Cleveland Baseball Insider

What We Learned About The Guardians: July 10

From Nolan Jones to the bullpen, these are some of the key points we learned about the Guardians last week.

Tommy Wild

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It was a difficult week of baseball for Guardians fans to watch. In a stretch of games that should've been an opportunity for the Guardians to make up ground in the division, they won one game against two of the worst teams in baseball. 

Still, there was a lot we learned about the Guardians, the division, and the league in that rough week.

Nolan Jones Was Worth The Wait

Although it was a difficult week, one bright spot in it all was the call-up of top prospect Nolan Jones who shined in his debut series. In his first game, Jones went 2-3 and had an RBI double for his first career hit. Then on Saturday, Jones hit his first Big League home run which was a three-run shot.

It seems like the 2016 draft pick has been in the Cleveland organization forever. It was a long wait for Nolan and the fans to see him in the MLB, but now that he's finally here we can all say it was worth the wait!

The Guardians Can Still Make A Playoff Push

This may seem like a pretty hot take after the Guardians went 1-6 on this recent road trip. But it's more about what we learned about the rest of the division and American League last week that shows us that the Guardians are in the thick of the hunt for the playoffs as the All-Star break approaches.

As of right now, Cleveland is second in the division and sits four and a half games behind the Minnesota Twins. The AL Central is not known for being one of the powerhouses in baseball and is still anyone's to take. 

They are also only two games back for the final Wild Card slot. Now that it has been expanded to three teams, this will keep more organizations in play throughout the season and this includes the Guardians. 

They are in a bad rut right now, but the Guardians have proven they can beat and play with good teams. The playoffs may not be the end of the season goal for the Guardians, but at the midway point of the season, they are certainly not out of the hunt.

The Bullpen Could Use Some Fresh Arms

The Guardians used to have one of the best bullpens in baseball. That ship has long sailed. The bullpen has sunk to the bottom half of the league in ERA with a 3.82. In the last seven days alone, they have given up 33 runs and walked 24 batters. 

From home runs given up by Eli Morgan and All-Star Emmanuel Clase and Sam Hentges giving up a walk-off in the series opener against the Royals, the bullpen is definitely looking at better days ahead for them. 

Who knows if fatigue is setting in or something else, but the bullpen could really benefit from some fresh arms. 

Make sure to come back next week to see what we learned about the Guardians before the All-Star break. 

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Read More:

Three Cleveland Guardians Are Headed To The All-Star Game

Guardians Go 1-6 On Road Trip, Lose 5-1 To Royals

Guardians Farm Report: Nikhazy Falls One Out Shy Of No-Hitter Striking Out A Career High 11 For Lake County

The Guardians Bats Explode In Win Over Royals

Jose Ramirez Passes Cleveland Legend On Extra-Base Hits List

WATCH: Nolan Jones Hits First Career Home Run

Guardians At Royals Game Preview: Guardians Look To Even Up Series

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Tommy Wild
TOMMY WILD

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