Young Guardians’ commendable run signals bright future

At the start of the season, nobody would have expected the Guardians to even be on this list. Fresh off an 80-82 season (their first losing season since 2012), the team opted to forgo any major free agent acquisition and focus on internal development. The only given on the offensive end was José Ramírez, and while the pitching was solid, there was little hope that the Guardians’ small-ball oriented approach would amount to anything more than a punt year to mark the start of a rebuild.

That’s where Manager of the Year Terry Francona comes in. The longtime Cleveland skipper was able to get the best out of the team’s young core and guide them to 92 wins and an AL Central title.. 

Postseason grade: A

Rookie-contract players such as Stephen Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez played better than anyone expected them to, and the team carried its magic to the postseason in another upset, a sweep against the playoff-perennial Tampa Bay Rays. Though the season came to an unlucky end against a strong Yankees team that overwhelmed them with power hitting (perhaps a testament to the effectiveness of the long ball over contact in the postseason), Cleveland fans should be proud that they were able to push New York, a team with a payroll over three times that of the Guardians’, to a win-or-go-home Game 5.

Regular season MVP: Enough cannot be said about the variety of players who stepped up during the regular season to contribute when the team needed them. That said, Andrés Giménez probably takes the award thanks to his performance in high-leverage situations (.356 average, 1.097 OPS) paired with his first all-star nod and Gold Glove. Giménez’ 141 OPS+, a far cry from the previous season’s 74, should be a point of excitement for fans looking forward.

Postseason MVP: Despite Stephen Kwan’s contributions, the nod goes to José Ramírez for his consistency throughout both stages of the Guardians’ postseason run. From a pivotal home run to take Game 1 of the Wild Card to batting .400 to keep the Divisional Series competitive, Ramírez did all he could to will the Guardians through October. Expect more of the same from this franchise cornerstone over the course of his extended contract.

The only notable free agent this season for the Guardians is veteran catcher Austin Hedges. Cleveland may look to lock him down or, more likely, try Bo Naylor at the plate in an attempt to usher in the new generation of players. It’s worth mentioning that talks of moving Josh Naylor to DH would open up a slot at first base, but it’s unlikely that Cleveland will make a splurge at that position when they have been so reluctant to do so in the past.