Guardians Spring Training Preview: Ready to Make a Jump

In Game 3 of the 2024 ALCS, the Cleveland Guardians were down two and one out away from a 3-0 deficit in the series. Then, outfielder Jhonkensy Noel blasted a game-tying home run to left field that swung the momentum in favor of Cleveland and led to a 7-5 victory. The words of announcer Brian Anderson during this moment were etched into Guardians lore forever.

“Big Christmas has tied it,” Anderson said. “The ultimate present under the tree!”

While the Guardians fell short of their primary objective last season, one swing gave Cleveland fans hope for 2025 and beyond.

The Guardians will be returning much of what got them to the ALCS last season, including the best bullpen in baseball. Led by Emmanuel Clase, who had an American League-best 47 saves and a 0.61 ERA, Cleveland’s relievers were incredible and will look to do the same this year.

“They’re really, really good,” said Houston Astros manager Joe Espada last season. “They have good arms. They throw a ton of strikes. They give you a different look. Their repertoire is that they kind of have different stuff.”

While they may have the best bullpen in the majors, according to MLB.com’s Mandy Bell, the Guardians will need to rely on more than just arms. Cleveland’s lineup will look a little different than it did a year ago after trading second baseman Andres Gimenez and first baseman Josh Naylor away. Still, the centerpiece for the Guardians offense remains third baseman José Ramírez.

The six-time All-Star finished fifth in AL MVP voting last year after slashing .279/.335/.537 with 39 homers and 118 RBIs. He will continue to be the main attraction in Cleveland’s lineup, and he will need to have another huge season if the Guardians want to have a chance of getting to the World Series.

2024 Record: 92-69 (First, AL Central)

Last Postseason Appearance: 2024 (Lost ALCS 3-1 to New York Yankees)

What Happened in 2024: Last season, to some extent, came out of nowhere for the Guardians. Cleveland’s odds of winning the AL Central were not great heading into 2024. Their projected win total was set at 79.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook. However, thanks to the Minnesota Twins collapsing down the stretch, the Guardians were able to steal the division crown. They rode that momentum into the postseason before facing the Yankees. The Guardians’ pitching staff was phenomenal all year. It finished third in MLB in team ERA, second in BAA and fifth in the AL in strikeouts. 

All of that was all done without Cleveland’s ace, Shane Bieber, who made just two appearances before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. With Bieber’s injury and the lack of star power outside of Clase and Ramirez, the homer Noel hit to win Game 3 summed up the Guardians’ season. An unexpected hero coming up in the clutch gave Cleveland fans a memory they won’t forget.

New Arrivals

• LHP Jakob Junis (Milwaukee Brewers)
• RHP Luis Ortiz (Pittsburgh Pirates)
• RHP Slade Cecconi (Arizona Diamondbacks)
• 1B Carlos Santana (Minnesota Twins)
• RHP Paul Sewald (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Key Departures

• 2B Andrés Giménez (trade to Blue Jays)
• RHP Nick Sandlin (trade to Blue Jays)
• 1B Josh Naylor (trade to Diamondbacks)
• LHP Matthew Boyd (free agent)
• RHP Carlos Carrasco (free agent)

Projected Batting Order*

1. LF Steven Kwan
2. DH Kyle Manzardo
3. 3B José Ramírez
4. 1B Carlos Santana
5. CF Lane Thomas
6. RF Will Brennan
7. 2B Juan Brito
8. C Bo Naylor
9. SS Brayan Rocchio

Projected Rotation*

1. Tanner Bibee (RHP)
2. Ben Lively (RHP)
3. Gavin Williams (RHP)
4. Luis Ortiz (RHP)
5. Triston McKenzie (RHP)

Projected Bullpen*

• Mid-Relief: Paul Sewald (RHP), Tim Herrin (LHP), Andrew Walters (RHP), Erik Sabrowski (LHP)
• Long-Relief: Jakob Junis (RHP)
• Set-Up: Cade Smith (RHP), Hunter Gaddis (RHP)
• Closer: Emmanuel Clase (RHP)

Biggest Question: Did the front office do enough to make a difference in the lineup? 

Cleveland traded away two everyday starters Gimenez and Naylor, and it only replaced one. Cleveland signed first baseman Carlos Santana, who was worse in every major category last year than Naylor. As for Gimenez’s replacement, the obvious answer to the long-term second-base spot is 2024 No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana, who we may see in the big leagues before the end of the year. However, for the start of the season, the Guardians are likely to call up Juan Brito, the organization’s No. 8 prospect, according to MLB.com. Brito hit .256 last year in AAA with 21 home runs and 84 RBI.

Team MVP: José Ramírez

The switch-hitting monster is coming off one of the best years of his career. Now 32, the clock is ticking for him to win a World Series title. Ramirez has experience hitting in the middle of the lineup, which is a huge plus for a relatively young team. Expect to see him in the race for AL MVP once again.

Breakout Candidate to Watch: Gavin Williams 

The right-hander Williams is entering his third season in the big leagues. After an incredible rookie year, posting a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts, he was ready for a step up in 2024. However, an elbow injury threw his season off the track. He was never able to get back into his strider, going 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA. This season, look for a fully-recovered Williams to be a big part of Cleveland’s rotation.

Key Stat: 26.5.

The average age of the Guardian’s roster is 26.5, which is the third youngest in baseball. The Guardians are projected to have only four guys who have more than five years of MLB experience on their Opening Day roster. With this abundance of youth and the veteran presence of Ramirez and Santana in the middle of the lineup, it will be interesting to see what the dynamic of this team is this year.

2025 Will be Successful if… Cleveland can win the division for the second year in a row. 

While last year’s success was a surprise to many, this season may be as well. If the Guardians can continue to shove like they did all last season, especially in the back end of games with Clase converting 47 out of 50 save opportunities, they have a chance of repeating as AL Central champions.

2025 Prediction – First AL Central, Playoff Berth

While there are questions about Cleveland’s lack of additions in the offseason, especially on the offensive side, pitching is a huge key for this team in 2025. The Guardians will most likely not have the same success they had a season ago and may struggle to break 90 wins again, but they certainly can flirt with a division crown.

FanGraphs’ Projection: 77-85
Baseball Prospectus: 79-82

*Projections were pulled from FanGraphs as of Feb. 23

Posted: February 23, 2025
Category: Cactus League, Cleveland Guardians
Tagged as: ALCS, Cactus League, Carlos Santana, Cleveland, Cleveland Guardians, Emmanuel Clase, Jhonkensy Noel, Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, MLB, MLB Spring Training, Spring Training