The 2022 Cleveland Guardians team just feels different

The Cleveland Guardians are just a different beast in 2022.

I was working during the seventh inning of the Cleveland Guardians game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The Guards were down 5-1 in the seventh, and over the last few years, the vibe was that the Guards couldn’t tack on four or five runs in an innings. So the game felt over. So I turned off the radio to concentrate on work projects. Time went by, and I find myself getting in the car to go get some late-night snackage, only to hear the Guards were still on. In the 11th. With a 9-9 tie.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Then Josh Naylor hit his sixth, seventh, and eighth RBI of the night to put the Guards up 12-9. I’ve been high on the offense since the second series, but to have a guy, to have a squad that could hang 11 runs in three innings? That’s something special.

Now, Naylor is getting the most credit for his eight RBI, and for good reason. He smacked in eight RBIs, that’s impressive. That said, credit to everyone involved; because this isn’t the NBA. Baseball is a weird beast, as pitching and defense are very singular, yet the offensive side of the game is very team-oriented. You can succeed or fail on your own in the field but you only succeed, truly, offensively with help.

So Naylor’s eight RBIs are impressive in their own right, but what is also impressive is the players who were able to get on base to help Naylor have the game he had. Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez had five runs scored combined. Guys got on base, and that’s the way to win games. There’s a reason the Guardians’ offense is second in the league in runs.

They’re not living and dying on the long ball, and that’s why they’re succeeding offensively.

The Cleveland Guardians are on the right path

Every season we have the same discussion; “they didn’t sign anyone, why didn’t they sign anyone, cheap owners, blah blah blah”. That’s because they’re used to watching bad teams in the NFL, NBA, and even in the MLB. Bad teams that don’t develop or cultivate their own talent. They don’t find that talent elsewhere. Those teams often fall in on themselves eventually. The Guardians ate a lot of flack for the trades they made over the last two seasons, yet it’s those trades that have generated this revival.

The Guardians’ offense is mostly the by-product of good trades for talent fans were adamant they shouldn’t move on from. Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, Trevor Bauer, and Franciso Lindor have led the Guardians to this start.

This franchise knows what it is doing. I trust them because they’ve never given me a reason not to.