Cleveland Guardians Receive Impressive Organizational Praise

It's no secret that the Cleveland Guardians organization doesn't go after the big-name free agents in the offseason. They also aren't a team to have one of the highest payrolls in MLB, either.

Yet, the Guardians are consistently in playoff contention every year and routinely have some of the top talents in baseball.

So, how do they manage to achieve this?

It all comes down to Cleveland's ability to identify and develop young talent into productive big-league players. One analyst believes the Guardians are the best at this in MLB.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently ranked every team's homegrown talent for this season, and the Guardians appeared at No. 1 on his list.

(For reference, Reuter defines homegrown talent as a player who was drafted or signed as an amateur free agent by an organization.)

"The Guardians lead all teams with 24 homegrown players on their 40-man roster, and that group includes their two best position players (José Ramírez and Steven Kwan) and their two best starters (Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams), with Shane Bieber also eventually rejoining the mix," wrote Reuter.

"They are able to contend as a small-market club thanks in large part to their ability to develop their own in-house talent into impact contributors."

Apr 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) runs to first base after hitting a single during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

It's hard to argue that the Guardians have one of, if not the best, scouting and player development groups in the sport.

They were definitely correct on some highly-touted prospects, but they also turned overlooked players like Ramirez and Kwan into legitimate All-Stars.

The question is whether the Guardians will ever supplement this homegrown talent with key free agents. As successful as Cleveland has been, this is the recipe for assembling a true World Series-caliber roster.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage