The Cleveland Guardians have a long and storied history in baseball. They established themselves in 1901, and since then, they’ve only won two World Series titles. They last won it all in 1948. The team has come close, winning the AL pennant in 1995, 1997, and 2016, but the team cannot get over the hump and give the city what the Cleveland Cavaliers finally did and bring a championship to Ohio.
The team formerly known as the Indians has been competitive in recent years. They have seven AL Central titles in the 21st century. During that time, there have been some incredible talents on the roster. Even right now, there are great players on the Guardians. Some of those players will make this lineup.
Dozens of players have made their way to Cleveland before heading to Cooperstown. Some only made it a short stint, like Cy Young, Steve Carlton, Frank Robinson, and Dave Winfield, but others marked their craft with this franchise. How do they round out an all-time lineup?
First Base
Hal Trosky
1933-1941
Hal Trosky is not a household name for most baseball fans, but he owns possibly the best rookie season of all time. Nobody has come out of the gate like Cleveland’s first baseman. Trosky had 206 hits, 45 doubles, 35 home runs, and 142 RBIs in 1934. Unfortunately for him, there was no Rookie of the Year award at the time, but Trosky did finish seventh in MVP voting that season.
He would grow into a great power hitter and driver of base runners. In 1936, he led all of baseball with 162 RBIs. He also recorded his one and only 400-total-bases season.
Unfortunately, Trotsky’s career was cut short by migraines. In his prime, he would get debilitating headaches, of which he traveled the country trying to get an answer as to why they were happening. He was out of the league by the time he was 33 years old. He left Cleveland when he was just 28 years old, meaning he missed a chunk of his prime.
Still, he remains one of the best to ever wear a Cleveland uniform. He was constantly at the top of stat sheets, and Cleveland embraced him for the force he was in the lineup.
Second Base
Nap Lajoie
1902-1914
Listen, there are some great players in the history of baseball. However, there is only one we can think of that got the team to change its name for them. That’s how impactful Nap Lajoie was to the Cleveland franchise. Originally called the Cleveland Bronchos, they changed their name to the Cleveland Naps in 1903. They kept the name for Lajoie’s entire career.
Lajoie was known for his hitting prowess. He was going back and forth with Ty Cobb, battling for the batting title every season. He finished his career with five batting titles, four of which came with Cleveland.
He was also a savant in the field, with many saying he was as good defensively as he was offensively. Of course, the Gold Glove wasn’t a thing back when he played in the early part of the 20th century, but if it were, he would have passed down many of those trophies.
Lajoie would be perfect for this lineup, adding a smidge of pop and an incredibly high batting average (he reached more than 200 hits on multiple occasions with the Naps). He’s the perfect leadoff man.
Shortstop
Lou Boudreau
1938-1950
There are many honors bestowed upon the players who set the standard for how the game is played. Many made the Hall of Fame, while others are placed on lists like this. Then, there’s arguably the highest honor: getting an award named after you. The Cleveland Guardians give out the Lou Boudreau award every year to their top minor league player.
Boudreau is most well-known for his performance in 1948. Not only was that the last season Cleveland won the World Series, but Bourdreau brought home MVP honors that season. He hit .355 that season with 18 home runs and 106 RBIs.
What’s absolutely crazy is that Boudreau played and managed Cleveland that season. He was one of the team’s stars, and he was their coach. He got the managerial role when he was just 25 years old, and he held both roles from 1942 to 1950.
Possibly, his most impactful game was in 1941. He was in the field with Joe DiMaggio at the plate, sitting on a 56-game hitting streak. DiMaggio hit a ball to Boudreau, which had a bad hop and would have gotten past a lesser shortstop. Instead, Boudreau gathered the ball and started a double play. That was the day DiMaggio’s hitting streak ended.
Third Base
Jose Ramirez
2013-2025
Looking at the Cleveland Guardians of today, Jose Ramirez is the star. He’s the centerpiece to their current success. The Guardians have seen much more success in recent years. They make the playoffs most years, and they are expected to make it again in 2025. Ramirez is a big reason they continue to be competitive.
Early in his career, Ramirez helped the Guardians make it to the World Series. They took on the Chicago Cubs. Ramirez had nine hits (a .310 average) in the Series, which the Cubs won in seven games.
Ramirez has done some amazing things with Cleveland. He is the first primary third baseman in baseball history to hit 250 home runs and record 250 stolen bases. He has four Silver Sluggers and made seven All-Star teams. He’s been top-three in MVP voting three times, including a second-place finish in 2020. That season, he had 17 home runs, 16 doubles, 46 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in the 56-game shortened season.
In 2024, he came one home run short of the 40-40 club, and he is going to come close in 2025. He will keep adding to his records, and the Guardians will likely keep competing with him in the lineup.
Catcher
Victor Martinez
2002-2009
This decision was probably the closest on this list. There haven’t been a ton of great catchers in this franchise’s history, but the two that stand out are Victor Martinez and Sandy Alomar Jr. Alomar was beloved by this fanbase, but Martinez has undeniable offensive numbers with Cleveland.
Over parts of eight seasons, Martinez made three All-Star teams and hit the 100 RBI plateau three times. He hit over .300 each season from 2005 to 2007. His statistics were really good, especially considering catchers of this era. He even won the Silver Slugger award in 2004, his first year as a full-time catcher.
Martinez only had one playoff appearance for Cleveland, but he was really good that season. In the 2007 postseason, Martinez had .318 with two home runs and seven RBIs in just 11 games.
Looking at his numbers, Martinez is the only catcher in Cleveland baseball history with 100 home runs and 500 RBIs. He stands head and shoulders above the rest of his fellow catchers offensively. He hit just under .300 in his career here, and he had twice as many walks as Alomar.
Right Field
Manny Ramirez
1993-2000
Manny Ramirez is most well-known for his time with the Red Sox, and his impact on the Dodgers was amazing, albeit short and controversial, but he made a name for himself with Cleveland. Ramirez was this young stud playing at Jacob’s Field, smashing home runs out of the park.
With Cleveland, Ramirez won three Silver Slugger awards and made four All-Star teams. He was crushing the ball at a time when that was the norm. Still, doing it at such a young age was impressive. Ramirez hit more than 30 home runs five times before moving on to the Boston Red Sox in 2001.
The last two seasons in Cleveland were Ramirez’s best by far. Both seasons, he led the league in slugging percentage and OPS. In 1999, he led all of baseball with 165 RBIs, which is the Cleveland franchise record still to this day. He even finished third in MVP voting in 1999.
Many associate Ramirez with helping end the 1918 World Series drought for the Red Sox, but he came close to doing it with Cleveland. He helped them get to the 1995 and 1997 World Series, although his team lost both of them. He actually had two home runs and six RBIs in the ‘97 Series against the Florida Marlins after struggling in the playoffs before then.
Center Field
Kenny Lofton
1992-1996, 1998-2001, 2007
It’s rare to have a star player come home. It’s nearly impossible to have a star player come home twice. Kenny Lofton left Cleveland during what became a journeyman’s career, but it was always Cleveland that was home for him. He started his career with the Houston Astros, but they already had Steve Finley in centerfield, so they dumped him to Cleveland in the offseason.
As he said, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Lofton was given a chance to start in Cleveland, and he proved to be one of the best centerfielders both at the plate and in the field. His speed was clear on day one. He broke the AL rookie record for stolen bases by swiping 66 in 1992.
Lofton was given credit for being one of the best base stealers in the game, and the best showcasing of this was in the 1995 playoffs. Facing Randy Johnson and the Seattle Mariners, Lofton had a bunt single, stole second base, and scored from second on a passed ball. He was blazing around the bases that postseason.
Then, Cleveland traded Lofton to the Braves in one of the biggest trades in MLB history. They sent Marquis Grissom and David Justice to Cleveland. That lasted a year, as Lofton returned to Cleveland in free agency after one season in Atlanta. He would continue to be one of the fastest runners in the league, but he would add some pop to his bat. In 10 seasons with Cleveland, he stole 452 bases and had 512 RBIs. He is the perfect leadoff hitter.
Left Field
Tris Speaker
1916-1926
Tris Speaker was also a centerfielder for Cleveland, so whoever the manager of this team is could put him in center, but Speaker would be able to play any position in the outfield. Like Lofton before him, Cleveland got to acquire Speaker because he didn’t work out with another team. Speaker was playing with Boston, and the tenure was rocky, to say the least.
After the 1915 season, in which Boston won the World Series, he joined Cleveland in a fight for a $15,000 salary. He dominated in his natural position of center field, playing on a field where straightaway center was 460 feet from home plate. He got to show off his insane skill in the field, and he was amazing at the plate, leading the league in batting average and doubles.
Speaker led the league in doubles six times with Cleveland, and he led in RBIs in 1923 with 130. He became the team’s player-manager in 1919 and helped them win the 1920 World Series. Many consider him to be the second-best Cleveland player of all time, behind Nap Lajoie.
Designated Hitter
Jim Thome
1991-2002, 2011
Jim Thome was the face of the Cleveland Indians in the 1990s. While other star players came in and out of the lineup. Thome was crushing balls and sticking in Ohio. The most forgotten member of the 600 home run club, Thome was the traditional power hitter if we’ve ever seen one.
Thome was insanely consistent. There was a stretch of his career where he had 100 RBIs in nine of 11 consecutive seasons. The only reason he missed two was due to injuries. He was a lock for 30 home runs every season, but most years he was hitting 40 and sometimes 50 dingers by the time the season ended.
For our money, Thome remains one of the most underrated hitters of our time. He hit 612 home runs, which is eighth all time. He has more career home runs than Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, David Ortiz, Mickey Mantle, and Frank Thomas. Yet, he wasn’t getting on the cover of video games or getting a ton of endorsements.
Still, he was beloved in Cleveland, possibly the most beloved Cleveland athlete of this era. He helped them get to two World Series, and he tried his darndest to get them to more. One year, he hit six home runs in 10 postseason games. In 1999, he hit four home runs in a five-game series. Thome was great for Cleveland, and he would easily be in the middle of this lineup.
Starting Pitcher
Bob Feller
1936-1956
If this were a list of nicknames, Bob Feller might be on that one, too. The Heater from Van Meter is just an aces nickname, which makes sense since he’s the ace of this staff. Feller was mowing down hitters before that became an essential part of the game. Strikeouts were his specialty, and he finished his 18-year career (all with Cleveland) third all-time in strikeouts.
Feller would likely have been a part of the 300-win club and the 3,000-strikeouts club if he hadn’t had military service in the prime of his career. He served his country for four years from 1942 to 1945. To say he was dominant is an understatement. Not only was he throwing complete games and shutouts, he had three no-hitters in his career. Maybe even more impressive, he had 12 one-hitters in his career.
Feller led the American League in wins six times and in strikeouts seven times. He was the top pitcher in the sport during his stretch run. He threw harder than anyone in the major leagues, with many estimating he regularly got his fastball in the high 90s in MPH and even clocked 100 at times, although they were using primitive equipment compared to now.
He pushed Cleveland to new heights. He helped them win the 1948 World Series, still their last championship. He also helped them get to a then-AL record 111 wins in 1954. Feller is the top pitcher in the history of Cleveland baseball, and it’s not particularly close. No offense to the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Gaylord Perry, and the many other great pitchers, but Feller takes this easily.
Closing Pitcher
Emmanuel Clase
2021-2025
This one is a little awkward to talk about right now, as Emmanuel Clase is currently under investigation by baseball for betting, but even with that situation hanging over his head, the Cleveland Guardians have never seen a closer like this. He already has more saves than anyone in Cleveland franchise history.
Clase has a fascinating journey to the Guardians. He signed as an international free agent with the San Diego Padres in 2015. He was then sent to the Texas Rangers as the rare “player to be named later” in a trade that actually made the major leagues. After a decent run in the majors, Clase was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Cleveland legend Corey Kluber to the Rangers. He had a rough start, getting suspended for the entire COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Since then, he’s been dominant. He had 42 saves in 2022, his first full season as Cleveland’s closer. The next season, he had 44 saves, leading baseball once again. It wasn’t as successful a season as Clase did blow more saves than the Guardians would like, but he was still effective.
In 2024, Clase became synonymous with dominance. He led the league in saves again with a career-high 47. His 0.61 ERA and 0.659 WHIP both feel like impossible numbers to hit over a full season. Clase finished the season as a finalist for the Cy Young award, but he fell short. Hopefully, the betting allegations come back without findings, and Clase can resume his career because he should be in the prime of his career.