Projecting the Ideal Cleveland Guardians' Playoff Lineup
We are officially heading into the dog days of the MLB season, and teams are beginning to find their place amongst the entire league.
Here's what the Cleveland Guardians' lineup could look like during the postseason:
The Starting Lineup
1. Steven Kwan, LF
There's no doubt that Steven Kwan would be leading off for the Guardians come playoff time. The All-Star is batting .333 this season, which ranks second in the MLB.
2. Lane Thomas, RF
Despite recently joining the Guardians, Lane Thomas' veteran experience makes him a prime candidate to bat second. The recent trade deadline acquisition is batting .247 with 16 doubles in 2024.
3. Jose Ramirez, 3B
Like Kwan up top, Jose Ramirez will be slotted in the 3-hole for the rest of the season. Nobody on the Guardians come close to matching his production in 2024.
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
Cleveland's "big three" of Kwan, Ramirez, and Josh Naylor are seemingly locks for the Guardians postseason lineup, as Naylor provides power to a lineup that lacks juice.
5. David Fry, DH
After being named to the AL All-Star team this season, David Fry continues to prove why he should be consistently featured in the starting lineup. The right-handed hitter is batting .279 this season with 38 RBI in 2024.
6. Angel Martinez, CF
Angel Martinez has been phenomenal in his rookie season. The former No. 8 overall prospect is batting .243 since making his debut, and has shown signs of being a star in the making.
7. Andres Gimenez, 2B
Gimenez has faced his ups and downs this season, but the second basemen has been on a tear recently. He is currently riding a nine-game hit streak, while going 11-for-34 during the stretch.
8. Daniel Schneemann, SS
If you had to make the lineup for the playoffs, Daniel Schneemann should get the start over Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Schneemann struggled during the month of July, but his 3-for-7 performance against the Baltimore Orioles is a positive sign of him getting back to his normal self.
9. Bo Naylor, C
What's better than one Naylor in the Guardians' lineup? Two Naylors!
Bo Naylor may not be lighting up the stat sheet, but at times this year, he's been the juice that Cleveland has needed to win a ballgame. The young catcher would likely rotate with Austin Hedges for the starting catcher spot, but Naylor offers better offensive production.
The Starting Pitching Rotation
If the playoffs started today, the Guardians' main concern would be starting pitching.
Tanner Bibee was scratched from his most recent start due to shoulder tightness, according to Mandy Bell. He is expected to be back later this week. Bibee has clearly established himself as the team's best starter, and luckily, he should be healthy for the actual playoffs.
Outside of Bibee, Cleveland would likely roll with Ben Lively and Gavin Williams. The two right-handers have locked down the top of the rotation for the majority of the season.
That leaves one open spot, as manager Stephen Vogt would probably cut the rotation to four starters. Newly-acquired veteran Alex Cobb could fill the void, but it all comes down to how he pitches during the next couple months.
Matthew Boyd, Carlos Carrasco, and Joey Cantillo are also in the running for the fourth spot if Cobb has any setbacks in his recovery. Boyd has yet to pitch in 2024, and Carrasco has been sporadic in his starts this season.