Tuesday, March 18

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- For as much as the Guardians enjoy an ability to mix and match their lineup based upon matchups, there has long been two constants in the batting order: Steven Kwan hitting leadoff and José Ramírez hitting third. Recently, however, Cleveland has been trying something new: Kwan batting first and Ramírez second. 

Ramírez hit third in his first five Cactus League games this spring. He’s hit second in his past seven games (dating to March 4 against the Angels), directly behind Kwan each time. 

“José has hit third his whole career,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “[Hitting second] is different, and there is a different mentality. But the beauty of José is he just wants to win. That's what he told me. He said, ‘I'll hit anywhere you want.’ 

“And so, I was like, ‘Let's try second for spring. Let's just see if you can get comfortable there.’”
 

Over 12 seasons, Ramirez has made his most starts hitting third (826), followed by fifth (229) and second (173). Last season, he almost exclusively hit third (152 starts) and in the two-hole on occasion (six starts).

The Guardians could always move Ramírez back into the No. 3 spot. But Spring Training is an opportune time to test a different configuration, to see if it could work in the regular season. There is good wisdom behind the new look, too. 

Ramírez hitting second will position him to get an extra opportunity at the plate each game. That will position him for more RBI opportunities, and considering he’s the Guardians’ top run producer, that’s an attractive possibility. Slotting him directly behind Kwan, who’s one of the best leadoff hitters in the Majors and an on-base machine, works hand in hand with that idea.

Major League-wide in 2024, there were 4,858 team games. Here is how the opportunities for the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in the lineup compared.
 

Plates appearances by lineup spot
No. 2: 21,833
No. 3: 21,356

Average plate appearances per game by lineup spot
No. 2: 4.494 plate appearances
No. 3: 4.396 plate appearances

Guardians total plate appearances by lineup spot
No. 2 spot: 711
No. 3 spot: 700

Beyond the extra trips to the plate, Kwan and Ramírez are two of the peskiest hitters to face in the Majors. Having them hit back to back could help put immediate pressure on pitchers to start a game. Last season, Kwan saw an average of 3.99 pitches per plate appearance (which was tied for 44th in the Majors), and Ramírez saw an average of 4.01 pitches (tied for 40th).

“Getting through Kwan and José right at the top is no easy task for anyone,” Vogt said.

Ramírez’s switch-hitting also protects Kwan; opponents could think twice about bringing a lefty in out of the bullpen, compared to when the Guardians slot a left-handed hitter behind Kwan, such as Kyle Manzardo down the stretch last season.

“At the end of the day, José is going to hit where he wants to,” Vogt said. “He's earned that. But we're playing around and seeing how guys work. Who do we want hitting behind him? Who do we want in front of them? And we're going to continue to play around with that.”

Kwan took a stroll around the clubhouse on Friday morning, showing off his newest piece of jewelry to teammates. It was also an unexpected addition. He received a championship ring commemorating the Midwest League championship High-A Lake County won last fall. 

“It’s sick. It’s heavy,” Kwan said. “It’s a real ring.”

Kwan actually played in two games with Lake County last season (May 25-26) while rehabbing a left hamstring strain. The Captains won both games, and the Guardians’ All-Star left fielder even delivered a three-run homer in his first game.

Lake County players received their rings during a Friday ceremony at Goodyear Ballpark, before the Guardians’ Spring Breakout game against the Mariners. Kwan said the delivery to his locker on Friday was unexpected.

“I just asked for a T-shirt and they got me a ring,” Kwan said. “So it’s pretty cool.”

• After Doug Nikhazy (Guardians’ No. 22 prospect) was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, who’s in Cleveland's Opening Day pitching mix? Read more >>

• Ralphy Velazquez (No. 5 prospect) enjoyed a “surreal” moment that made him feel like he was in a video game during Spring Breakout. Read more >>

• After his hot postseason last fall, Brayan Rocchio is heading into the 2025 season with new confidence. Read more >>

• John Means, who’s rehabbing from June 2024 Tommy John surgery, had a good reason to sign with the Guardians last month. Read more >>

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