The Bottom Falls Out in Cleveland

 

On June 22nd, the Guardians were grasping control of the AL central during a series with the reigning Minnesota Twins, and had the momentum and drive to look like a perennial threat for the division. 

They've won 5 games since. Now they're at exactly .500. 41-41. And while they're still in second and somewhat close to the Twins in the standings, a lot of the hopes of a truly competitive Guardians team seem to have wilted.

For one thing, it's still looking like all three AL Wild Card spots might go to AL East teams. There is competition from Seattle, and even Baltimore, for a spot, but unless one of the Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays completely craps out, the wild card spot may not be a feasible way for the Guardians to get to October. So it would mean they'd need to take the division. In the weeks since circling 1st, the Twins are 9-7, and keeping a lot of momentum with a skeleton crew pitching staff. The Guardians pretty much have everybody...they've just gone a bit cold.

I mean, a few pieces have gotten hurt, like feel-good rookie Oscar Gonzalez and insane baseball story Anthony Gose, but everyone's still here. And none of the pitchers who were doing well before have completely fallen off, though their ERAs have evened a bit. What is evident is that while Jose Ramirez is still having a great season, he, like fellow MVP candidate Aaron Judge, has fallen below .300, and below a 1.000 OPS, and is now hitting .285 with a .937 OPS. He's still hitting well, he's still not striking out very often, but the cold spell has even hit his stats. 

Funnily enough, what's still very much working is the double play combo the Guardians got from New York in exchange for Francisco Lindor. Andres Gimenez is having an excellent season, this has been discussed, but so is Amed Rosario, who's hitting .274 with 83 hits and 24 RBIs. I think he's figured out the exact balance of contact and power, and he's doing so in a way that definitely benefits the team. I honestly just think he fit more in Cleveland than he did in New York, even if it's a bit controversial to say. 

I think this team could definitely pick up again after the ASG break, but this dry spell has sunk their playoff chances, and they're gonna need a lot of help in order to sneak in. A lot of things need to change, and this means both things they can immediately control and things they cannot.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the many rookies keeping the Cardinals in the race thus far.