'It's no secret': Guardians searching for production in No. 2 spot between Kwan, Ramirez

Yahoo

28-05-2025

CLEVELAND — Arguably the main reason the Guardians have been at best No. 2 in the division over the last few weeks has been the (lack of) production from the No. 2 spot in the lineup this season.
Manager Stephen Vogt's lineup boasts Steven Kwan, one of the most difficult outs in the league, in the everyday leadoff spot. Jose Ramirez, an every-year MVP candidate who was on a 20-game hit streak at the conclusion of the May 27 game, has been returned to the No. 3 spot. It's a dynamic top of the order.
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But as they fight for the American League Central lead in what continues to be a tight four-team race, the Guardians have been unable to find virtually any production in the spot between Kwan and Ramirez.
Guardians catcher Bo Naylor singles against the Washington Nationals during the second inning, May 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The Guardians won 8-6.
Guardians have worst-ranked No. 2 spot in the lineup in MLB
Cleveland opened the 2025 season with Ramirez in the No. 2 spot to form an explosive one-two punch at the top of the order. But issues with the length of the lineup eventually led to Ramirez moving back to the No. 3 hole, the spot he's occupied for the last several years.
Since that time, the Guardians have been searching far and wide for an answer to one question: who best fits between Kwan and Ramirez? They haven't found their answer yet.
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Entering Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Guardians had the weakest production out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup by a wide margin. Cleveland's collective No. 2 hitters had a combined wRC+ of 37, which means they've been 63% below league average, by far the worst in baseball. They've hit .168 and posted an on-base percentage of just .229.
Those numbers get even worse once you take Ramirez out of the equation. While he was hitting second, he accounted for a wRC+ of 118 (18% above league average), all four home runs that have been hit from that spot and eight of the 12 RBIs. And he hasn't been a regular there since April 17.
Aside from Ramirez, the Guardians have tried seven different hitters in the No. 2 spot for at least two games this season. No one has seized the spot.
They tried Daniel Schneemann. They tried Lane Thomas. They experimented with Nolan Jones for a while. They threw Jhonkensy Noel, Gabriel Arias and Angel Martinez in there to see what would happen. And now the latest attempt, Bo Naylor.
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Schneemann and Thomas have been the best of the group, if that word can be applied here, with a 26 and 25 wRC+, respectively. Both of their batting averages are below the Mendoza Line of .200. Schneemann has had a positive season overall, but he's been much better further down the lineup. Jones hasn't fared any better (.152 average, .200 OBP).
Naylor has had only two games there, both against the Dodgers. His time in the No. 2 spot isn't off to the best start — he's 0-for-8 with five strikeouts since being moved up the order. But he's a switch hitter, which takes away the platoon advantage, and the Guardians have liked some signs from his approach at the plate lately (.846 OPS over the last two weeks), so they might stick with him a bit longer.
"Bo's been working really good at-bats," Vogt said. "Again, it's no secret we've struggled to get production in the two hole, and Bo's been swinging that bat really well. It helps us with matchups, it helps us do some different things, and Bo's really earned this opportunity to go to the two hole."
Travis Bazzana, Juan Brito both injured
And for those dreaming that last year's No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana or Juan Brito could come to the rescue soon, that has become impossible. Bazzana is not only still in Double-A, he's sidelined for roughly two months with an oblique injury, which has lowered the chances that he makes the jump to the majors in 2025.
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Brito is potentially out for the next two months or so as well after he needed thumb surgery after a strong start to the season in Triple-A. Bazzana and Brito might represent the team's best contenders for future production at second base or elsewhere in the lineup — maybe the No. 2 spot, eventually — but that won't be happening anytime soon.
The top contending reinforcements aren't able to come to the rescue for quite some time. Maybe Chase DeLauter, now healthy again after missing several weeks with a core injury, can act as the calvary, though he only recently returned and has logged all of three games with Columbus.
Unless DeLauter is suddenly given a quick call to the majors, the Guardians might be on their own to figure out how to best complement Kwan and Ramirez at the top of the order as they try to chase down the Detroit Tigers in the division.
It is, arguably, their top priority. Perhaps Naylor can again find his swing. Or perhaps experiment No. 9 will do the trick.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians lineup needs production from No. 2 spot in 2025