Five Things the Guardians Have To Do To Remain Postseason Contenders

The only way these two promising young bats will have a shot to become the productive big league pieces they’re projected to be, is if they are given the chance to consistently hit against big league pitching.

And both Noel and Manzardo ended 2024 on high note, as they flashed their immense potential when the lights were shining brightest in October.

In limited at-bats, Noel hit for a .958 OPS in the ALCS. And in the same series Manzardo posted a 1.077 OPS which includes a huge early-inning homer in Game 3.

Given their opposite handedness at the dish, they could very well have Cleveland’s DH platoon locked up with Fry hitting the shelf. And with Noel’s ability to play both the corner outfield spot and at first base, along with Manzardo’s ability to hold his ground at first should Josh Naylor need a day off, the at bats seem as though they’ll be more plentiful for them in 2025.

Now is Not the Time for the Guardians to Sit Back

While the Guardians can take solace and feel good about capturing the 2024 AL Central Division title, there’s no time to dwell too long on it.

After all, that division will very likely be one of the best in all of baseball, with both the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers having just made the postseason, and the Minnesota Twins always seeming to have names that can keep them in the postseason hunt.

This Guardians team undeniably has some real strengths, but there’s also some legitimate holes that need to be addressed very soon if they want to remain competitive in 2025.

If they focus on the starting rotation, some of their biggest big league positional holes, and commit to really honing in on the development of some younger potential stars, then there’s no reason why this team couldn’t win 90+ games again in 2025.