The Guardians Have Jumped Way Up The Board In Home Runs This Season

We are two months through the season, but one hitting category that has suffered in years past is trending in the right direction.

May 28, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder David Fry (6) celebrates his three run home run in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It’s early June, but the Cleveland Guardians have hit 64 home runs as a team through 59 games played. For context, the club hit 124 total in 2023, and 127 in 2022 — finishing last and second from last in all of baseball, respectively. 

Now, the 39-20 club has gotten something figured out at the plate where the ball is leaving the yard unlike in years past. As it currently stands, this team stat is being heavily weighted by the two sluggers in the clubhouse with José Ramírez belting out 16 (sixth in MLB) and Josh Naylor with 15 (seventh in MLB) — making up for nearly half of the long balls on the team. Last season, Naylor hit 17 home runs and Ramírez hit 24, so both are well on their way to surpassing those numbers.

David Fry, who has been hot on the scene to start the season, has the next highest with eight in 140 plate appearances. Will Brennan has five, and Tyler Freeman and Andrés Giménez each have four. Estevan Florial, who was just designated for assignment, had hit three, along with Steven Kwan and Bo Naylor. Gabriel Arias and Austin Hedges both have one and Ramón Laureano, who is no longer with the team, did as well.

Outside recently promoted Kyle Manzardo with 64 plate appearances and newly called-up Daniel Schneeman, the one outlier of the group is Brayan Rocchio, who in 183 plate appearances does not have a home run. The 23-year-old didn’t see one leave the park last season in 86 plate appearances either and had hit seven home runs last year at Triple-A, and a combined 18 between Double-A Akron and Columbus in 2022.

The club currently sits at 10th in major league baseball for home runs, which is a massive leap from where they had been at the bottom of the barrel. The last time the club was higher than 10th was in 2018 when they ranked sixth with 216 for the season. That team would go on to win the AL-Central with a 91-71 record.