r/ClevelandGuardians

Guardians (29-22) @ Tigers (20-30)

First Pitch: 1:10 PM at Comerica Park

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

Broadcast Info

Team	TV	Radio
Guardians
Tigers

Probable Starters

Team	Pitcher	Record	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP
Guardians	Joey Cantillo	3-1	3.40	50.1	44	19	24	45	1.35
Tigers	Casey Mize	2-2	2.43	37.0	28	10	11	39	1.05

Matchups

DET vs. Cantillo	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
Dingler	.500	1.500	2	0	0	0
Greene, R	.500	1.000	2	0	0	0
Jones, Jah	.000	.333	2	0	0	1
Keith	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lee, H	-	-	-	-	-	-
McGonigle	-	-	-	-	-	-
McKinstry	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pérez, W	.000	.000	3	0	0	0
Rogers	.000	.000	1	0	0	1
Short	.000	.000	2	0	0	2
Torkelson	.500	1.000	2	0	0	1
Vierling	-	-	-	-	-	-
Workman	-	-	-	-	-	-

CLE vs. Mize	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
Bailey	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bazzana	-	-	-	-	-	-
DeLauter	-	-	-	-	-	-
Fry	-	-	-	-	-	-
Halpin	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hedges	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hoskins	.000	.333	2	0	0	0
Kwan	.222	.444	9	0	0	0
Manzardo	.200	.400	5	0	0	3
Martínez, A	.333	.666	3	0	0	1
Ramírez, Jo	.500	1.645	10	2	4	1
Rocchio	.333	1.167	3	0	0	1
Schneemann	.125	.250	8	0	0	3

Links

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We have 3 very promising prospects and no where to put them.

Let’s get Ralphy out the way first. I don’t see a path to him being on the roster this year at all. Everything he does at Triple A is gearing him up to be on the team next year.

Genao in a relatively small sample size (14 games) at triple A is showing he’s the real deal. .304/.350/.571/.921. 17 hits in 24 games, w 3 HR. With Rocchio having a breakout season where does the leave the future for Genao? In my opinion probably another guy that won’t see the bigs until next season. Potential September call up.

The most interesting case of the bunch is Cooper Ingle who is putting up video game numbers in Columbus. .363/.528/.675/1.203, with more walks than strikeouts. Barry Bonds type line w/ a higher average. The thing w Ingle is he needs to develop behind the plate if he’s gonna play there at the major league level. Especially mid season when he hasn’t had a lot of work with our staff. However the bat deserves to be up here. Is he a potential trade candidate? Will we move someone at the deadline to make room for him? It’s hard to let a guy w these numbers rot in triple A for a full season.

Curious to your thoughts w each player? More particularly Genao and Ingle.

Guardians (28-22) @ Tigers (20-29)

First Pitch: 6:40 PM at Comerica Park

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

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Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Guardians	Tanner Bibee (0-6, 4.15 ERA)
Tigers

Game Preview

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Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E	LOB
CLE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	3	8	1	9
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	5	0	6

Box Score

DET		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
1B	Keith	5	0	0	0	0	0	.281
SS	McGonigle	2	1	0	0	2	0	.285
DH	Dingler	3	0	0	0	1	1	.234
LF	Greene, R	4	0	1	0	0	2	.333
CF	Vierling	3	0	0	1	0	1	.207
3B	Workman	3	0	0	0	0	1	.185
SS	Short	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
RF	Pérez, W	1	1	0	0	0	1	.167
2B	McKinstry	4	0	2	1	0	1	.186
3B	Lee, H	4	0	1	0	0	1	.207
C	Rogers	3	0	1	0	0	1	.159
PH	Torkelson	1	0	0	0	0	0	.193

DET	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Anderson, D	4.2	2	0	0	2	7	63-38	3.98
Finnegan	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	12-9	1.59
Hurter	1.1	0	0	0	1	0	9-4	3.00
Jansen, K	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	18-11	3.38
Vest	1.0	2	1	1	0	1	20-13	5.93
Holton	1.0	2	2	1	0	1	18-12	4.70

CLE		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
RF	Martínez, A	5	1	1	1	0	0	.263
3B	Ramírez, Jo	5	0	1	1	0	3	.235
DH	DeLauter	4	0	2	0	1	1	.274
1B	Hoskins	3	0	1	0	0	1	.192
1B	Manzardo	2	0	0	0	0	2	.222
CF	Schneemann	5	1	1	0	0	1	.244
RF	Fry	1	0	0	0	1	0	.224
2B	Bazzana	2	0	1	0	0	0	.304
LF	Kwan	2	0	1	0	1	0	.207
C	Bailey	4	0	0	1	0	1	.134
SS	Rocchio	3	1	0	0	1	2	.277

CLE	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Bibee	8.0	4	1	1	1	5	104-67	3.75
Sabrowski	0.1	0	0	0	2	1	13-4	1.71
Holderman	0.2	0	0	0	0	2	11-8	1.50
Smith, C	1.0	1	1	0	0	1	14-10	2.66

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
B7	Matt Vierling out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Steven Kwan. Kevin McGonigle scores.	1-0
T9	Patrick Bailey grounds out, second baseman Hao-Yu Lee to first baseman Colt Keith. Daniel Schneemann scores. Travis Bazzana to 3rd.	1-1
T10	Angel Martínez triples (1) on a sharp line drive to right fielder Wenceel Pérez. Brayan Rocchio scores.	1-2
T10	José Ramírez doubles (11) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Matt Vierling. Angel Martínez scores.	1-3
B10	Zach McKinstry singles on a ground ball to right fielder Angel Martínez. Wenceel Pérez scores.	2-3

Highlights

Description	Length
Tanner Bibee against the Tigers	0:11
Probable pitchers for Guardians at Tigers - May 20, 2026	0:06
Bullpen availability for Detroit, May 20 vs Guardians	0:09
Bullpen availability for Cleveland, May 20 vs Tigers	0:09
Fielding alignment for Detroit, May 20 vs Guardians	0:11
Bench availability for Detroit, May 20 vs Guardians	0:08
Fielding alignment for Cleveland, May 20 vs Tigers	0:11
Starting lineups for Guardians at Tigers - May 20, 2026	0:10
Breaking down Drew Anderson's pitches	0:04
Drew Anderson's outing against the Guardians	0:22
Breaking down Tanner Bibee's pitches	0:04
Tanner Bibee's outing against the Tigers	0:25
Drew Anderson K's José Ramírez	0:07
Angel Martínez's diving catch	0:32
Strike 2 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:24
Strike 1 overturned after ABS challenge	0:23
Ball 2 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:23
Tanner Bibee K's Zach McKinstry	0:07
Ball 1 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:23
Matt Vierling's sac fly	0:19
Daniel Schneemann's running grab	0:24
Kenley Jansen Called Strike to Kyle Manzardo	0:10
Kenley Jansen K's Kyle Manzardo to preserve lead	0:07
Patrick Bailey's game-tying groundout	0:30
Drew Anderson strikes out seven	0:44
Colin Holderman Swinging Strike to Wenceel Pérez	0:07
Colin Holderman sends the game to extras	0:07
Angel Martínez's go-ahead triple	0:19
José Ramírez's RBI double	0:19
Zach McKinstry's RBI single	0:20

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Holderman (2-0, 1.50 ERA)	Holton (0-4, 4.70 ERA)	Smith, C (16 SV, 2.66 ERA)

Game ended at 9:25 PM.

Streams
Tracker	MLB.com	Game Graph

Finally took the plunge and got Guardians TV this week. Go to watch the game tonight and it is telling me no streams are available? Really? What’s up with that?

Our second best prospect coming into the season Chase DeLauter has the second highest OPS on the team. The future is bright 😎.

Guardians (27-22) @ Tigers (20-28)

First Pitch: 6:40 PM at Comerica Park

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

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Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Guardians	Parker Messick (5-1, 2.35 ERA)
Tigers	Keider Montero (2-3, 3.65 ERA)

Game Preview

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Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
CLE	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	4	4	1	3
DET	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	0	10

Box Score

DET		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
CF	Vierling	4	0	1	0	1	2	.212
3B	McGonigle	5	0	1	0	0	2	.288
DH	Jones, Jah	3	0	0	0	2	2	.182
C	Dingler	5	0	0	0	0	2	.239
LF	Greene, R	2	2	2	0	1	0	.335
1B	Torkelson	3	1	1	2	0	2	.194
1B	Keith	1	0	0	0	0	0	.291
RF	Pérez, W	3	0	1	0	1	1	.168
2B	Lee, H	3	0	1	0	0	0	.204
2B	McKinstry	1	0	0	0	0	0	.171
SS	Short	2	0	0	0	1	1	.000
PH	Workman	1	0	0	0	0	1	.208

DET	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Montero, K	5.0	2	3	3	4	1	85-53	3.83
Holton	2.0	1	1	1	0	2	22-13	4.50
Vest	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	12-9	5.68
Smith, B	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	11-8	2.76

CLE		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
CF	Schneemann	4	0	0	0	0	0	.246
3B	Ramírez, Jo	3	0	0	0	1	0	.236
DH	DeLauter	4	0	0	0	0	1	.268
1B	Manzardo	3	2	1	0	1	2	.226
2B	Bazzana	3	1	2	2	1	1	.299
RF	Martínez, A	3	0	0	0	0	0	.265
LF	Kwan	2	1	1	1	1	0	.204
C	Hedges	2	0	0	0	0	0	.242
SS	Rocchio	3	0	0	1	0	0	.282

CLE	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Messick	5.0	4	3	2	3	6	81-45	2.45
Holderman	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	13-10	1.56
Sabrowski	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	15-9	1.74
Herrin	0.1	0	0	0	1	1	12-4	1.15
Gaddis	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	10-5	5.73
Smith, C	1.0	2	0	0	0	3	22-15	2.78

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
T2	Steven Kwan out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Matt Vierling. Kyle Manzardo scores.	0-1
B2	Spencer Torkelson homers (7) on a fly ball to left center field. Riley Greene scores.	2-1
T4	Travis Bazzana homers (2) on a fly ball to right field. Kyle Manzardo scores.	2-3
B4	Zack Short strikes out swinging.	3-3
T7	Brayan Rocchio grounds out, shortstop Zack Short to first baseman Spencer Torkelson. Steven Kwan scores.	3-4

Highlights

Description	Length
Probable pitchers for Guardians at Tigers - May 19, 2026	0:06
Parker Messick against the Tigers	0:08
Bullpen availability for Detroit, May 19 vs Guardians	0:09
Bullpen availability for Cleveland, May 19 vs Tigers	0:09
Fielding alignment for Detroit, May 19 vs Guardians	0:11
Bench availability for Detroit, May 19 vs Guardians	0:08
Fielding alignment for Cleveland, May 19 vs Tigers	0:11
Bench availability for Cleveland, May 19 vs Tigers	0:08
Starting lineups for Guardians at Tigers - May 19, 2026	0:10
Spencer Torkelson: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:13
Analyzing Spencer Torkelson's home run through bat tracking	0:11
Travis Bazzana: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
Breaking down Keider Montero's pitches	0:04
Keider Montero's outing against the Guardians	0:25
Parker Messick's outing against the Tigers	0:25
Breaking down Parker Messick's pitches	0:04
Parker Messick K's Kevin McGonigle	0:09
Kyle Manzardo scores on sac fly	0:17
Spencer Torkelson's two-run homer (7)	0:33
Keider Montero K's Chase DeLauter, stranding runner	0:08
Travis Bazzana's two-run homer (2)	0:30
Strike 2 is overturned after ABS challenge	0:22
Riley Greene scores on throwing error	0:33
Hao-Yu Lee's incredible running play	0:31
Ball 1 is confirmed after ABS challenge	0:23
Strike 2 is overturned after ABS challenge	0:22
Steven Kwan scores on groundout	0:17
Parker Messick fans six Tigers	0:46
Ball 2 is upheld after ABS challenge	0:22
Tarps Off travels to Detroit	0:18
Hunter Gaddis escapes bases-loaded jam with groundout	0:11
Matt Vierling's sliding grab	0:21
Cade Smith K's Dillion Dingler to secure the save	0:06

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Holderman (1-0, 1.56 ERA)	Holton (0-3, 4.50 ERA)	Smith, C (15 SV, 2.78 ERA)

Game ended at 9:12 PM.

Streams
Tracker	MLB.com	Game Graph

Guardians (28-22) @ Tigers (20-29)

First Pitch: 6:40 PM at Comerica Park

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

Broadcast Info

Team	TV	Radio
Guardians
Tigers

Probable Starters

Team	Pitcher	Record	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP
Guardians	Tanner Bibee	0-6	4.15	52.0	50	24	20	47	1.35
Tigers	TBA

Matchups

DET vs. Bibee	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
Dingler	.300	.700	10	0	1	2
Greene, R	.200	.523	20	0	1	6
Jones, Jah	-	-	-	-	-	-
Keith	.385	1.044	13	0	4	3
Lee, H	-	-	-	-	-	-
McGonigle	-	-	-	-	-	-
McKinstry	.200	.488	20	0	2	1
Pérez, W	.154	.445	13	0	0	7
Rogers	.286	.715	7	0	0	2
Short	.000	.000	2	0	0	1
Torkelson	.273	.922	11	0	0	2
Vierling	.333	1.364	9	2	4	1
Workman	-	-	-	-	-	-

CLE vs.	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K

Links

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I understand this isn’t Columbus clippers reddit but that clippers lineup could honestly compete in the majors… they activated kayfus and added ralphy today

watson, ingle, ralphy, genao, jones, kayfus, fairchil, huff, Brito could get 4+ runs against the tigers tonight without a doubt it my mind

without even mentioning Valera or tolentio lol crazy how deep this organization is from the position player pool now

Guardians (26-22) @ Tigers (20-27)

First Pitch: 6:40 PM at Comerica Park

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

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Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Guardians	Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)
Tigers	Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA)

Game Preview

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Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
CLE	0	0	2	0	2	3	0	0	1	8	9	0	7
DET	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	5	0	4

Box Score

DET		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
DH	Keith	4	0	1	0	0	0	.293
SS	McGonigle	3	0	1	0	1	0	.291
C	Dingler	3	1	0	0	1	1	.247
LF	Greene, R	2	0	2	1	1	0	.327
1B	Torkelson	4	0	0	0	0	1	.191
2B	McKinstry	4	0	0	0	0	0	.173
CF	Vierling	3	1	1	1	0	0	.211
RF	Pérez, W	3	0	0	0	0	1	.163
SS	Short	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
3B	Workman	1	0	0	0	0	1	.217

DET	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Valdez, F	5.0	5	4	4	4	3	89-52	4.58
Hurter	0.1	1	3	3	2	0	13-5	3.18
Seabold	2.2	2	0	0	0	2	36-25	3.07
De Jesus	1.0	1	1	1	1	2	26-16	6.75

CLE		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
LF	Martínez, A	5	1	2	1	0	0	.270
3B	Ramírez, Jo	4	1	3	3	1	0	.240
RF	DeLauter	4	1	0	2	1	2	.275
RF	Halpin	0	0	0	0	0	0	.100
1B	Hoskins	4	0	1	2	0	1	.188
DH	Fry	5	0	0	0	0	3	.227
2B	Bazzana	5	1	2	0	0	0	.281
CF	Kwan	1	1	0	0	3	0	.200
C	Hedges	3	0	0	0	0	0	.250
SS	Rocchio	2	3	1	0	2	1	.288

CLE	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Cecconi	7.1	5	2	2	2	4	96-62	5.16
Festa, M	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	6-5	4.71
Pallette	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	29-15	5.49

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
B1	Riley Greene doubles (15) on a sharp fly ball to right fielder Chase DeLauter. Dillon Dingler scores.	1-0
T3	Chase DeLauter grounds into a force out, second baseman Zach McKinstry to shortstop Zack Short. Brayan Rocchio scores. José Ramírez out at 2nd. Chase DeLauter to 1st.	1-1
T3	Rhys Hoskins doubles (7) on a sharp line drive to left fielder Riley Greene. Chase DeLauter scores.	1-2
T5	Chase DeLauter grounds into a force out, second baseman Zach McKinstry to shortstop Zack Short. Brayan Rocchio scores. Angel Martínez to 3rd. José Ramírez out at 2nd. Chase DeLauter to 1st.	1-3
T5	Rhys Hoskins out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Riley Greene. Angel Martínez scores.	1-4
T6	Angel Martínez singles on a line drive to right fielder Wenceel Pérez. Travis Bazzana scores. Steven Kwan to 3rd. Brayan Rocchio to 2nd.	1-5
T6	José Ramírez doubles (10) on a line drive to right fielder Wenceel Pérez. Steven Kwan scores. Brayan Rocchio scores. Angel Martínez to 3rd.	1-7
B8	Matt Vierling homers (4) on a fly ball to left field.	2-7
T9	José Ramírez homers (8) on a fly ball to left field.	2-8

Highlights

Description	Length
Slade Cecconi against the Tigers	0:11
Probable pitchers for Guardians at Tigers - May 18, 2026	0:06
Bullpen availability for Detroit, May 18 vs Guardians	0:09
Bullpen availability for Cleveland, May 18 vs Tigers	0:09
Fielding alignment for Detroit, May 18 vs Guardians	0:11
Bench availability for Detroit, May 18 vs Guardians	0:08
Fielding alignment for Cleveland, May 18 vs Tigers	0:11
Bench availability for Cleveland, May 18 vs Tigers	0:08
Starting lineups for Guardians at Tigers - May 18, 2026	0:10
Framber Valdez's outing against the Guardians	0:24
Breaking down Slade Cecconi's pitches	0:04
Measuring the stats on Matt Vierling's home run	0:12
Slade Cecconi's outing against the Tigers	0:24
Analyzing Matt Vierling's home run through bat tracking	0:11
Breaking down José Ramírez's home run	0:13
A deep dive into José Ramírez's home run	0:11
Breaking down Framber Valdez's pitches	0:04
Riley Greene's RBI double	0:28
Framber Valdez strikes out David Fry	0:09
Brayan Rocchio's amazing spinning throw	0:15
Chase DeLauter's RBI fielder's choice	0:20
Rhys Hoskins' RBI double	0:27
Slade Cecconi strikes out Spencer Torkelson	0:08
Chase DeLauter's 2nd RBI fielders choice	0:20
Austin Hedges picks off Riley Greene after a review	0:30
Rhys Hoskins' sac fly	0:20
Ball 3 overturned to Strike 2 after ABS Challenge	0:28
Angel Martínez's RBI single	0:13
José Ramírez's two-run double	0:31
Ball 2 confirmed after ABS Challenge	0:28
Matt Vierling's solo home run (4)	0:28
Ball 1 overturned to Strike 1 after ABS Challenge	0:24
Slade Cecconi's strong outing against the Tigers	1:02
José Ramírez's solo home run (8)	0:23
Ball 3 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:23
Peyton Pallette secures the Guardians win	0:12

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Cecconi (3-4, 5.16 ERA)	Valdez, F (2-3, 4.58 ERA)

Game ended at 10:11 PM.

Streams
Tracker	MLB.com	Game Graph

Angel Martínez earned AL Player of the Week honors last week after batting .333/.385/.875 (!) with four home runs (including a two-homer game). José Ramírez insisted last year that Martínez would be a star—fool me for doubting the future Hall of Famer. Angel has made dramatic improvements this season, boosting his batting average and on-base percentage by about 40 points while unlocking a level of power I never expected from the switch-hitter.

It would be unfair to compare Angel to José, but the parallels are easy to spot. Both are switch-hitters from the Dominican Republic, and both are breaking out at young ages (Ramírez at 23, Martínez now at 24). Both are unlocking unexpected power. That’s where the similarities end, however. José is not a free swinger like Angel, and he is (so far) the more complete player—better on the bases and in the field. It’s too early to draw firm conclusions on Angel, but it’s hard not to dream when the comparison comes so easily.

Cleveland Players Who Wore 1: 35

Some stars have worn No. 1 in Cleveland history. Tony Fernández sent the 1997 Indians to the World Series, ending the only postseason extra-inning 1–0 game in history with a majestic home run in Baltimore. Kosuke Fukudome, who came over from the Cubs to help down the stretch in 2011, briefly wore the number. Amed Rosario wore 1 for the 2022 AL Central–winning club that shocked the Yankees.

https://preview.redd.it/zgek7x4qu32h1.png?width=270&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7f3816121707b2db433bc26ccbb3e6dfea5db2d

My favorite player to wear No. 1 is Casey Blake. Blake came to Cleveland as a free agent before the 2003 season. He was a late bloomer—not a star, but constantly underrated. He did nothing spectacularly, which often led to complaints. But Blake hit for a decent average, walked a fair amount, and provided some pop. Every year he was good for around 20 homers, about a .330 OBP, and solid defense at multiple positions, all while hitting wherever he was asked in the lineup.

In 2005, when the Indians nearly won the AL Central for the first time since 2001, he batted .241 with 23 homers while playing solid right field next to Grady Sizemore. In 2007, he moved to third base, hit .274, and swatted another 18 homers while continuing to play steady defense.

Blake was a classic role player—not the best player on the team, never an All-Star, but always contributing. As a kid, I remember a blog called “Dump Casey Blake” that constantly griped about his inadequacies, and in some ways I get it. Blake wasn’t an outstanding defender (though Baseball-Reference credits him with 27 fielding runs above average), he was roughly a league-average hitter (career OPS+ of 107), not a great baserunner (never even 10 steals in a season), and he didn’t play a premium defensive position (logging over 100 games at first, third, and right, but only one at shortstop or second).

Of the eight seasons in which Blake played 100 or more games, he was worth between 2 and 4 WAR in seven of them. He was about as close to the definition of an average player as you can get (his only truly above-average WAR season came in 2009 with the Dodgers). But there’s nothing wrong with an average player. Blake showed up, did his job, and helped his team win. He did it with a smile, and he had some great moments—like starting a 5-4-3 triple play, walking off the Tigers in 2007 (his second of that home stand), and hitting a memorable grand slam. We need more Casey Blakes.

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Player Who Wore 1 the Longest: Bobby Avila (10 seasons)

Bobby Avila was among the earliest Mexican players to join Major League Baseball, and arguably Mexico’s first star. He led the Mexican League in hitting before coming to the states batting a superb .350/.450/.480. The Indians signed him before the 1948 season and sent him to their minor league club, the Baltimore Orioles. Avila waited until 1949 to play, unfortunately, as he missed the 1948 World Series winning club. It was not until Hall of Famer Joe Gordon went down with injury that Avila got his shot in Cleveland, but he made the most of it and in 1951, his first full season, he broke out (Joe Gordon would retire that season).

It would be unfair to call Avila an instant success: he struggled in his cup of coffee in 1949, and while his 80 games in 1950 were strong they were not quite what you saw later in his career. However, from 1951 to 1955 Avila was arguably the best second baseman in the American League batting .301/.374/.416 (OPS+ 117), capped off with a superb 1954 season where he led the league in hitting batting .341 and finishing 3rd in the MVP race* behind Larry Doby and Yogi Berra. It would be unfair to place all the credit for the Indians record breaking 1954 season: but he was as big a part of it as any player on the ‘54 club.

*In hindsight the 1954 MVP race went horribly for the Indians. Bobby Avila, Larry Doby, and Bob Lemon all received 1st place votes. Early Wynn got in on the action a bit too. If you add up all the votes that Avila, Doby and Lemon received they would have swamped Yogi Berra in the voting. Minnie Minoso probably deserved the award, but Avila was probably the best option who played for the Indians.

Here’s the thing with Avila: he was never a power hitter, but he always hit for average. In the middle of the 1954 season, when he set a career high of 15 homers, he was briefly lauded as a power hitter in the Plain Dealer. “There must be a lot of wind blowing out” Avila joked on August 15, 1954. By the end of the season: Avila would stand alone atop the American League Batting race, back when winning the batting title was almost the same as winning the MVP award.

Avila was humble in victory, calling Ted Williams the best hitter in baseball, and praised Hank Majeski (his roommate) for his offensive improvements. “Hank has done a lot for me” [Bobby] said seriously. “He helped give me confidence, worked on me to try harder, pitched lot of batting practice, Hank was the biggest reason.” With all due respect to Hank (who had a fine career) I think his explanation carries more weight: “that kid has all the natural ability in the world.” Hank told the Plain Dealer.

It would be difficult to understate how important Avila was for Mexico. Other Mexicans played in Major League Baseball, but not reached the heights Avila reached in the 1950s. As arguably the best player on one of MLB’s best teams, a batting title winner, and multiple time All-Star: Avila became a legend in Mexico. One writer who came to visit Avila was in shock when Avila was benched in his second to last season in a Cleveland uniform writing in the Orlando Evening Star:

“This is a national tragedy in Mexico, for Ah-Vee-La was the finest ballplayer to come south of the Rio Grande”

“They just pitch Avila close to the hands and nothing happens,” explains [Indians manager] Farrell who requires a right handed power hitter like a horse player needs fresh money. “The ball no longer travels when he hits it.”

It’s easy to forget Avila who spent his career with other stars. He shared a lineup with Hall of Famer Larry Doby, MVP Al Rosen, and later Rocky Colavito. The early ‘50s teams were dominated by pitching with a rotation anchored by Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and a still wily Bob Feller. But Avila was a star in his own right who shined brightly for Cleveland. It was only 5 years: but it was a heck of a 5 years.

Avila would return to Mexico in 1960 to a hero’s welcome and play one final season in the Mexican League where he returned as a star. Playing for the Mexico City Tigers .333/.480/.486, a similar line to the one he left in 1945.

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Angel Martinez: Budding Superstar?

I did not believe in Angel entering the season—and in my defense, there was reason not to. He hit just .227/.277/.353 (OPS+ 76) over his first two seasons. He made contact, but without much power, lacked patience, and didn’t have a clear defensive home. Though primarily a second baseman in the minors, he was used in the outfield in Cleveland, and it didn’t go well. Baseball-Reference estimated he cost the Guardians 10 runs in the field in 2025, mostly in center field, while Baseball Savant placed him in the 26th percentile in fielding value. He’s also not a major threat on the bases, with just eight steals.

So of course, Angel has gone about changing nearly everything. He’s still a free swinger and doesn’t produce elite exit velocity, but he’s doing damage when he connects. His barrel rate sits in the 70th percentile, and he rarely whiffs (82nd percentile), allowing him to pile up hits—with power. He will almost certainly surpass last year’s home run total before the end of the month. He’s still not walking much, but that matters less when he’s putting the ball in play this often. He’s even turned himself into a solid defender, helped in part by a move to left field with Steven Kwan shifting to center.

It’s too early to know if this is sustainable, but his teammates fully believe in the transformation. “He’s starting to really believe he belongs here,” says hitting coach Grant Fink. José Ramírez has long insisted Martínez is a budding superstar, and others agree. “I’ve seen him do this in the minors for a long time,” says Brayan Rocchio. “He’s going to be a superstar.” The key difference now is the power—Angel is hitting for more of it than he ever did before.

Who knows what the future holds? I was wrong to discount him entering the season, and I hope he matches—or surpasses—Ávila’s five-year run as the best second baseman in the American League. If his teammates help him the way Hank Majeski helped Ávila, he’ll have every chance to get there.

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A little excitement from the Lake County Captains.