3 reasons the Cleveland Guardians have turned things around

The Cleveland Guardians turned their season around but how?

The Cleveland Guardians are rolling. They haven’t lost any of their last nine series, having won six of them. They now have one of the 10 best records in the Majors, with the odds of it being much better by the end of August, and they’re atop the AL Central.

They’re rolling.

Yet a few weeks ago, this was a team that was fighting off a .500 record, so what changed? Well, the team was struggling with some poor starting pitching, some poor offense, and a whole host of rain delays, so maybe that had something to do with it?

It did, but there are a few deeper reasons other than rain and poor performances.

What did the Cleveland Guardians do to help turn around their club in 2022

Letting Franmil Reyes go

Baseball is such a unique beast. It’s both the perfect balance of individualism and team effort. Yes, a player in the batting box is going one on one with the pitcher, but how they handle the at-bat could have drastic consequences for anyone on base or hit next in the order. When Franmil Reyes was hitting cleanup and striking out constantly, he was often leaving runners on base and ending innings with his poor plate vision. It’s no surprise that the team’s two best stretches of the offense have been since his demotion and during his injury earlier in the year.  Clearly, he was hindering the ability to score runs, usually by ending innings with a massive whiff.

Everyone getting healthy

When you have guys like James Karinchak, Aaron Civale, Oscar Gonzalez, and a whole host of others either missing huge chunks, in and out of the lineup, or dealing with a steady injury, it’s hard to be at the very top of your game. That’s going to hinder the productivity of your team. Everyone is healthy, for the most part, and this team is rolling.

Consistency and scheduling

Don’t underestimate being overworked, even if it’s while playing a game you love. The Guardians are either near the top of the league or at the top of the league in the most double-headers played this year, as well as most four-game series played. They probably have the least amount of off days of any major league team since June. Getting a consistent schedule not only helped the team with getting off days but also gave the youngers a chance to develop a good routine that they can get used to and rely on. It’s hard playing at noon the day after playing until 10 or so. So a more stable schedule has allowed the team to develop a more regular routine and consistency and it shows.