Guardians Are Hitting When It Matters The Most

The Cleveland Guardians have the second-highest batting average in MLB with runners in scoring position.

Apr 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians have seen a slight improvement with their power but they still aren’t slugging the ball out of the park at a super high rate. Their 21-team home runs are right in the middle of the pack in MLB standings. 

However, their historic start to the season hasn't just been because of this subtle increase in pop. Cleveland is unlocking a strength that helped when win the AL Central back in 2022. 

The Guardians as a team are hitting .326 with runners in scoring position. They’re taking advantage of all of the base runners they have by driving runners in when they’re at second and third. 

This batting average is the second-highest in all of baseball and tied for the second-highest in the American League with the defending World Series Champions Texas Rangers. 

Apr 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Guardians' team leaders in this stat are:

1. Andres Gimenez - .500
2. Steven Kwan - .438
3. Tyler Freeman - .313
4. Josh Naylor - .292
5. Jose Ramirez - .290

This is a significant step in the right direction for the Guardians. They had plenty of offensive struggles last season and hitting with RISP was one of them. Their .245 team batting average was in the bottom 10 in MLB and was the fifth worst in the American League.

Back in 2022 when the Guardians reached the ALDS, the team hit .259 with RISP. So, this year’s team is already outperforming them in this category.  

Will the Guardians be able to keep this up all season? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, playoff teams take advantage of the opportunities they are given and that’s exactly what the Guardians are doing right now.