Cleveland Guardians are fine with their ‘demanding’ style of play
The Guardians know their way of winning tends to be the more difficult option. They have to play clean. They have to play sharp. They have to play fundamentally sound in every facet of the game.
To grind teams down can be challenging. Except, for the Guardians, it’s a style of play that just works.
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The Guardians led the majors last year with a pitch contact rate of 80.8 percent. No team was within two percentage points. The difference between the Guardians and second-place Houston was more than the difference between second place and 15th place.
Defensively, they were third in baseball with 79 defensive runs saved. They were second (34.8) in Ultimate Zone Rating. Both metrics essentially measure fielding ability. They broke a franchise record by winning four Gold Gloves.
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On the basepaths? The Guardians finished the season third in the league with 119 stolen bases, a number that could be quite higher in 2023 with the new rules implementing larger bases and putting restrictions on pick-off moves.
They also led the league with 115 instances of going from first-to-third, which became a source of pride in the clubhouse. Once again, the margin was sizable. The difference between the Guardians and the second-place club (the Chicago Cubs) was the same as the difference between second and 11th place.
In terms of contact, defense and base running, the Guardians were a top-three team in all three categories last season. To borrow a phrase from “The Mandalorian,” “This is the Way (the Guardians win).”