4 Cleveland Guardians to blame for blowing AL Central lead to the Royals

The Cleveland Guardians are slowly losing their grip on first place in the AL Central Division, with the Kansas City Royals closing the gap. The Royals have been ruthless all year, fighting to regain sole possession of the top spot, driven by impressive seasons from Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Cole Ragans. For a majority of the season, it seemed like the Guardians had everything under control, but the past two months have left fans wondering where it all went wrong in Cleveland. 

With only a month and a half of baseball left, time is running thin to reverse this downward spiral. Here are four players to blame for the Guardians’ collapse from the top. 

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4. Steven Kwan

Steven Kwan was once the best baseball player in the league with batting splits of .397/.554/.1.010 after a win against the Seattle Mariners on June 19th. However, by the end of July, his batting average dipped to .332 with an OPS of .873. Although still above league average, the Guardians and Kwan’s struggles have become more pronounced. As of Aug. 26, the Guardians have gone 10-15, and Kwan’s August splits have dropped to 198/.300/.592. While his batting average is above the league average at .301, his recent struggles have contributed to the team’s fall from above.

While Kwan is only in his third year at the major league level, his current numbers are similar to his rookie season in 2022, when the Guardians fought hard against the New York Yankees in the ALDS. With the ninth-easiest remaining schedule in the league, Kwan has an opportunity to regain his form against struggling teams such as the White Sox and Pirates, with a batting average above .260. 

3. Carlos Carrasco

Carlos Carrasco, a longtime Guardian, returned with the team after three seasons for the New York Mets and is trying to make one final run before calling it quits. Unfortunately, his 2024 campaign has been far from what Guardian’s fans would like it to be. With a 3-10 record and 5.64 ERA, Carrasco has done more harm than good. He’s lost his last four credited starts in a row and has allowed four or more runs in each game since July 22.

Carrasco last pitched on Aug. 7 after facing a 15-day IL stint due to a hip injury. The pitcher is scheduled to throw live batting practice sometime this week, aiming for a comeback to the mound. Unfortunately, his performance in the final two months of the regular season was disappointing, with an 8.24 ERA with a 1-7 record in his last eight games in August. Now might be a good time for the Guardians to give other pitchers the ball to increase their playoff chances.

2. David Fry

David Fry has been sharing catching duties with Bo Naylor but has produced lackluster numbers in August. Fry batted .161 for the month and has put up five home runs since the beginning of June, a large contrast compared to his seven in May alone. He defensively ranks at the bottom amongst active catchers in metrics like DRP (deserved runs prevented) and CDA (catching defense added) with .03. In comparison, Bo Naylor outperformed him with a DRP and CDA of 11.3, which could incentivize the catcher to pick up the pace with only so many opportunities remaining. 

The good news for Fry is his current numbers are improvements compared to his rookie year last season. His batting average, home runs, and OPS have all increased, but there’s more for the team to consider. Fry has excelled at the plate in two scenarios: when batting in the 2nd inning (.372 BA) and with two outs (.291 BA). If runners are on base in high-pressure scenarios, Fry could be the player to make a difference in the final month and a half. 

1. Gavin Williams

After starting the season with right elbow inflammation, Gavin Williams didn’t make his 2024 debut until July 3, when he allowed five runs in only four innings pitched. Despite rebounding slightly in July with a 3.72 ERA, his four recent starts in August have been disappointing, resulting in one win and failing to make it past the fourth inning in three of four starts.

With an ERA of over seven in August, Williams showed promise in September 2023, allowing just five runs across 17 innings. With only a few starts remaining, Williams looks to maintain his composure and stay focused on the ball if the Guardians have any hope left for a deep postseason run.