Guardians Have A Pair Of Silver Slugger Contenders

Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor were the Cleveland Guardians' best hitters during the 2023 season.

When baseball fans think of an "offensive powerhouse," the Cleveland Guardians certainly aren't the team that immediately comes to mind. They hit the fewest home runs in baseball the last two seasons and are still searching for another power bat to add to their lineup.

However, they do have a pair of players who are contenders to win the Silver Slugger Awards for their positions in the 2023 season.

Josh Naylor

One of the biggest surprises last season was the breakout year Josh Naylor had at the plate. Naylor had a season slash line of .308/.325/.439 which were all career highs for the fifth-year player.

Naylor hit 17 homers and also led American League first basemen with 97 RBI, was second in batting average, and third in OPS. It was truly an All-Star-level season for Naylor (even though he somehow wasn't an All-Star).

Just imagine what Naylor's final numbers would've looked like if he hadn't missed almost the entire month of August with an oblique injury. 

Silver Slugger seasons.

Nayls and Hosey put together quite the case.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/zjJgVJzqgl

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 9, 2023

Jose Ramirez

You already know that Jose Ramirez is going to be a topic of conversation whenever we're talking about Clveland's offense. J-Ram once again put together a tremendous season and was one of baseball's and the Guardians' best players. 

Ramirez led AL third basemen in batting average (.282), hits (172), and stolen bases (28). His 33 doubles were third in the American League only barely trailing Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman. These numbers may feel pedestrian for Jose, but that shows just how good and consistent he's been for his entire career.

Sep 14, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates with first baseman Josh Naylor (22) after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Naylor and Ramirez are clearly the anchors and centerpieces of Cleveland's offense moving forward. This duo could be an offense to reckon with if the Guardians need to get a couple more bats to to the lineup before the start of the 2024 season.