Cleveland Sports Forum

and today his high school pal Xzavion Curry joins him with the Guardians, at least for a day

Is this outfielder Michael Brantley 2.0?

For the first two weeks of the 2022 MLB season, Steven Kwan was the talk of Major League Baseball -- and for good reason.

He set a Major League record by reaching base 19 times in his first six games. He authored the longest streak without a swing and miss since 2000. Over the first two weeks of the season, he led all qualified hitters with a microscopic strikeout rate of 3.4.

Two months after introducing himself to the baseball world, Kwan started batting leadoff for the Guardians, where he's provided the team with some much-needed offensive consistency at the top of the lineup while also learning about Major League pitching on the fly.

Sound familiar? It should.

With a profile built around contact and speed, Kwan’s electric debut was eerily similar to the debut of another former Cleveland outfield prospect: Michael Brantley.

Don’t believe it?

Here are Brantley’s stats through the first 100 games of his career:
.264/.313/.333, 108 hits, 3 HR, 33 RBIs, 13 2B, 3 3B, 14 SB, 80 OPS+, 78 WRC+, 12.8 strikeout rate

And here are Kwan's stats through his first 100 games, a plateau he crossed last weekend in Toronto:
.296/.373/.391, 109 hits, 3 HR, 29 RBIs, 18 2B, 4 3B, 11 SB, 121 OPS+, 122 WRC+, 8.8 strikeout rate

That’s right: through the first 100 games of his career, Kwan’s off to a better start than someone who's become one of the best pure hitters in baseball.

It doesn't stop there either, as Kwan also bears some strong similarities to the current version of Brantley.

Here are Brantley's 2022 Statcast percentiles: [there's a graph here that didn't copy, but you can find this at MLB.com]

And here are Kwan's:[ditto]

While Brantley has more power and hits the ball harder (we'll get to that later), they both boast elite plate and swing discipline. The only difference is that one player is a 35-year-old with 11 years of Major League service time under his belt, and the other is a 24-year-old rookie who wasn't a top prospect coming into the season.

Even Kwan couldn't believe the similarities.

The day before Kwan and his Guardians teammates departed for the All-Star break , Cleveland’s rookie outfielder was presented with data showing how his statistics compared with Brantley’s at the same juncture.

At that time, Kwan was through 78 games, batting .279 with 77 hits, 23 RBIs and a miniscule strikeout rate of 8.5. In that same career-starting time frame, Brantley batted .255 with 80 hits, 30 RBIs and a strikeout rate of 13.6.

“Oh man, I didn’t know that,” Kwan said when presented with the stats. “That’s super humbling. That’s really cool to see that I’m on the right track so far.”

When Kwan was drafted by Cleveland in the summer of 2018, Brantley was already one of the players Kwan admired at the Major League Level. At the time of Kwan's drafting, Brantley was in the midst of an All-Star season and finished the year batting .309 with 17 home runs and 76 RBIs in his final year in Cleveland.

“I don't know if I looked up to him any more because he was in the organization, it was more just because he was a really good player,” Kwan said. “It was really cool watching him, especially since he was a contact guy who developed some power later.”
Brantley's game-tying grand slam


May 1, 2018

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0:40
Brantley's game-tying grand slam

The start of Brantley and Kwan’s Major League careers were also similar in that no one really knew what to expect from them at the time of their promotion. When Brantley was first called up in September 2009, it was so he could get a Major League audition on a Cleveland team that was going nowhere.

After a 32 game Major League stint in 2009, Brantley spent most of the first three months of 2010 in Triple-A before being called up in July, where he quickly settled in as Cleveland’s leadoff hitter.

“For me personally it was all about getting comfortable and understanding that I belonged in the big leagues,” Brantley said of the start of his career. “Once you get a little more confident and understand what’s going on you’re able to let your game develop and let your game grow.”

This year, Kwan broke camp with the Guardians, a decision that came in large part due to Cleveland trying to work through evaluating its glut of Major League-ready prospects. And while Kwan hasn't been demoted this year, he struggled in May before rebounding in June and becoming the Guardians' full-time leadoff hitter.

“I didn’t expect to be batting at the top of the lineup -- or even being with the team at the halfway point,” Kwan said earlier this year. “It’s been a whole whirlwind.”

One area where Kwan has a clear advantage over rookie Brantley is defense. Kwan's primarily played left field this year, where he's been worth eight outs above average, which is tied for the Major League lead. And while Brantley has turned into a solid left fielder (ask any Astros fan about his incredible double play in the 2019 ALCS), he was worth -1.5 dWAR over his first 100 games while mostly playing center field.

How the Guardians have surged to the top of the AL Central: Behind the numbers



CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 15: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Xzavion Curry (71) delivers a pitch to the plate during the second inning of game 2 of the Major League Baseball doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on August 15, 2022, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
By Zack Meisel

CLEVELAND — Xzavion Curry, wearing a black polo and khaki pants and holding his baseball glove, entered the home clubhouse at Progressive Field for the first time Monday afternoon.

He shook hands with Carl Willis and recalled how the pitching coach told him in spring training that if he developed his slider, they “would talk” at a big-league ballpark one day.

“And now we’re talking,” Willis told him.

Curry introduced himself to his new teammates and spotted the red No. 71 jersey hanging in his locker and the nameplate above the locker two stalls to his right. That spot belongs to Will Benson, Curry’s close friend since the two played Little League together outside of Atlanta nearly 20 years ago.

When Benson arrived in the clubhouse, the two hugged. And a few minutes later, they hugged again in a different corner of the room.

In Georgia, they played together on the Sandtown Red Sox. And on Monday, with Curry on the mound and Benson patrolling center field, they played together in the big leagues. They were called up within two weeks of each other.

“We’ve been talking about this day forever,” Benson said.


Curry became the 14th player to make his major-league debut for the Guardians this season. That number would seem to indicate the team is enduring a painful rebuilding year.

(Checks the AL Central standings.)

OK, that’s not the case. So, here are (more than) five numbers that do, actually, explain how the Guardians are contending.

1: The team’s rank, among the league’s 30 teams, in strikeout rate, contact rate and swinging strike rate
So. Much. Contact. The Guardians have cultivated a brand of baseball that was far more common when guys named Boots and Dizzy and Nap and Shorty played a century ago.

Consider their sizable leads in the following categories …

• The difference between Cleveland and the second-ranked team in strikeout rate (Houston) is greater than the difference between the second- and eighth-ranked teams.

• The difference between Cleveland and the second-ranked team in contact rate (Colorado) is greater than the difference between the second- and 12th-ranked teams.

• The difference between Cleveland and the second-ranked team in swinging strike rate (Arizona) is equal to the difference between the second- and 17th-ranked teams.

The style of play was derived from a new hitting coach, Chris Valaika, preaching plate discipline and using the whole field to a group of hitters who possessed the ability to do such things. Bobby Bradley and his all-or-nothing profile didn’t fit the mold. Steven Kwan, an unheralded prospect turned lineup table setter, does.

The Guardians rank ahead of only the Tigers in home runs — and, really, any beer-league team would rank ahead of Detroit in home runs — but they have compensated for their lack of thump with a relentless barrage of contact. A flourishing Franmil Reyes would have added another dimension to the lineup, sure; they could use extra muscle when they’re having a game in which they struggle to string hits together. Perhaps Oscar Gonzalez or Nolan Jones (or, eventually, George Valera) will develop into a dependable power source.

4: The number of American League hitters who rank ahead of Andrés Giménez in WAR
Only Aaron Judge, José Ramírez, Yordan Alvarez and Rafael Devers rank ahead of Cleveland’s 23-year-old All-Star on the FanGraphs hitters leaderboard. Andrés Giménez ranks fourth in the AL — and first on the Guardians — in wRC+, an all-encompassing metric that measures a player’s offensive output relative to the rest of the league. In simple terms: Giménez has been one of the best hitters in the league, on the heels of a forgettable 2021 season. It’s quite the ascent, and his consistency has, at times — including Monday — kept Cleveland’s offense afloat. (He’s also playing a Gold Glove-caliber second base.)

Giménez’s companion in the middle infield (and in the trade package for Francisco Lindor/Carlos Carrasco), Amed Rosario, hasn’t disappointed this season, either. Rosario ranks second in the AL in hits.

And if you prefer Baseball Reference’s WAR tool over the FanGraphs version, as of Monday, Cleveland claimed four of the top 34 players in baseball on that leaderboard: Giménez (11th), Ramírez (14th), Rosario (33rd) and Kwan (34th).

2.17: Cleveland’s bullpen ERA over the last month
That number, entering Monday’s action, was tied with the Cubs for the best mark in baseball. And it coincides with the resurgence of James Karinchak, who has registered 13 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 14 2/3 innings. He has totaled 27 strikeouts in that stretch, while limiting the opposition to a .348 OPS. Karinchak and Trevor Stephan have formed a viable setup duo in front of soul-devouring closer Emmanuel Clase, who has converted 21 consecutive save chances. Nick Sandlin hasn’t allowed a run in six weeks and Sam Hentges hasn’t allowed a run since the All-Star break. Outside of Eli Morgan, whose reliability has evaporated over the last two months, and Bryan Shaw, the group has excelled this summer.

78: The Guardians’ stolen-base total, which ranks third in the majors
Giménez, Rosario, Ramírez, Kwan and Myles Straw have all amassed at least 11 steals, so it’s not as though the team is waiting on its one speedster to reach and then wreak havoc on the bases. The lineup is full of guys capable of pestering the opposition. As a club, they have a stolen base success rate of 82 percent, fifth best in the majors.

Their speed pays dividends in other ways, too. The Guardians rank second in the majors in infield hits. There’s also the underrated benefit of beating out a would-be double play, as Gonzalez did Sunday afternoon in Toronto, which extended the inning for Owen Miller to hit him home with a two-out double. Contact and speed can be quite the effective combination.

1.57: Cleveland’s starting pitcher ERA over the last 10 games
For much of the season, the rotation was pedestrian — not overwhelming, not underwhelming, just … whelming. Shane Bieber has insisted he’s closing in on repairing his mechanics, which got out of whack when his shoulder started barking last season. His average fastball velocity Sunday sat at a season-high 93.1 mph (although the Blue Jays did whack the pitch, with an average exit velocity of 101.5 mph). Triston McKenzie has bloomed into a confident front-line starter. Cal Quantrill has submitted his best outings of the season his last two times on the mound. And Aaron Civale authored his top performance of the year Monday afternoon.

Guardians starters, last 10 games: 63 innings, 41 hits, 11 earned runs, eight walks, 60 strikeouts.

Cleveland has weathered a slew of doubleheaders, the Shaw-the-Starter experiment and a reliance on Kirk McCarty, Tanner Tully and Konnor Pilkington, and now the rotation seems to be rounding into shape. Starting pitching has been the backbone of the team for the last decade. Can it steer the Guardians to a division title?

Can it steer the Guardians to a division title?

Chicago and probably Minnesota rosters still look better on paper. Fortunately we don't play StratoMatic or APBA.
Great team approach, attitude, coaches and manager are not quantifiable but might carry them to the playoffs.
Guardians have had slumps this year and could have another, but it should be a fun ride.

Cleveland Guardians: Is now the time for a Shane Bieber extension?
by Steve DiMatteo1 hour ago Follow @steve_dimatteo

Shane Bieber pitched his fourth-straight quality start in Cleveland’s 7-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last weekend, going seven innings and giving up two runs on eight hits, striking out six and walking none.

Perhaps best of all, Bieber’s much-talked-about drop in velocity has seemingly begun to return, as he averaged 93 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball during the day, an increase of about two miles per hour from his season mark. Bieber has been working on his mechanics and throwing motion in-season, and if he’s unlocked a form and rhythm that adds even that much life on his fastball… well, watch out.

That being said, Bieber’s season ERA is now down to 3.18, and in 22 starts this year, he has a 122 ERA+, 2.80 FIP, and continues to pitch solidly and so very dependably, if not at an earth-shattering level.

Which, hey, is fine, and might honestly open the door just a crack to the possibility of Bieber signing a contract extension with the Guardians, who are on the cusp of what could be a very fun and fruitful contention window.

Could the Guardians Pull Off a Shane Bieber Extension?
If there’s even a small chance a deal could get done, Cleveland needs to do everything in its power to do it.


It’s quite unlikely anything would happen as the season reaches its most intense point down the stretch, but if Bieber is willing to listen, the Guardians should make it a priority in the offseason to try to get a deal done. Locking Bieber into the rotation for years to come while the rest of the organization’s young pitching develops will be key to remaining competitive over the next 3-5 seasons.

He is currently under team control for two more seasons through arbitration, so while there might not be a big rush per se, if Bieber puts together yet another solid year in 2023, it would likely become that much harder to sign him.

So what could a deal look like for Bieber? Let’s say the Guardians offer him $125 million over five years, buying out his two remaining years of arbitration and his first three seasons of free agency. That would get Bieber to his age-32 season, where he’d be likely be able to get one more contract to finish out his career, assuming he continues to chug along at the pace he’s on.

But for a guy who no longer throws the exceptionally hard stuff and has already had one shoulder scare, it’s a deal that provides stability on both sides, and allows Bieber to remain the veteran ace on a team that will continue to be laden with young – but unproven – pitching talent.

Cleveland is no doubt interested in giving Bieber an extension, and has reportedly already offered a new deal to him multiple times. But that was prior to his shoulder troubles in 2021 and the peculiar drop in velocity. Though his numbers certainly haven’t suffered that much in the wake of trying to essentially reinvent himself as a pitcher, Bieber might be more willing to listen at this point.

It sure doesn’t hurt that the Guardians are now poised to be good for years to come.

I do not see an extension for Bieber. Management is too smart for that now.

It’s a disgrace’: Cleveland Guardians miffed at overturned call in loss to Tigers



Detroit Tigers' Javier Baez scores past Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges on a ball hit by Harold Castro, while home plate umpire Lance Barksdale watches during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
By Zack Meisel
Aug 17, 2022
19


CLEVELAND — Austin Hedges was waiting at his locker, hands on his hips, still donning his red uniform 15 minutes after the final out of the Guardians’ 4-3 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday.

When reporters approached him to discuss the overturned call at home plate in the first inning, Hedges was ready.

First, the play in question.

With two outs in the opening frame, Harold Castro’s chopper up the middle caromed off second base. Tyler Freeman chased it down in short left field and tossed a one-hopper to the plate, where Hedges tagged out Javier Báez. Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale declared Báez out.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch demanded a review, pleading that Hedges had blocked Báez’s lane to the plate. The league office in New York reversed the decision, allowing Báez to score. Hedges had already returned to the home dugout and removed his gear. Terry Francona emerged to bark at the umpire. The inning continued, and four pitches later, Kerry Carpenter clubbed a two-run homer off Zach Plesac.

“We got the third out,” Plesac said. “That was clear. … I don’t understand how it’s interference if you touch the plate. Usually, interference means if you block them from touching the plate. He tried to do a spin move that he’s known for, trying to get away from the tag and make a move. Hedges made a good play from a good throw from Freeman, made the tag, got him out. Weird call, for sure.”

Here’s how Barksdale explained the league’s ruling to a pool reporter:

“They said the catcher did not give the runner the lane. He blocked the plate from the beginning. … Then, he dropped down and blocked the plate after he received the ball. He set up blocking the plate to begin with, (with) his foot.”

Francona had other thoughts.

“I’ve been told by every umpire that I’ve come across (not to) challenge a throw from the infield,” he said, “because it’s not enough space. And then I didn’t think it was egregious anyway to overturn. Frustrating.”


Eight years ago, the league adopted a new rule to prevent home-plate collisions. The rule mandates that runners not deviate from their path to the plate, and it also allows umpires to use discretion if the catcher blocks “the pathway of the runner” before receiving the ball.

Here’s Hedges’ take on the matter:

“First of all, it cost the game. The play has been called a few times now recently that really has never been called before. For some reason, New York feels like they need to take over the game and change the way the game is played. Guys are just out. There are plays at home that are beating the runners, and for 150 years you’re out. And now, we’re calling some type of rule that is really tricky to define. And to be able to take the game into their own hands that way and to — first of all, that cost one run automatically and then what ended up (transpiring).

“Honestly, it’s a disgrace. It’s embarrassing. I think New York owes Zach Plesac, specifically, an apology, because they took the game out of his hands. The guy was throwing the ball amazing and overturning that call right there, like I said, it cost the game. I don’t need to get into the rest of the debacle with the umpires today because it was a really, really poor executed job by them.

“It’s too bad. It’s too bad when we play a sport where we get held accountable. When we say something, we get held accountable. We get mocked. We get shamed. There’s no accountability on their part right now. And that’s really, really sad. I don’t know why. But there needs to be a little bit of — we talk about equality in this world right now. There ain’t no equality with that. These guys are going out there with no responsibilities. They say, ‘OK, here’s a play where I can show my power. Here’s a play where I can take over the game.’ And that’s not the game that we play. That’s not the game that we’ve played forever. They’re trying to take over the game, and they’re trying to change the game, and it’s disappointing.

“For a team that goes out there and fights every single night to win every game, for it to cost us a game when we’re trying to win a division, we’re trying to make the playoffs, we’re trying to do something special, and for it to be taken out of our hands like that is a disgrace, and it’s extremely disappointing. I’m disappointed. And that’s all I have to say.”

As Hedges supplied his thoughts, several teammates watched from nearby lockers. One teammate walked past and uttered: “F— yeah, Hedge.”

A similar sequence of events unfolded in the 10th inning of a game between the Twins and Blue Jays last week that left Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli equally miffed. Baldelli called it “one of the most chickenshit things I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” and even after speaking with league officials in the ensuing days, he argued the call has “been applied differently” in recent weeks.

Francona was finally tossed in the ninth inning — his second ejection this season and the 46th of his managerial career — after another umpire decision sparked confusion. Barksdale initially ruled Myles Straw tipped a Gregory Soto pitch and catcher Tucker Barnhart dropped the ball, keeping it a two-strike count. But after the umpires gathered on the infield, they instead determined Barnhart did catch the foul tip, resulting in the second out of the inning as Freeman, the potential tying run, stood on third base.

Francona said he thought the crew had congregated to discuss whether Straw made contact and didn’t think the umpires standing more than 90 feet from the plate could possibly have a better vantage point than the guy leaning over the catcher. But the umpires clarified they were discussing whether Barnhart hauled in the foul tip. Francona still vented and retreated to his office one out early.

“I needed to yell at him anyway,” he said.

Yeah right umpires are never held accountable. I mean who ever calls them out for being incompetent?

Only everyone!

So for what it's worth, in my view of all those replays - Hedges leg clearly blocked the path to the plate far before he ever caught the ball. IF the runner had gone right in and trashed that leg he would have cried FOUL!

So duh - you disagree with the call...fine. Move on and win the game.

(And BTW every single replay showed Straw's foul tip was caught by the catcher without it touching the ground)

So guys I love what the Guards are doing this year but they screwed up yesterday in every way possible. The umpires were right in both cases.

And no one is more scrutinized than an umpire. Shit they are held accountable for things no human being can do. We have to FREEZE FRAME stuff to see what these calls are. Not rocket science...they are human too.

Spoken like an ............. UMPIRE !

Should have been the headline this morning !

The Umpire Strikes Back !

things always go wrong somehow for Plesac, often his doing, sometimes not.
Now ranks 3rd in the AL with 11 losses.
And ranks 4th in the AL among qualifying pitchers for worst ERA 4.43 [only 28 qualify; Kluber is next in line with 4.40]
7th worst among the 28 in WHIP at 1.36
ditto in AVG against 263

jose Berrios leads the worst in many categories,

Curiously Kevin Gausman with a 3.16 ERA also has a .276 average against. only 7 homers. [McKenzie has allowed 20, avg against .198 and ERA nearly identical at 3.14]

rusty2 wrote:Spoken like an ............. UMPIRE !

Should have been the headline this morning !

The Umpire Strikes Back !

Ok, ok I am busted. Oh and good title rusty!

That said I do get sick of umpires being treated like crap.

To Hedges I say "try it some time". And how many mistakes do you make during the game? Are you chewed out every time you call the wrong pitch and it gets hit?

Do you get fined every time you swing and miss? Shit hope not or you would be broke.

He's worried about umpires getting in the way of their pennant push? Hey try hitting over .200 - that ain't helping the cause either.

Terry Pluto is having fun, too

The first place Guardians are ... well ... fun and a little baseball magic – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Which question should we ask first ...

How did the Guardians beat Detroit Wednesday night? Or maybe, how are the Guardians in first place in the Central?

Or how about this one: If you are a baseball purist, exactly how much do you love this team?

Here we are in the middle of August and the Guardians lead the Central Division with a 63-55 record. They have a HUGE weekend series with the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field this weekend.

How did this happen with the youngest roster in the majors and one of the lowest payrolls? Yes, you can say Cleveland plays in the weak Central Division. It’s true. But it’s also true the Guardians have a .534 winning percentage. In the American League, only Houston (.639), New York (.619) and Seattle (.546) were better heading into Friday night.

Regardless of their division, the Guardians would be in contention for one of the three wild card spots. They are a postseason contender, period.
That’s because they are relentless. Maybe it’s because they are too dumb and too young to quit. Or maybe that’s just who they are and how they play.

Battle the other team to the last strike ... the last out ... and still keep fighting.

In Wednesday’s game, Detroit led Cleveland 4-2 in the eighth inning. Owen Miller then struck out. Andres Gimenez struck out. Two outs. The team looked beaten and discouraged. The dugout appeared so quiet, you could hear a batting average drop.

There was talk of how this was Cleveland’s 28th game in 27 days, no days off since the All-Star break. They looked weary – especially when Luke Maile struck out. That should have been it. Three up, three down. Eighth inning over and Detroit preparing to leave town sticking a three-game losing streak to the back of Cleveland’s uniforms.

Only the third-strike pitch eluded Detroit catcher Eric Haase. Maile rumbled to first base. Suddenly, the dugout was revived. Guys screaming and pounding on top of the dugout railing. With every hit, every man on base, the team and fans grew louder. They sensed something special could happen.

And after three strikeouts came six consecutive hits and six runs. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it.

THE MAGIC INGREDIENT

Cleveland manager Terry Francona says it’s two words: “Keep playing.” He has been saying that all season.

But Detroit manager A.J. Hinch saw something else when talking to the media after Wednesday’s game. It’s something that goes to the heart of the Guardians. “Their contact took over,” said Hinch. “They made contact on some tough pitches. Happens fast with a contact team ... but obviously, we should have been out of that inning.”

Consider the following:

1. After Maile reached first, Steven Kwan fought off a tough fastball on the fists and looped a double down the right field line, sending Maile to third.

2. Then Amed Rosario looked fooled on a pitch, but still tapped a slow roller down the third base line. He legged it out for a single.

Time out...

That was Rosario’s 26th infield hit of the season. That put him one ahead of Kwan for the league lead. Only the Guardians have guys who are flying down the first base line with the goal of having the most infield hits in the majors!!!

But that’s how they play. It’s not just “contact” as Hinch said, it’s effort. It’s sweat. It’s thinking, “I didn’t hit it very hard, but I’m not out yet!”

3. The came Jose Ramirez. He didn’t put a very good swing on a pitch, hitting it off the end of the bat into left field ... where absolutely no one could reach his short fly ball ... double. Suddenly, the Guardians had a 5-4 lead in an inning that should have ended with the Detroit ahead, 4-2.

4. Oscar Gonzalez, the rookie who loves SpongeBob Squarepants, squared up on a pitch and lined it off the top of the left field wall for another double. It was the first hard-hit ball of the inning for Cleveland.

5. Owen Miller followed with a line drive RBI single. Six runs, Cleveland was on the way to an 8-4 victory.

WAS IT LUCK?

The Tigers probably think, “None of those balls were hit hard until Gonzalez.” Kwan, a bloop double. Rosario, a roller to the infield. Ramirez, another bloop double.

But the fact is, the Guardians got out of their strike out mode and went back to playing Cleveland baseball – back to the team that strikes out the fewest times in the American League.

Yes, the balls hit by Kwan, Rosario and Ramirez were not exactly screamers. But as Francona often says, “When you put the ball in play, you give yourself a chance.” Yes, you do.

So much of baseball is strikeouts, walks and home runs. But not with this team.

And about those 28 games in 27 days ... their record is 17-11 since the All-Star break.

That’s not luck.

It was luck.

Baseball is a game where you will win games you shouldn't win and you will lose games you shouldn't lose.

Sometimes it's not a matter of what you do but also what your opponent does.

Anybody that believes it is simply a matter of skill and effort and has nothing to do with luck, is fooling themselves

luck was part of it, but not all of it. 6 runs is a lot of runs.
Maybe there was someone pulling strings to make up for the Hedges interference call,

Hedges' early exit could open door for next Guardians debut
12:54 AM EDT
Mandy Bell



CLEVELAND -- Do the Guardians have another Major League debut in store?

Guardians catcher Austin Hedges was removed from Friday’s 5-2 victory in the series opener against the White Sox at Progressive Field in the middle of the fifth inning with a sprained right ankle. His tests postgame revealed no structural damage and Guardians manager Terry Francona is remaining hopeful that Hedges won’t need an injured list stint, but that won’t be determined until at least Saturday.

“I think tomorrow morning is a big,” Francona said. “I don’t know if it’s a hurdle or a test, but hope he continues to feel OK."


Hedges suffered the injury while chasing after a wild pitch that trickled toward Cleveland’s dugout. Just as it was about to roll out of play, he attempted to make a sliding effort to stop it. Instead, he slid down the stairs into the dugout, spraining his ankle in the process. He attempted to walk back to the field to continue the inning, but he called for the training staff to come out to check him before he limped into the dugout. Backup catcher Luke Maile replaced Hedges.

“You could see where his spike marks went over the metal grate and he felt like a pop,” Francona said. “And then when he went back out to catch, he didn’t think he could move to block a ball.

“I don’t know that we would start him tomorrow, but if he’s available to come off the bench at least, that would save us a roster move.”


What roster move would it save? It seems all too coincidental that Cleveland’s No. 5 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline (and Josh Naylor’s brother), Bo Naylor, was removed from his game in Triple-A Columbus just minutes after Hedges got hurt.

While Bryan Lavastida is still on Cleveland’s 40-man roster, he’s been working his way back from a hamstring injury over the last two months in Double-A Akron. That leaves Naylor as the more likely option to get the call-up.


Let’s take a look at the possible reasons for and against adding Naylor to the active roster.

The negatives
Because Naylor isn’t on the 40-man roster, a player will need to be designated for assignment to clear space. That shouldn’t be too difficult, though, if the club decides to part ways with someone like Anthony Castro or Kirk McCarty who haven’t had too much of an impact on the big league roster.


The rosters will also expand in September from 26 to 28 players. Usually, teams like to carry an extra catcher during the homestretch of the season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Naylor was already in the blueprint for the Guardians’ near future. But at this point in the season, with the team sitting in first place of the AL Central, it may be difficult for a young catcher to hop in and handle a pitching staff as the No. 2 backstop.

Depending on the severity of Hedges' injury, this might not be a move Cleveland wants to make just yet.




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The positives
Youth has worked so far, so why not try it again?

Naylor has given his organization every reason to be excited for his arrival. If he’s added to the big league roster on Saturday, his goodbye to Triple-A would be a three-run homer in Friday’s game against Toledo.



Naylor has vastly improved from last season -- where he hitting a mere .188 with a .612 OPS in 87 games with Double-A Akron -- now boasting a collective .890 OPS with a .264 average, 14 homers, 48 RBIs, 71 walks and 93 strikeouts in 93 games split between Akron and Columbus. Adding any bit of pop to the bottom of the Guardians’ lineup would be welcomed.

Naylor spent time with the big league squad in Spring Training this year and impressed the coaching staff. The Guardians could get the chance to see the improvements he’s made first-hand if he’s called up on Saturday. Maybe he’d have to do a lot of learning on the fly at a critical point in the season, but Cleveland has seemed optimistic that he’s ready for this next step.


“Really excited about how he turned that around,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said of Naylor’s improvements from last year to this year in June. “Where he started this season has been nothing short of remarkable.”