Ranking The 2023 Guardians' Top-Five Hitters

Josh Naylor and José Ramírez led the Cleveland Guardians' offense in 2023.

Overall, the 2023 Cleveland Guardians' offense left a lot to be desired when it was all said and done. 

However, there were still a few standouts this year that deserve some recognition. 

Here are the Guardians' top-five hitters during the 2023 season.

1. Josh Naylor

A breakout season at the plate has Josh Naylor deserving to be ranked Cleveland's best hitter during the 2023 season. 

At the beginning of the year, I would've said that José Ramírez was a lock for this top spot, but that just goes to show how good Naylor's year was.

The 26-year-old finished the season with a team-high .308 batting average and .843 OPS. He also hit 17 home runs and had a career-high 97 RBI. 

Naylor was the most consistent hitter the Guardians had all year.

Jun 25, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2. José Ramírez

Mr. Consistent was at it again in 2023. 

Even when it may seem like Ramírez is having a down year, he still finishes the season with respectable and team-leading numbers.

The third baseman hit a team-high 24 homers with a .356 OBP. Ramírez also posted a 123 wRC+, as he was once again the engine to Cleveland's offense.

3. Steven Kwan

There are very few players I'd rather have over Steven Kwan as my team's leadoff hitter. 

He may have taken a step back from his rookie season, but Kwan still finished with a slash line of .268/.340/.370 while also driving in 54 runs.

Something else that made him so special was his refusal to strike out. His 11.5% strikeout percentage was the lowest in the American League among qualified players. 

There just aren't many hitters like Kwan in baseball.

4. Bo Naylor

Bo Naylor makes this list primarily for how he performed in the final month of the season.

It was that special. 

The younger Naylor brother had a slash line of .327/.471/.654 with 1.125 OPS in the month of September. The 23-year-old also hit four of the team's 20 home runs in the month.

There certainly is potential for him to be back on this list in 2024, perhaps with an even higher ranking. 

5. Andrés Giménez

Andrés Giménez took a massive step back compared to his breakout season in 2022. 

Still, Cleveland's second baseman finished the season with 15 home runs and a .713 OPS, while getting on base at a 31.4% rate.

It wasn't another All-Star season, but it was still one of the best from a Guardians hitter this year.