees. Here’s our 2024 Cleveland Guardians recap.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 708 | 14th |
| Home Runs | 185 | 12th |
| OPS | .703 | 17th |
| Whiff% | 23.1% | 6th |
| Hard Hit% | 33.8 | 30th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.40 | 24th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 2.57 | 1st |
| Strikeouts | 1,410 | 10th |
| Whiff% | 25.5% | 12th |
| Chase% | 27.6% | 25th |
The Good
It’s hard to believe how Jose Ramirez keeps getting better as he ages. The 31-year-old had arguably his best career season in 2024, one that saw him tie a career-high in home runs (39), set a best in stolen bases (41), and drove in 118 runs for the Guardians.
Very few players impacted the game last season like Ramirez, who continues to make consistent contact, avoid strikeouts, and showcase five tools on a yearly basis.
It was also a strong season for Josh Naylor, who hit a career-high 31 home runs for Cleveland last season. Naylor is known to deploy a wildman-like approach at the plate, as he’s unafraid to chase (32.2%), often displays erratic head movement while swinging, and has an edge to his game. One thing that’s hard to argue, though, is that his approach is effective.
Naylor’s always had pop but this was the first season where it showed up significantly in the home run category. And, it came at a perfect time, as he helped protect Ramirez in the Guardians’ lineup.
Aside from those two, Cleveland received strong contributions from two individuals who turned into playoff heroes: David Fry and Jhonkensy Noel. Fry posted a .808 OPS last season and earned an All-Star nod, hitting for power and playing all around the field. Noel, meanwhile, hit 14 home runs over 67 games.
The star — or stars — of the Guardians though, was the bullpen. Cleveland relievers posted the best ERA among MLB teams last season and the Guardians had no shortage of help.
Former starter Hunter Gaddis turned into an exceptional reliever. Tim Herrin, who we highlighted as a riser in 2023, posted a 1.92 ERA and was the key lefty for Cleveland’s bullpen.
Emmanuel Clase finished third in the 2024 AL Cy Young in an incredible regular season campaign, one that saw hime post a .61 ERA and 47 saves. His postseason (seven hits and four earned runs in 2.1 IP) put a damper on a great overall season.
However, the real breakout star was Cade Smith. Smith struck out 103 — tied for fourth-most among relievers — in an incredible rookie season. Smith has a lethal arsenal, highlighted by a mid-90s fastball with plus extension and just rises on hitters, and a hard splitter with drop.
Smith established himself as not just a dominant reliever but also a future closer.
The Bad
While Cleveland’s bullpen was excellent in 2024, their bullpen struggled to give the team innings. Only three starters for the Guardians threw 100+ innings last season and only two — Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively — threw more than 150.
Part of that was injury-related. Shane Bieber, who re-signed with the Guardians this winter, underwent Tommy John surgery and will likely miss at least some of 2025. Gavin Williams, who looked sharp at times in 2023, dealt with elbow inflammation that cost him the first few months.
However, there were also performance-related problems.
Logan Allen posted an ERA north of 5.00 and gave up way too much contact (10.4 H/9) and little swing-and-miss (21.4%). Triston McKenzie demonstrated poor control of his carrying four-seamer, which often stayed down, as opposed to up. It led to McKenzie surrendering 16 home runs off his fastball in 2024 over 75.2 IP, tied with Griffin Canning for fifth-most in MLB despite so few innings thrown.
It forced Cleveland to rely on midseason acquisitions Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd late, a strategy that yielded mixed results. While Boyd pitched very well and parlayed his success into a multi-year deal with the Cubs, Cobb only made three starts before his season ended due to injury.
Another notable issue for the Guardians, much like in past seasons, was lack of power in the lineup aside from Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor.
Cleveland ranked 16th in slugging (.395) last season, thanks largely to those two. Four of the Guardians’ nine regulars last season had a sub-.351 SLG, including Bo Naylor (.350) and Brayan Rocchio (.316).
The lack of punch in the Guardians’ offense was evident in the 2024 ALCS. Against the Yankees, Cleveland scored three or fewer runs in three of the five games. The Guardians lost all three of those games.
Early Projected Lineup for 2025
- C: Bo Naylor/Austin Hedges
- 1B: Josh Naylor
- 2B: Gabriel Arias/Daniel Schneemann
- 3B: Jose Ramirez
- SS: Brayan Rocchio
- OF: Steven Kwan (LF), Tyler Freeman (CF), Jhonkensy Noel (RF)
- DH: David Fry/Kyle Manzardo
- SP: Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis L. Ortiz, Joey Cantillo
- RP: Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski, Andrew Walters, Pedro Avila, Franco Aleman
It’s been a busy offseason for Cleveland thus far. The Guardians traded second baseman Andres Gimenez two years into his seven-year extension, before the bulk of the money in it has to paid off. Nick Sandlin was part of that trade, while the Guardians also traded arbitration-eligible Eli Morgan to the Cubs.
The good news is that Cleveland’s bullpen has enough depth to brunt the losses of Morgan and Sandlin, plus a likely season-ending shoulder injury sustained by Sam Hentges late last season.
The Guardians might not be done yet. Josh Naylor, entering his final year of control before free agency, is an obvious trade target. Kyle Manzardo is the heir apparent at first base and hit well late last season, as he hit five home runs over the last month. Lane Thomas, the team’s ALDS hero, may not fit in the team’s future plans, either, with Jhonkensy Noel around.