What a wild ride June has been for the Cleveland Guardians.
The club quickly put a dismal May in the rearview mirror, exploding for a 15-4 record through Cleveland’s first 19 games in June.
But the Guardians scuffled down the stretch, going 1-6 in the team’s next 7 games before closing out the month with two wins against the Twins.
All in all, June should still be considered a massive success for Cleveland.
On the final day of May, the club was third in the AL Central, a distant six games out of first.
But even after a rough end to the month, Cleveland is in the thick of the playoff race, with Cleveland slotted into the third Wild Card spot.
The Guardians are also just a game behind the Twins in the AL Central.
Now that the month is closed, let’s take a look at some of the players who made the Guardians’ month special (and less than stellar):
Honorable Mentions: Josh Naylor (walk-off win to end Cleveland’s late-month skid), José Ramirez (.291 average, 12 RBIs), Eli Morgan (11-1 in appearances, 19 strikeouts)
Stud: Andrés Giménez
Has anyone been as important to Cleveland in the month of June as Giménez?
He only slashed .326/.402/.512 in June.
But an even crazier stat?
He notched more RBIs (13) in June than José Ramirez (12), who is currently third across the majors in the stat.
Big series win.#ForTheLand | #GuardiWWins pic.twitter.com/pi8AY4Nk79
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 30, 2022
And it’s not like he saw fewer plate appearances in June (25) than in April (18) and May (21); in fact, the opposite is true.
June was a real coming-out party for Giménez, who looks to be a long-term fixture in Cleveland, along with other young upstarts in Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez.
Dud: Myles Straw
If Giménez had a June to remember, Straw’s mid-summer stretch was one to absolutely forget.
His defense is remarkable, no knocks there.
But at the plate, Straw was borderline unplayable for stretches.
Last month, Straw batted well below the Mendoza line, posting an average of .149.
Straw’s struggled to get anything going since a strong March and April start to the season.
Since then, his batting has declined (in May, Straw batted a grim .178) and his strikeout rate ballooned.
In June alone, Straw struck out 22 times, almost double his May figure (12).
When Straw and catcher Austin Hedges both slot into the lineup, opposing pitchers are almost guaranteed an easy out.
That’s not something that can continue if the club hopes to play into late October.
Dud: Emmanuel Clase
Is a 1.50 ERA too high for you?
How about 0.00?
That’s what Clase accomplished last month for the Guardians.
Not a single earned run in 15 appearances in June — incredible.
In a league where teams are constantly struggling to find some consistency in their closers, Clase is a real luxury.
The lack of an earned run helped plummet his season-long ERA from 2.35 to start the month to a minuscule 1.35 by June’s end.
A few more numbers to impress you: Clase only surrendered 7 hits in June, didn’t walk a single batter and struck out 16.
There's a little bit of magic in this team. ✨#ForTheLand | #GuardiWWins pic.twitter.com/Z45XaDD1mW
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 30, 2022
That’s the level of play that, in stark contrast to Straw, is what playoff runs are made of.
Dud: Triston McKenzie
The bullpen excelled in June, headlined by great play from Clase and Eli Morgan.
But the starters, on the other hand, did not fare so well.
And few struggled as mightily as Triston McKenzie.
Though his second and third starts of the month were quality, he gave up five or more runs in his other three starts.
Case in point, McKenzie ends June with a 6.44 ERA across his five starts last month. He struck out as many batters (28) as he allowed runs (21).
Opposing batters loaded up on McKenzie, to the tune of a .271 average.
But one of the biggest reasons McKenzie’s June was disappointing is that he’s the no. 2 starter.
Aaron Civale‘s ERA is unsightly and Zach Plesac‘s inconsistency is maddening.
But as the day two starter, McKenzie is expected to play at a high level.
He’s more than capable of it, even if June was not a great showcase of his talent.
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