Small-market Guardians have simple formula for success

Few people outside the organization thought the Cleveland Guardians would make it very far when the season began.

The Guardians struggled last year, going 76-86, and manager Terry Francona retired after an 11-year tenure. With a novice manager in Stephen Vogt replacing an eventually Hall of Famer in Francona, the Guardians looked like they would be also-rans in the American League Central again in 2024.

However, the Guardians are one of four teams still standing in MLB’s postseason. They opened the AL Championship Series on Monday night with a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Perhaps no one should be surprised that the Guardians are making an October run, though. With last year being an exception, the Guardians have been consistent winners over the last 12 seasons, which coincided with Francona’s arrival in 2013.

Cleveland has won one AL pennant, five division titles and appeared in the postseason seven times during that span.

So how have the Guardians continued to be competitive despite not having big payrolls? President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti makes the formula seem simple.

“We go into every year trying to be the best team we can be and I think the mindset we try to have is show up every day working to prepare for the game and trying to get better,” Antonetti told Draft Nation. “If every individual in the environment shows up with that mindset and tries to do that, you look up at the end of the year and see how many wins you have.”

That approach has worked this season.

“I think that’s been the defining attribute since Day One,” Antonetti said. “This group showed up at spring training and our coaching staff and Vogter did a good job of cultivating that mindset. They showed up a lot this year and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in.”

The Guardians won the AL Central with a 92-69 record then beat the division rival Detroit Tigers in five games in an AL Division Series. Now, the Guardians are in the ALCS for the first time since 2016 when they eventually lost to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.

The transition from the beloved Francona to the novice Vogt has been seamless.

The 39-year-old Vogt, who spent 10 seasons in the major leagues as a catcher, retired as a player in 2022. He spent last season as the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen and quality control coach before being hired by the Guardians despite having no managerial experience.

“I think Stephan’s attributes, who he is as a person, as a leader,” Antonetti in explaining Vogt’s immediate success. “This great foundation of experience that he has but he is also always willing and seeking to learn and grow and get better and tap into resources. Every day, Stephen attacks the job with an attitude of what can I do today to help the organization and what can I learn to be a better version of myself tomorrow.”

The Guardians were just 14th in the major leagues in runs scored in the regular season but gave up the third-fewest runs.

The team’s biggest strength has been its bullpen, which had an MLB-best 2.57 in the regular season and is led by closer Emmanuel Clase, who had an AL-leading 47 saves and a microscopic 0.61 ERA. The strong relief pitching helped overcome the loss of ace right-hander Shane Bieber, who underwent season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery in April.

However, no players is more important to the Guardians than third baseman Jose Ramirez, the lone holdover from the World Series team of 2016. The six-time All-Star just missed a 40-40 season as he had 39 home runs and 41 stolen bases – both career-highs -- in 158 games to go with a slash line of .279/.335/.537.

Ramirez is in the third year of a seven-year, $141-million contract. The deal is clearly below market value, but Ramirez wanted to remain in Cleveland.

“Some of the things he does are difficult to really appreciate,” Antonetti said. “You can look up at the stat line and that is, in and of itself, extraordinarily impressive. But those of us around him have the chance to see how he approaches the game, the type of effort and energy he has for every pitch throughout the entire season, the conversations he is having in the dugout, the way he’s helping his teammates get better, the leadership he provides. I can’t understate the impact he has on us as an organization and on our major-league team.”

The Guardians have not won the World Series since 1948, the longest active championship drought in MLB. They are punching above their weight now as their $109-million payroll is less than half of the other teams remaining in the postseason – the New York Mets ($332 million), Yankees ($311 million) and Los Angeles Dodgers ($266 million).

“You have to scratch and claw and match up and make moves, take shots and hope that it works,” Vogt said of the challenges of having a low payroll. “Whereas for the other three teams, for the majorities, they set their lineup and go play. But we’re OK with that. It’s our identity. It’s who we are, and it works for us.”