The Cleveland Guardians are looking to enter the postseason set up for a deep run.
The lineup is rounding into form and there have been contributions from all nine spots. The pitching rotation is getting set and the relief pitchers need to be rested up for a heavy workload.
Every player matters in October, but these three Guardians will ultimately determine how far this team can go in October.
Although Ramirez's batting average and power numbers declined this season, his bat can still change a game. He has been hitting in the two-spot and has shown signs of life lately , having multi-hits in each game during the weekend series against the Athletics .
Steven Kwan is hitting lead off and has been fantastic at getting on base during the second half of the season. Should Ramirez heat up, then the top of the order can cause real damage to an opposing team and the Guardians can pitch with a lead.
Ramirez is also a terrific base runner and he can turn singles into doubles. The Guardians are the least offensively productive team that would be in the playoffs and need to take advantage of the little things. Extra bases from Ramirez can lead to extra runs that they will desperately need when they play against good pitching every day.
There is still some power in his bat and with every day that goes by, the hamate bone injury gets a little healthier. He has struggled in recent postseasons, but now there is more talent protecting him in the lineup. The Guardians are fortunate to have a leader like Ramirez to lean on in big moments.
The rotation is thin as it is very top-heavy with Parker Messick and Williams. Messick is a rookie and although he has had a remarkable season, it may be too much to ask for him to dominate a postseason.
Williams comes in as the veteran on the staff with the nastiest pitches. He is leading the American League in strikeouts and will be sought to shut down the other team's offense. Williams needs to pitch deep into games, as the Guardians' bullpen has not been as reliable.
The pitch count tends to creep up on Williams due to his high number of strikeouts and deep counts, but he will need to keep that down and retire batters early in the count to extend his innings.
Stephen Vogt has shown that he has a quick hook in the playoffs and pitchers rarely see a third time through. Williams is the guy in the rotation that needs to be able to go six innings to shorten the game for the bullpen. Their offense will not be able to keep pace should Williams lose control of his stuff early. Williams needs to be an ace in his starts to help out the other facets of the team.
Cade Smith has been automatic in the ninth inning. The only trouble has been getting to him. Gaddis has been used as the setup man recently and he has not been consistent.
When he is throwing strikes, he can be really effective, but that is not always the case. Gaddis must be sharp to bridge the gap to Smith for the save. The Guardians lack elite power to make up for a blown hold with one swing of the bat.
If Gaddis can be a shutdown setup man, then the Guardians will be able to play seven-inning games against their opponent.
While baseball is ultimately a team sport, the game is made up of one-on-one matchups and these three players will be the most important to the success of the postseason.
Should these players perform to their capability, then the Guardians will be playing deep into October.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi as 3 Guardians Who Are Most Important to Postseason Success .
