Surprising Cleveland Guardians Do Something They Haven't Done in Last 65 Years During Hot Start
The Cleveland Guardians finished third in the American League Central last season and weren't expected to do much in 2024, but under first-year manager Stephen Vogt they are surpassing expectations in a big way.
The Cleveland Guardians are exceeding expectations in a big way in April.
The Guardians finished third in the mediocre American League Central last season and saw future Hall of Famer Terry Francona step down as manager, but none of that has mattered in 2024.
Under first-year skipper Stephen Vogt, the Guardians are out to a 16-6 start. The 16 wins are the most in baseball and the .727 winning percentage is the best in the league as well.
We already knew that the Guardians have the ability to develop pitching, but what we didn't know is if the team could hit. Thus far, they're doing both well and it's marrying together to give the team an impressive place in history.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
the Guardians’ +52 run differential is 4th-highest in franchise history through 22 games in a season, behind only:
1921: +60
1948: +58
1959: +57
Just because you're good in April doesn't mean that you'll be good in October, but banking wins is a great thing for the organization, who is trying to return to the playoffs after a year off.
In Sunday's win over the Athletics, the Guardians had five players in the lineup who finished the day hitting .290 or better. Leadoff man Steven Kwan sets the table, hitting .358 this year.
On the mound, Cleveland got a good effort from Tanner Bibee, who surrendered just two runs in 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.
Cleveland beat the A's, 6-2, and is on to a new series with the Boston Red Sox, which begins Tuesday night.
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