The Guardians have managed to maintain a winning record despite a first half of the season marked by injuries. As of Tuesday, Cleveland is 44-41 and sits one game behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central Division.
Ideastream Public Media commentator Terry Pluto said the halfway mark is a good time to evaluate the team's progress.
“Last year at this point, they were 40-41 and sinking because remember, as we entered into the month of July, here came the gambling scandals with (pitchers) Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz," Pluto said "And they turned around and they came back with the biggest second half comeback in baseball history, 15 games back to catch the Tigers make the playoffs."
Pluto said he expects the team to have a strong second half, which has been typical for Cleveland.
“Because oftentimes they're sorting through the roster (and) some (players) are sent to the minors (and) others come up from the minors (in the first half)," Pluto said. "The second half, they sort of feel like these are the guys we think can help us now."
The story so far this season for the Guardians has been injuries. During one game in mid June, star third baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez were all injured.
Ramirez underwent surgery to repair a fractured left hamate bone and is expected to remain sidelined until sometime after the All-Star break.
Martinez remains out with a fractured left foot, the result of a direct hit from a foul ball.
DeLauter suffered a hairline fracture while chasing a fly ball and crashing into the outfield wall. He has since returned to the lineup, serving primarily as the designated hitter as he eases back into action.
“Three guys right from the middle of the lineup are gone in one day," Pluto said. "And I thought, ‘Oh, Lord, this is gonna be bad because they have trouble scoring runs anyway.'"
Still, Pluto said he is not particularly worried.
“Their history is they put it together and I expect whenever Jose comes back, he will play well," Pluto said. "And the Guardians are always good and I think they'll always be good again, because they have a core of young pitchers."
Meanwhile, several rookies are beginning to provide a spark for the lineup. Second baseman Travis Bazzana made history in 2024 as the first Australian-born player selected first overall in the MLB Draft. His first season in the majors, he's batting .255 with seven home runs, 25 RBIs and 47 hits.
“Now you watch him and you see this scrappy little guy,” Pluto said. “But he's really put together physically … he has surprising power, he runs pretty well (and) he's just a spark plug for the top of the order (and) draws a lot of walks.”
Another rookie showing promise is Kahlil Watson. He was the 16th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins and was acquired by Cleveland in a 2023 trade that sent Josh Bell to Miami. Originally a shortstop, Watson has since moved to the outfield.
“It took a while, but this guy now (is) playing like a player who was a high first round pick,” Pluto said.
As of June 29, the Guardians were one of just four American League teams with a winning record. The others were the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
“And the team that's like, for example, in the central division, the team has a strong second half, and the Guardians usually have a strong second half, that's going to win the division," Pluto said. "And that's why I expect them to do it again, even though they don't have a glamor lineup and they don't have a big payroll. They have a formula for winning. I think it's going to be a lot of fun in the second half."
