The Guardians Offensive Production Is Coming From An Unlikely Spot In The Lineup
The front half of the Cleveland Guardians lineup is loaded. From Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Josh Bell, there is no shortage of offensive threats who can make a pitcher pay.
However, the top part of Cleveland's lineup isn't where they've found the most offensive production early on in the season. It's actually the complete opposite. The Guardians have received a significant amount of their offensive from the bottom of the lineup.
The seven through nine batters have wreaked havoc as they turn the rotation over back to the top. They've collectively hit .298 with an OPS of .839. The batting average and OPS are both higher than both the one through two spots and the three through six spots in the order, according to Baseball Reference.
The back part of the order has 11 RBI which is more than the first part of the lineup and tied with the middle.
Typically, you'd think that would be revered.
The players who have hit this low in the lineup include Andres Gimenez, Mike Zunino, and Myles Straw for the majority of the season. Other players that have filled in here are Cam Gallagher and Will Brennan.
A lot of this has to do with the fantastic start to the season both Gimenez and Straw have had so far. Straw has the highest OBP on the team at .500 and Gimenez is tied for the most hits for the Guardians with 10.
Time will tell whether or not this will be sustainable throughout the season. Even if it falls off a little bit, the Guardians have shown they have a deep lineup and the opposition will need to keep an eye on them.
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