Five Things the Guardians Must Do to Repeat as AL Central Champs
Here are five key steps the Guardians need to take in order to defend their title as American League Central champions in 2025.
1. Establish Five Reliable Starting Pitchers
Currently, the Guardians have Tanner Bibee, which is a solid starting point. Ben Lively provided 29 strong starts last season, but when it came to the postseason, the team opted for a struggling Alex Cobb over him for two starts.
Cleveland acquired Luis Ortiz from the Pirates at the winter meetings, immediately inserting him into the rotation. Ortiz made 37 appearances last season, including 15 starts, and the Guardians are hopeful about his potential.
If Bibee, Lively, and Ortiz are in the rotation to begin the season, there are still two spots open. Shane Bieber could potentially return from Tommy John surgery on his elbow, but his recovery timeline is uncertain. If Bieber returns during the stretch run, that would be a bonus, but the team still needs to fill the fourth and fifth spots for the majority of the season.
Gavin Williams, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo, and Slade Cecconi are the candidates for those spots. Williams was limited by right elbow injuries last season, McKenzie and Allen spent most of the year at Triple-A, Cantillo made his MLB debut, and Cecconi was acquired in the Josh Naylor trade.
Cleveland’s rotation totaled just 805 innings last year, the third-fewest in the league. The starters must go deeper into games in 2025.
2. Stay Strong in the Central
The Guardians finished 92-69 last season to win the AL Central, but the competition was fierce. Four of the five teams had winning records, with Kansas City and Detroit finishing tied for second, both reaching the postseason.
Cleveland posted a 30-22 record within the division, while Kansas City led at 33-19. The Twins were 29-23, the Tigers 28-24, and the White Sox had a poor 10-42 record.
This winter, Kansas City brought back right-handers Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen and added closer Carlos Estevez, while trading Brady Singer to Cincinnati for Jonathan India.
Detroit, which lost to Cleveland in the ALDS, has added second baseman Gleyber Torres, right-hander Tommy Kahnle, and Cobb. They are also reportedly pursuing third baseman Alex Bregman.
The Twins, in the midst of a sale, haven’t made many moves this offseason.
Meanwhile, the White Sox and new manager Will Venable are looking to recover from a brutal 121-loss season.
Cleveland, for its part, traded All-Star Josh Naylor, three-time Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez, and center fielder Myles Straw. In free agency, they signed first baseman Carlos Santana, right-hander Paul Sewald, catcher Austin Hedges, and Bieber.
3. Boost Offense
Replacing the 108 RBIs lost with Naylor’s trade to Arizona will be challenging. The return of Santana will help, but at 39, expecting him to match Naylor’s production seems unrealistic.
A full season from Lane Thomas could help close the gap. Thomas had 63 RBIs in just 130 games last season and posted a career-best .268 average with 28 homers and 86 RBIs in 2023.
Jose Ramirez, coming off a stellar season with 39 homers, 119 RBIs, and 41 steals, will continue to anchor the offense. Santana’s presence should help protect Ramirez in the lineup.
Steven Kwan, entering his fourth year, has been an excellent leadoff hitter. Though injuries slowed him last year, he made his first All-Star team and won a Gold Glove, shining in the postseason.
The Guardians need more consistent contributions across the lineup. DH Kyle Manzardo showed promise in September and the postseason, but the lower half of the lineup is lacking offensive punch. Greater production from catcher Bo Naylor and shortstop Brayan Rocchio would be beneficial, as would additional power from the right field platoon of Will Brennan and Jhonkensy Noel.
Emmanuel Clase, the All-Star closer, was dominant in save situations during the regular season but struggled in the post season.