Why Cleveland Guardians' Success Differs From Yankees, Dodgers

The Cleveland Guardians may not spend like the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers, but their savvy front office has them firmly in World Series contention.

Jul 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (middle) and third baseman Jose Ramirez (right) congratulate first baseman Josh Naylor (22) on his two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Cleveland won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

I don't think anyone had the Cleveland Guardians boasting a better record than the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers in mid-July on their March bingo card, but yet, here we are.

The Guardians own the American League's best record heading into Thursday's action, and they are achieving this with a very minuscule payroll.

As a matter of fact, Cleveland ranks 27th in the MLB in payroll this season. That's even behind the Miami Marlins.

Compare that to the Yankees and Dodgers, who lay claim to the second and sixth highest payrolls in baseball.

So, just how are the Guardians getting all of this done?

With some incredible work from its front office.

Cleveland has done a phenomenal job building from within, and as of right now, it has more homegrown players on its 26-man roster (15) than any other club in the majors, via FanGraphs.

That is certainly impressive and indicative of the savvy of the Guardians' organization.

Meanwhile, for all of the talk about the Yankees' incredible farm system over the years, they currently only have six homegrown players on their roster. The Dodgers? Eight.

Does Cleveland have some holes? You bet. The starting rotation is a nightmare, and the lineup could certainly use a couple of more bats.

But the fact of the matter is that the Guardians are 57-34 heading into the finale of their four-game series against the Detroit Tigers and have managed to get this far without any major free-agent additions or blockbuster trades.

It's thanks largely in part to a dynamic bullpen, which ranks No. 1 in the big leagues in ERA by a country mile. Then there is third baseman Jose Ramirez, who is an MVP candidate through the first several months of 2024. And how about outfielder Steven Kwan, who is hitting .361 in what has been a breakout campaign for the 26-year-old?

Don't get me wrong: the Yankees and Dodgers are both good teams (New York's current miserable slump notwithstanding). And you know what? They could both very well meet in the World Series come October...but there is also a chance that the Guardians can be there.

How much of a kick in the pants would that be to big-market spending?

I didn't even mention the Philadelphia Phillies here, because they are the only team in the majors to own a better record than Cleveland at the moment, but they rank fourth in payroll and, like Los Angeles, have only eight homegrown players on their roster.

It remains to be seen if the Guardians can maintain their pace and potentially challenge the large-market behemoths (and the Baltimore Orioles, who are kind of succeeding in a similar fashion to Cleveland) in the playoffs. Hopefully, the Guardians address some of their issues by the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Regardless, there is no doubt that Cleveland's front office deserves major praise for what it has been able to accomplish with limited resources this season.