Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Cleveland Guardians sit atop the AL Central but face October hurdles with key weaknesses to address.
- Four players are currently holding back the team as the trade deadline approaches and the postseason looms.
- Fixing these issues could determine whether Cleveland's regular-season success translates into a deep playoff run.
Like clockwork, no one gave the Cleveland Guardians much thought when sorting through AL contenders before the season began. And like clockwork, here they are anyway, winners of five of their last six and in firm command of the perennially wide-open AL Central.
But of course, punching above their (perceived) weight during the regular season hasn't been the problem for this team of late. Translating the success of Guards Ball into October is what's proved elusive — and with the AL as upside-down as it's been in some time, Cleveland's focus should be readying itself for a deep postseason run. That starts with the weak links below, all of whom need to either shape up or get passed over by the trade deadline.
OF Steven Kwan
It's officially time to panic about the Guardians' long-time table-setter, who's currently posting a batting average around .200 and a sub-.600 OPS as he's no longer spraying line drives with anywhere near the regularity we've seen in the past. Cleveland dropped him out of the leadoff spot over the weekend for the first time all year, a sign that the team is running out of patience.
There is some good news. Kwan remains a rock-solid defender, and he's still getting on base at a solid clip thanks to his elite plate discipline; he accrues value in multiple ways, which is helpful when he's not hitting. And his fluky-low .227 BABIP suggests that there's at least some bad luck baked into this slow start. Still, Kwan has been an offensive engine for this team for years now, and while they've held down the fort without him, it's hard to see them getting where they ultimately want to go if he can't get back to his old ways.
RHP Slade Cecconi
With Gavin Williams and Parker Messick blossoming into stars and Tanner Bibee and Joey Cantillo settling in, Cecconi now sticks out like a sore thumb in this otherwise-solid Cleveland rotation. The Guardians clearly liked what they saw in him when they chose to acquire him as part of the return in the Josh Naylor trade, and he was a perfectly adequate fifth starter last season. With an ugly 5.60 ERA and 5.05 WHIP so far in 2026, though, he's become a liability the team can no longer afford.
The problem is that there's no obvious replacement, as for the first time in a long time Cleveland's pitching-development machine doesn't have anyone waiting in the wings in the high Minors. Daniel Espino has hardly pitched at all over the last few years due to injury and is currently rocking a 9.2 BB/9 at Triple-A. Khal Stephen has pitched well in his Double-A debut but has command concerns of his own and still has more to prove before he's MLB-ready. The Guardians can get through the postseason with only their top four starters, but the lack of depth behind them is a concern — and Cecconi will only become more important if injury strikes.
The entire catching situation
We knew Cleveland didn't acquire Patrick Bailey for his bat, but just one hit in 12 plate appearances with his new team doesn't inspire a ton of confidence that better days are ahead. Bailey and Austin Hedges provide elite defense behind the plate, and for the first time in a long time the Guardians have enough lineup depth around them that getting next to nothing from the catcher position (especially against righties) isn't a death sentence. Still, it's hardly ideal to have something close to a free out in your lineup.
The hope is that some time in the development complex will allow Bo Naylor to reset and finally start making good on his prospect hype. And this will become moot if top prospect Cooper Ingle — currently crushing the ball at Triple-A — can come to the Majors and nail down the long side of a platoon with either Bailey or Hedges. Whatever the case, though, this is a weakness that will become magnified in October if left unaddressed.
RHP Hunter Gaddis
Cleveland's bullpen isn't nearly the four-alarm fire it was to start the season. Cade Smith has settled in and is back to looking like an All-Star closer. Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin are a downright lethal lefty combination. And the pickup of Colin Holderman appears to have been a shrewd one. Still, if the Guards want run prevention to carry them through the postseason, this group needs to be more than just pretty good; it needs to be as elite as it's been in the past, and that starts with Gaddis rediscovering his form.
The righty was sensational in both 2024 and 2025, one of the best set-up men in the sport. But he's pitched to a dismal 6.10 ERA in 13 appearances so far this season, knocking himself down Stephen Vogt's pecking order in the process. Cleveland has managed to find other options in his absence, but hitting its ceiling will almost certainly require Gaddis looking like the multi-inning flamethower he used to be — or a big swing at the trade deadline.
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