3 Cleveland Guardians who set the standard for modern franchise legends

Three Cleveland Guardians who set the standard.

Recently, former Cleveland Guardians’ second basemen Jason Kipnis retired. The former two-time All-Star was part of the squad through the early days of Terry Francona’s run with the squad, which for that group culminated in 2016 as the squad chased down its first title in decades.

Since his retirement, a lot of people are claiming Kipnis to be a franchise legend, and I just don’t agree. He’s a very popular player, no doubt about it. But he was never someone who led the league in anything relevant, his All-Star nods were at a down point in the AL in second-basemen play, and his best years weren’t really all that great.

Plus, he fell off really fast. He was done as a reliable everyday starter after 29. He only had four good, not even great, years with the club. I like Kipnis, but he isn’t a franchise legend. A very popular player, sure, but not an All-Time great.

But who among the modern players are?

Three Cleveland Guardians who set the modern standard for the franchise

Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber’s run for the Guardians through the mid-2010s was second to none. He won two Cy Youngs and probably should’ve won another two. Was an MVP candidate three times. He nearly won 100 games in just 203 starts, while racking up 1,461 strikeouts in just 1,341.2 innings pitched. The man was referred to as “Klubot” (Kluber + Robot) due to his efficient talent and emotionless nature. He truly was the King of the North.

Michael Brantley

While not all of Michael Brantley’s success came in Cleveland, the five-time All-Star, and World Series champion, was one of the Guardians’ best players during his tenure with the organization. He was an MVP candidate, when to the All-Star game three times as a member of the Guardians organization, and hit .295 for his time in Cleveland.

Victor Martinez

Victor Martinez was one of those guys who had a much longer career at the top than anyone expected. He was super productive well into his late 30s and had the Guardians not traded him, would’ve been super reliable in their push for the World Series in 2016. A multi-time MVP candidate, he nearly won the award at 35 years old in 2014, losing out to Mike Trout. He was one of the best hitters in the game during his tenure with Cleveland, and later the Detroit Tigers. His longevity is one of the reasons why he’s as respected as he is today.