The Cleveland Guardians are straight-up defying gravity right now, sitting tied atop the AL Central division with the White Sox after the All-Star break. And get this: they’re doing it without their future Hall of Famer, José Ramírez, and Angel Martínez, who was leading the team in slugging percentage and home runs before he got hurt. Both have been out for over a month, man! Everyone thought this squad would live and die by its pitching and defense, just scrapping for enough offense to win. So far in 2026, they’ve not just met those expectations; in some areas, they’ve absolutely blown past them, especially after weathering what was supposed to be the toughest part of their schedule.
Starters Are STRAIGHT UP Dominating
Forget those preseason whispers, because Cleveland’s starting rotation has absolutely exceeded expectations, even with some bumps along the way. Yeah, Slade Cecconi had a rough start, and Tanner Bibee has tossed a couple of clunkers here and there. But listen: Parker Messick is a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender, no joke. And both he and Gavin Williams are already in the Cy Young conversation! Joey Cantillo has been incredibly solid too, just quietly getting the job done. Overall, this rotation boasts the 7th best ERA in all of MLB and has thrown the 3rd most innings in the entire league, missing the Dodgers for second place by just 0.1 innings. We knew they were good after how they finished 2025, but the fact they’re going deeper into games *and* maintaining a top 10 ERA? That’s just insane.
The Bullpen Has Taken A Step Back, But There’s Still Hope
Now, let’s talk about the bullpen. In 2024, this relief corps was practically mythical, leading MLB in both fWAR and ERA by a mile. They kept it up in 2025, finishing 3rd in both categories. So far in 2026? Their ERA is 8th in MLB and their fWAR is sitting at 12th. It’s definitely a step down from what we’ve seen. We’ve witnessed a couple of truly uncharacteristic bullpen collapses this season, especially those late-inning implosions with four or more walks that just blow leads. And injuries haven’t helped a bit: Hunter Gaddis basically missed all of early regular season play and spring training, and Erik Sabrowski was out for the end of May and most of June. It’s not all doom and gloom though! Daniel Espino and Franco Aleman have had super promising starts to their MLB careers this year, and you know 2026 AL All-Star Cade Smith has been as dominant of a closer as you could ever want. An 8th place ERA of 3.74 is still good, sure, but after the last two years, it’s just below what everyone expected.
So, what does this all mean? The Guardians are still somehow tied for the division lead despite some massive blows to their lineup and a bullpen that hasn’t quite lived up to its elite past. If the starting rotation keeps dealing like this and those young bullpen arms keep stepping up, this team could keep surprising everyone. It’s gonna be wild to see how they finish out this next stretch!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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