Many considered this to be a rebuilding year for the Cleveland Guardians -- a young team with a rookie manager. Instead, they've been baseball's surprise success story, winning their division and securing a bye and homefield advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Ideastream Public Media's sports commentator Terry Pluto acknowledged he didn't think much of the team this past spring.
“My prediction was 72 -90, so I was way off," Pluto said. "I had no faith in them.”
That’s because the team made no significant moves last winter and were entering this season without their future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona, who retired after 11 seasons in Cleveland.
Last season, Cleveland finished 76-86 – the team’s second losing record since Francona took over as manager in 2013.
“And I'm looking at this going, ‘Uh oh. Rebuild time,’” Pluto said.
Pluto also had questions about the bullpen entering the season.
“It was almost like they had (Emmanuel) Clase and they went on a hunt of rummage sales and they put together — this is not to knock these players, but they will admit themselves — their pedigree was zero," Pluto said. "And they come here and now all these teams that want these guys."
Emmanuel Clase is garnering American League Cy Young consideration and is unanimously considered the best closer in baseball. Pluto gives the credit to longtime pitching coach Carl Willis for helping to develop the bullpen that includes Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Eli Morgan.
Pluto also gives credit to rookie manager Stephen Vogt. Two years ago, the 39-year-old Vogt was catching for the Oakland A's. Last year he served as the Seattle Mariners' bullpen coach before being named manager in Cleveland.
“Vogt is a very, very upbeat guy, that’s his style,” Pluto said. “Of course, so was Terry Francona. There's a lot in common between those two.”
Vogt and the Guardians opened up a nine-game lead in the American League Central Division in June. But by the end of August, Cleveland ended up in a tie with Kansas City.
“I lost faith in them, again, just like I didn't have faith in them in spring training, and I'm like, ‘Uh oh. Reality finally hit,’” Pluto said.
Then, Pluto said Vogt called a team meeting, which he hated as a player, that turned things around.
“He said he reminded the guys that it isn't how you played in August, just like it isn't how you played in April," Pluto said. "He gave them the old, ‘We are a good team. You didn't get to this point by accident.'"
Then, they started getting hot and Kansas City started struggling.
"The remarkable thing was, all of a sudden, in the last 10 days, you know, they clinched a playoff spot," Pluto said. "They clinched the Central Division. They're on their way to having the second-best record in the American League and a bye in the first round the playoffs. All these things are coming along because they finished strong."
Two of the team’s best hitters since late August are Lane Thomas and Kyle Manzardo. Thomas took over center field in a trade-deadline deal with Washington. At one point, he was 5 for 55 after the trade. This month, Thomas is batting .293 with six home runs.
Manzardo was recalled from the minors at the beginning of September. He hit .319 with 4 HR and 9 RBI.
Pluto said the Guardians will need a healthy Steven Kwan for the playoffs. He’s been on the 10-day injured list with mid-back tightness. After earning his first All-Star selection, Kwan batted just .188 from the start of the second half through Sept. 7.
“To make this offense really run that high octane, you needed to have an elite leadoff hitter and that was Kwan,” Pluto said.
Kwan is set to be activated this week.
“If you have him, he was an All-Star as a leadoff hitter," Pluto said. "Then you have a hot Lane Thomas batting second. You have José Ramírez, an All-Star batting third, and then Josh Naylor was an All-Star batting fourth. You've got a top of the lineup that's got some zest to it."
Pluto said he remains dumbfounded by this improbable season.
“To me, when they won 92 games and lost 70 in 2022, that was improbable," Pluto said. "This is outrageous. I mean, this is like the boat keeps sinking and they just keep, you know, patching up holes,” Pluto said.
Pluto describes the team in one word: Relentless.
“Whether it's stealing bases (to) Andrés Giménez playing second base as well as anyone I've ever seen play in a Cleveland uniform," Pluto said. "You know, they're fun. They are a together team.”
