Cleveland Guardians stats to know with stunning 36-17 start (2024)

The Cleveland Guardians are 36-17, tied for the best start in the 124-year history of the franchise. And, well, maybe this is more than a “start.” After all, if Stephen Vogt’s club plays .500 ball the rest of the way, it’ll wind up clearing the 90-win mark.

The club has raced out to a 36-17 record on three other occasions: 1995 (reached the World Series), 1954 (reached the World Series) and 1920 (won the World Series).

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The Kansas City Royals went 8-1 in their last nine games and actually dropped a game in the AL Central standings over that span. Cleveland’s nine-game winning streak is its longest since its record-setting 22-game win streak in 2017.

Every statistic seems to be glistening for the Guardians at the moment. Here are a bunch more to recite at your Memorial Day cookout.

GO DEEPERPlayer swaps and crop tops: The Cleveland Guardians' winning ways won't stop

José Ramírez, in one of his frequent, slap-happy pregame moods last week, rushed out of the Guardians’ clubhouse to head to the weight room. As he exited, he pointed at Ramón Laureano’s empty locker stall and shouted that the veteran outfielder had been designated for assignment and he didn’t want to be next.

He’s probably safe.

Experts have said Hosey is off to a "slow start" by the way.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/2Lo4Ljw2DC

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 26, 2024

Over his last 20 games, Ramírez has as many home runs (10) as strikeouts. He should wind up at No. 2 on Cleveland’s all-time home run leaderboard by the end of the summer.

1. Jim Thome, 337
2. Albert Belle, 242
3. Manny Ramirez, 236
4. José Ramírez, 231
5. Earl Averill, 226

Remember when Ramírez entered the 2016 season as a 23-year-old with a career .239/.298/.346 slash line in 180 games? It’s hard to believe this is the same guy, but a good reminder that players develop on different timelines.

Ramírez’s career high is 39 home runs, set in 2018. He’s on pace for 46, which would be the most by a Cleveland hitter since Thome slugged a franchise-record 52 in 2002.

As a team, the Guardians entered Sunday tied for ninth in the majors with 59 home runs, almost halfway to last year’s MLB-worst total of 124. Last season, they hit their 59th home run in their 88th game.

Ramírez has a league-leading 52 RBIs, nearly one per game. Manny Ramirez, the franchise record-holder with 165 RBIs in 1999, had 68 RBIs through 53 games that year.

The Guardians are 31-0 when ahead after eight innings, which is quite the endorsement of closer Emmanuel Clase, who leads the league with 17 saves.

Even more impressive: They’re 27-1 when ahead after six innings. Their middle relief has been elite, too.

Outside of a shaky, four-game stretch in Atlanta and Houston a month ago, Hunter Gaddis has not allowed a run all season. Hitters are 1-for-24 against Nick Sandlin with runners in scoring position. Hitters have a .430 OPS against Tim Herrin.

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Clase, Sandlin, Gaddis, Herrin and Cade Smith have combined for a 1.41 ERA.

The top three teams, by bullpen ERA, entering Sunday’s action:

1. Guardians, 2.49
2. Yankees, 2.84
3. Dodgers, 3.30

That gap between first and third is greater than the gap between third and 20th on the bullpen ERA leaderboard.

Clase could eclipse Cody Allen as the franchise’s all-time saves leader by the end of the season.

1. Cody Allen, 149
2. Bob Wickman, 139
3. Doug Jones, 129
4. Emmanuel Clase, 127
5. Chris Perez, 124

“(He’s) somebody who wants to be the best,” Vogt said. “(He) isn’t satisfied with being OK or pretty good. He wants to be elite. That’s an absolute weapon.”

The rotation has done its best to match the bullpen lately, too.

Ben Lively, a career journeyman, has a 2.80 ERA in eight starts. During his best eight-game stretch prior to this one, he posted a 3.70 ERA for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017. The Guardians are 10-1 in Tanner Bibee’s starts. They’ve scored 72 runs in Logan Allen’s 11 starts, which has granted him time to find a rhythm. Triston McKenzie has logged a 2.52 ERA over his last seven starts.

Even with an 0-for-4 showing Sunday, David Fry’s first two months have been otherworldly. He has appeared in 36 games and has posted a 1.087 OPS. Only 12 other hitters in franchise history have been as productive in their first 36 appearances of a season. (Tris Speaker and Albert Belle made this list twice. It’s fabled company … and also Chuck Essegian.)

Best 36-game starts by a CLE hitter

Player

Year

OPS

Joe Jackson

1913

1.285

David Justice

1997

1.214

Albert Belle

1994

1.174

Manny Ramirez

1995

1.168

Nap Lajoie

1902

1.167

Tris Speaker

1921

1.167

Albert Belle

1996

1.148

Earl Averill

1938

1.129

Victor Martinez

2009

1.129

Al Rosen

1954

1.111

Jim Thome

1996

1.104

Tris Speaker

1920

1.100

Toby Harrah

1982

1.097

Chuck Essegian

1962

1.096

David Fry

2024

1.087

Fry is a driving factor for the team’s 10-2 standing against left-handed starters this season. He entered Sunday with a 1.551 OPS against southpaws.

Guardians vs. lefties in 2023: .232/.296/.367 (an OPS 21 percent below league average)
Guardians vs. lefties in 2024: .263/.336/.466 (an OPS 28 percent above league average)

Fry has thrived at home (1.084 OPS), on the road (1.165 OPS), with runners in scoring position (1.211 OPS), against starters (.994 OPS), against relievers (1.251 OPS), at night (1.100 OPS), in the day (1.177 OPS), in a box (1.145 OPS), with a fox (1.023 OPS), in a house (1.272 OPS) and with a mouse (1.410 OPS).

Remember the Guardians’ lone three-game losing streak this season? You know, that one against the … um … mighty New York Yankees? Nope. The Atlanta Braves? No. The defending champion Rangers? Try again. Surely, the reigning AL Central champion Minnesota Twins? Nah.

Oh, that’s right: The only time the Guardians have lost more than two in a row in 2024? Their miserable weekend in Chicago in early May, against the sad-sack White Sox, owners of the league’s worst record.

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What a logic-defying sport.

The Guardians have lost consecutive games only three other times. They dropped both ends of a doubleheader against the Yankees on their first homestand. They suffered a pair of gut-punch walk-off losses in Atlanta and Houston at the end of April. And after losing the series finale in Houston, they landed back in Cleveland at 3 a.m. and then sleepwalked through a game against the Los Angeles Angels.

That’s it. Two months of baseball, four instances of consecutive losses.

(Photo of Andres Gimenez and Tyler Freeman celebrating Sunday’s victory: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)

Cleveland Guardians stats to know with stunning 36-17 start (2)Cleveland Guardians stats to know with stunning 36-17 start (3)

Zack Meisel is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball. Zack was named the 2021 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and won first place for best sports coverage from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has been on the beat since 2011 and is the author of four books, including "Cleveland Rocked," the tale of the 1995 team. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackMeisel

Cleveland Guardians stats to know with stunning 36-17 start (2024)
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