'Not A Fluke:' David Fry’s Breakout Season With Guardians Continues

Stephen Vogt says what David Fry is doing for the Cleveland Guardians is a product of the hard work he puts in.

May 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry (6) watches his three run home run during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports | Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

David Fry has come through time and time again with a big hit for the Cleveland Guardians this season whenever they need one. He did that once again on Friday night hitting a critical three-run home run in Cleveland’s win over the Washington Nationals.

Fry was never a highly-ranked prospect when he was in the minor leagues and he was 27 years old when he made his debut. However, none of that matters as long as you're performing at a high level in the big leagues.  

Stephen Vogt spoke about what he’s seeing from Fry after his latest heroics. The Guardians manager made it clear that what Fry is doing is real and not happening by chance. 

“He’s a really good player, I had never really seen him play before spring training,” said Vogt. 

“You’re going off of what you hear, what you’ve seen on paper. But watching David work at every position, watching him hit, watching him go about his business, it was in there. He’s getting to see and he’s getting to be an example of what it looks like to work and be a hard worker and earn more. What David is doing right now isn’t a fluke. This guy can play baseball and the guys respond to him. They love him and he’s been coming up huge for us.”

May 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry (6) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports | Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Guardians have taken massive strides in improving their offense from last season and Fry’s breakout has been a key reason for that. He’s now hitting .352/.485/.629 with an OPS of 1.114 including eight home runs and 27 RBI this season. 

As Steven Kwan said after Friday’s win, “If we're going to go far this year, it’s because of him.”