CLEVELAND — Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he is encouraged by his team’s results through the first 26 games of the 2026 season.
The Guardians (14-12) had an off day before starting a three-game series Friday, April 24, in Toronto against the Blue Jays, the reigning American League champions who have struggled this season and are 10-14.
The Guardians are tied with the Detroit Tigers atop the American League Central Division after concluding a seven-game homestand on Wednesday, April 22, with a 2-0 loss to the Houston Astros.
Cleveland went 4-3 during the homestand, winning a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles and losing a three-game series to the Astros after Peter Lambert pitched six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts Wednesday.
“I thought we played good baseball,” Vogt said Wednesday. “… We just got to continue to work every day. I thought this was a very good homestand. We’re excited for an off day. This 13-game stretch was long and these guys worked really hard and we’re going to enjoy this off day.”
The Guardians went 6-7 during the 13-game stretch that started on the road, losing consecutive three-game series’ against the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals.
When asked what he has seen from the Guardians through 26 games, Tanner Bibee said: “I think it’s just a lot of getting after it, never saying die. [Tuesday] night, scoring six runs in the eighth [inning in an 8-5 win over the Astros] and just being able to kind of, never stay on the ground. I feel like that’s something we’ve always prided ourselves on, and I feel like we’ve showed that during this 13-game stretch.”
Bibee took the loss Wednesday after he allowed a two-run home run by Yordan Alvarez in the first inning. He pitched six innings, struck out three, walked two and allowed five hits.
“I feel like I’ve had one egregiously bad start [allowing eight earned runs and 11 hits April 12 in a 13-1 loss to the Braves], and honestly, other than that, I feel like I’ve thrown the ball really well,” Bibee said. “We’ve faced kind of a gauntlet in this first [four] weeks, and to be in the spot we are right now … we’re not satisfied or anything like that, but it’s a really good thing to build off of and to keep going.”
The Guardians opened the season out west and split a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners and won a three-game series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time reigning World Series winner.
The Guardians then won consecutive three-game series at home over the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals before embarking on the 13-game stretch.
José Ramírez stats
Jose Ramirez leads MLB in stolen bases with 11. His batting average is only .234, but he is tied for fifth in walks (19), tied for 18th in runs (18) and tied for 23rd in home runs (six).
Ramirez received his ninth Player of the Week honor on Monday, April 20, after going 8-for-22 (.364) with a double, four home runs, five RBIs and five steals from April 13-19. He also walked eight times for an .533 on-base percentage.
“He’s one of the best players in the world,” left-hander Joey Cantillo said Sunday, April 19, after Ramirez hit two home runs and the Guardians won 8-4 over the Orioles. “Getting to watch him play every day is something that I don’t think any of us take for granted.”
Said catcher Austin Hedges: “Just another day for Hosey. Obviously, we’re impressed, but we’re all like, ‘Yeah, we’ve seen it so many times.’ That’s what we expect out of him. That’s what he expects out of himself.”
Ramirez entered April 24 with 298 stolen bases and 291 home runs in his regular-season career. He is closing in on being the ninth MLB player to have at least 300 steals and 300 homers. That list includes Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders, Steve Finley, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltrán.
“I think I set my standards a little higher than those numbers,” Ramírez said through interpreter Agustin Rivero when asked about the potential 300-300 milestone. “I know they’re going to come up if we keep playing and doing the right things. For me, most importantly, it’s trying to win.
“I know that when I’m doing those things, the team goes in a good way and I’m helping the team win.”
Vogt said Ramirez is “super impressive.”
“I do marvel at it when your name is circled thicker or darker than anybody else’s in the lineup, especially when he’s hitting right-handed,” Vogt said. “Teams do not want him to beat them right-handed.”
Cleveland’s top three hitters are Daniel Schneemann (.310, two home runs, 11 RBIs), Angel Martinez (.271, three home runs, 10 RBIs) and Brayan Rocchio (.269, three home runs, 15 RBIs).
Parker Messick stats
Parker Messick (3-0) has the sixth-best ERA in baseball at 1.76. He is 12th in MLB in innings (30⅔) and WHIP (.088), 13th in batting average allowed (.183) and tied for 28th in strikeouts (29).
“He pushes the tempo,” Vogt said April 16 after Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in what became a 4-2 win over the Orioles. “He dictates how quick that games gonna go. He attacks the strike zone, works quick. We talk about it I feel like every five days. That was very special that we got to watch.
“… He and Hedgy were magnificent with their sequencing. Never the same sequence once. Never really doubled up a ton. That arsenal and the way they just [worked together], that was a beautiful, beautiful game.”
Gavin Williams stats
Gavin Williams (3-1) has the lowest batting average allowed in baseball at .133. He is fifth in MLB in strikeouts (40), 13th in ERA (2.12), tied for 20th innings (29⅔) and tied for 23rd in WHIP (1.01).
“For Gavin, it’s just continuing to learn how to repeat it [his delivery and performance],” Vogt said. “Repeat, repeat, repeat. We’ve seen him really do that well since the second half of last year. There’s going to be walks — we understand that — but minimizing those is going to be what leads to success for him.”
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
