2026 Regular Season Thread

daddywags said:
I agree, he's going to hit. Adding him and DeLauter to Jose (when he gets going, which he will) should really improve our offense. If Schneemann and Rocchio are for real and we get lucky with Hoskins it could be a very interesting season.
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It's not already?:)
 
sportscoach said:
Right now though since Rocchio is hitting .280... Though the expected stats say a regression is very possible, but we are going to stay with the hot hand....

Now, when Arias is back and healthy, that's when we will figure out his role... If Bazzana and Rocchio are both hitting well, Arias will likely end up on the bench and back to utility role... He may be best suited to the role whether we like that or not...

Arias is the best SS cause he has an equal glove and a plus, plus arm, but he is also a plus 2B and 3B... So by default he may be the best as an utility guy at the end of the day
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Agree with everything you say here Coach.
 
WhoAzcue said:
1. Tyler Freeman had a -1.3 bWAR last year. Negative one point three. Nolan Jones had a -0.8. The only "disaster" was having either player on any team in 2025. Freeman is -0.2 so far this year. Claiming there was any virtue in either player is laughable, let alone crucial to the team's play.

2. The claim that we could have reaped benefits from dealing away these alleged "top prospects" who ended up withering on the vine remains one of the saddest delusions many Cleveland fans cling to. It's simply not the case at all. There has never been a clamor for our guys because every team has had tons of guys like ours who've never provided a glimmer that they could excel at the very highest level...every freaking team has a bunch of 'em...yet here we'll be, claiming to the very end we could have foisted our guys on other teams and what, gotten their Andy Marte or Jesse Barfield all over again? The very worst game of "what if" involves the belief that we could have done so much better if we just...well...had the benefit of hindsight. Our hyped guys were never as good as people thought they were and neither were anyone else's. The only way you find out if anyone is ever any good is to play them out. Then you say to yourself, "Darn, wish we would have traded them before they proved they were ass." But then it's too late, sorry! Everyone thinks they're clairvoyant...after the fact.

3. It's hilarious to think Cleveland has made some offensive transformation to the downside this year. We're the same team, only better! We're playing MORE close games this year than last, not less. We're still a negative differential team, only better! Had we played this schedule with last year's team, we'd probably be six or seven games under .500 because we couldn't score at all! I'm no fan of "lift and pull" and I think our roster construction sucks, but last year's club was even worse in virtually every offensive facet. C'mon now, not having any bonafide team speed or failing to drive in runs from 3rd base with less than two out, or not knowing when or how to bunt properly, or a failure to play "Guards Ball" (what a stupid term for "incompetent hitting") was every bit a feature of last year's teams right through the first week of September, and then resumed in the wild card series. Only this year Jose isn't hitting, Manzardo isn't hitting, Bo Naylor is hitting like Hoyt Wilhelm, not Earl Wilson, Kwan isn't hitting...so PUH-LEEZE, enough with the nonsense that we've lost our way offensively because we've recently dropped a couple of games we should have won. We did that ALL summer long last year. All. Summer. Long.
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1. Way to cling to 1960s BRef scouting metrics, lol. And way to avoid what now is a steady 500+ PA sample of peak S. Kwan offense from Freeman. Not sure what's going on with his glove to get dinged so much, but he never was Brito bad and maybe he was moved around at positions he shouldn't be. No clue. But the recent hitting is undeniable and it's why you didn't go anywhere near it. It's also why he is on a ML roster and Nolan Jones in Columbus, btw.

2. Nobody's saying they were top prospects and I'm not making the Cats argument to deal them at perceived peak value. My point is that these guys have blossomed on other rosters and the fact these guys hold roster spots for contending teams (TOR, TB) is proof enough for their worth.

If anything, the FO has figured out to trust their prospects beyond their first 200ish PA and hold them into their peak years. But they're now doing it with primarily power bats. We'll see how that turns out.

3. The difference between late and this season has one name: Chase DeLauter. They also somewhat lucked out on the Cinderella Schnee breakout. Both unicorns...like Kwan and Jose.
Care to tell me what of that was part of the power uber alles dev plan? Manzo, Valera, Bo, N. Jones, Noel, O. Gonzalez, J. Rodriguez ....where's the extra slug coming from?

Oh and BTW, this mess started years ago (Clement, Palacios) and furthered last year when they ditched Gimi, Free, Brennan for Arias, Jones and Noel/Rodriguez. Last season was actually proof Guardsball was a more successful brand of ball than TTO ball.
 
PPark said:
Given the message you’re responding to is blank (at least to me), they’re calling up Halpin?
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I'm getting some blank messages that other posters are responding to as well. What's up with that?

Edit: Nevermind, somebody said it was weak wifi that won't load Twitter.
 
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Last two games our three catchers are 6-for-13 with a walk. OK, we're in a minor league park and Fry was playing right field, but still...

Fry looked very good in right field. He almost threw out a runner at 3rd on a perfect throw on a deep fly ball. I could see playing him there when they want to give DeLauter a DH day.

Jose is 3-for-27 this year with RISP. He has 5 RBI's with RISP out of probably 35 runners on 2nd and 3rd. He's hacking at pitches he has no chance of hitting. More than 1/5th of the way through the season and he's been awful. He's hitting .182 left-handed. He's 4-for-24 as a DH.

Jose and Manzardo are killing us from the #3 and #4 spots in the batting order, but we're still one of just four teams in the American League over .500. If we beat the A's on Sunday and Detroit loses to Texas there will only be 3.

According to powerrankingsguru.com the Guardians have played the second toughest schedule and have the easiest remaining. Unfortunately, the Tigers have the 3rd easiest remaining. The Tigers are right in the middle of strength of schedule played and are 17-17.
 
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In his last three starts Cecconi has allowed 15 earned runs in 16 innings. According to Fangraphs his Stuff+ is a 93 (7% worse than average) and his location is a 97. Last year his stuff was 93 and his location 105.

Last year his expected ERA was 5.00 (4.30 actual); this year his xERA is 5.65.

I don't think Cecconi has the stuff to be an effective starting pitcher; even when his location is at his best his xERA is 5.00. His slider and curve are getting murdered; both are much worse than last year in pitch value.

On another subject, in his last 25 games, including the playoffs, Hedges is hitting .296 with an on-base percentage of .359. He said after the season that he figured something out in September and it looks like it carried over to this year. It's only 71 at-bats, but the numbers are striking. He was hitting .136 at the end of August last year with an OBP of .255; since then it's .296 and .359.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Last two games our three catchers are 6-for-13 with a walk. OK, we're in a minor league park and Fry was playing right field, but still...

Fry looked very good in right field. He almost threw out a runner at 3rd on a perfect throw on a deep fly ball. I could see playing him there when they want to give DeLauter a DH day.

Jose is 3-for-27 this year with RISP. He has 5 RBI's with RISP out of probably 35 runners on 2nd and 3rd. He's hacking at pitches he has no chance of hitting. More than 1/5th of the way through the season and he's been awful. He's hitting .182 left-handed. He's 4-for-24 as a DH.

Jose and Manzardo are killing us from the #3 and #4 spots in the batting order, but we're still one of just four teams in the American League over .500. If we beat the A's on Sunday and Detroit loses to Texas there will only be 3.

According to powerrankingsguru.com the Guardians have played the second toughest schedule and have the easiest remaining. Unfortunately, the Tigers have the 3rd easiest remaining. The Tigers are right in the middle of strength of schedule played and are 17-17.
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..it's always a good scheme to create an outfield rotation.. Kwan, CDL, Schnee, Angel & w/ Fry swinging his bat with authority.. that's five guys for three spots... w/ Halpin as a defensive/pr replacement... should be doable... no?
 
Tondo said:
1. Way to cling to 1960s BRef scouting metrics, lol. And way to avoid what now is a steady 500+ PA sample of peak S. Kwan offense from Freeman. Not sure what's going on with his glove to get dinged so much, but he never was Brito bad and maybe he was moved around at positions he shouldn't be. No clue. But the recent hitting is undeniable and it's why you didn't go anywhere near it. It's also why he is on a ML roster and Nolan Jones in Columbus, btw.

2. Nobody's saying they were top prospects and I'm not making the Cats argument to deal them at perceived peak value. My point is that these guys have blossomed on other rosters and the fact these guys hold roster spots for contending teams (TOR, TB) is proof enough for their worth.

If anything, the FO has figured out to trust their prospects beyond their first 200ish PA and hold them into their peak years. But they're now doing it with primarily power bats. We'll see how that turns out.

3. The difference between late and this season has one name: Chase DeLauter. They also somewhat lucked out on the Cinderella Schnee breakout. Both unicorns...like Kwan and Jose.
Care to tell me what of that was part of the power uber alles dev plan? Manzo, Valera, Bo, N. Jones, Noel, O. Gonzalez, J. Rodriguez ....where's the extra slug coming from?

Oh and BTW, this mess started years ago (Clement, Palacios) and furthered last year when they ditched Gimi, Free, Brennan for Arias, Jones and Noel/Rodriguez. Last season was actually proof Guardsball was a more successful brand of ball than TTO ball.
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I've been a Freeman hopeful but idk what he has shown that even remotely resembles "peak Kwan". His numbers are below league average when factoring in park which should be done considering he is in Colorado. 2 HRs in Coors isn't really getting it done.
 
Since coming back from Columbus Collin Holderman has pitched 7 innings allowing 4 hits, no runs, no walks, and 5 K's for a .160 BAA. He's faced 25 batters and thrown only 76 pitches, or 3 pitchers per batter. He's getting quick outs and they're developing him as a multi-inning reliever it appears.

Matthew Brogdon had a 6.75 ERA but in his last three appearances he's pitched 3.1 innings allowing 3 hits, no runs, no walks, and 3 K's. Not spectacular but better. With Espino and Aleman getting closer to being called up these reclamation projects need to be really good if they want to keep their jobs. I can see Gaddis being sent down for Espino. Assistant GM James Harris said his stuff and velocity are back and that he should be able to help us "really soon."

Two series coming up against KC and Minnesota. Seven games in seven days. Time to step up.

We need more offense. In the last six games DeLauter is hitting .591 and Hedges .444. The rest of the team is hitting .198. The next highest BA is Manzardo at .235. Jose is hitting .167 over the last six games, Kwan .217, Angel .211, Schneemann and Hoskins .222, Naylor .167, Bazzana .188, and Rocchio .227.

Considering that three of those games were played in a the most hitter friendly park in the majors that's pretty embarrassing. What the heck is wrong with Kwan and Jose?

Jose is great hitting right-handed; .289/1.030. But left-handed he's hitting just .187/.646.

Last year those numbers were .320/.891 and .267/.849. In 2024 he hit .348/1.081 and .254 /.797. He's always been awesome hitting right-handed and pretty good hitting left-handed, but this year his left-handed hitting has fallen off a cliff. Hope he can right the ship quickly. The good news is we're facing two lefties against KC this week.
 
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Bazzana hitting below the Mendoza line while still have OBP of 409 in 22PA's. He's always been presser so once he settles down he'll be just fine. As other have said I hope he doesn't worry about hitting for power this season. Just get comfortable with big league pitching and get on base any way you can.
 
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