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Despite fielding one of the worst offenses in baseball last season, the Cleveland Guardians still finished atop the American League Central when the dust settled. How an organization that was almost anemic offensively managed to win its division can be puzzling at first glance.

The ballclub by the lake does one thing as well as anyone in baseball. They manufacture the one thing every team needs and no team ever has enough of: pitching. For more than a decade, Cleveland has been one of baseball’s most reliable pitching development pipelines, consistently turning highly ranked prospects, mid-round draft picks, and overlooked arms into major league contributors. That model has kept the Guardians competitive despite operating with a payroll far smaller than many American League rivals.

Last season that formula paid off again. Cleveland stormed back late to claim its second straight AL Central title. Whether it holds again in 2026 will depend on two familiar questions: whether the pitching machine keeps humming and whether the offense around José Ramírez can provide enough support.

2025 record: 88-74 (1st, AL Central)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 76–86 (4th, AL Central)

Cleveland’s identity begins on the mound. Even as recognizable names cycle off the roster, the Guardians continue to produce quality pitchers at a rate few organizations can match. Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams represent the latest examples of Cleveland turning young arms into frontline starters.

The numbers explain why the organization is viewed as one of baseball’s most effective pitching development systems. Over the past three seasons, Guardians pitchers have ranked near the top of the American League in run prevention metrics. Cleveland finished 2025 among league leaders in ERA, fourth overall with a 3.70 team ERA while also ranking near the top in strikeout-to-walk ratio. The staff’s ability to limit free passes has been particularly impressive, as Cleveland routinely posts one of the lowest walk rates in baseball.

Underlying pitch metrics tell the same story. Statcast and FanGraphs data regularly show Cleveland pitchers near the top of the league in chase rate and weak contact allowed, two indicators strongly tied to sustainable run prevention. Pitching coach Carl Willis has emphasized pitch design, mechanical adjustments, and a clear organizational philosophy that helps the Guardians extract value from arms throughout their system.

Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake spent time in Cleveland’s organization earlier in his career, and since his arrival in New York it’s easy to see similarities between the two teams’ pitching philosophies. Both organizations emphasize data-driven adjustments and maximizing the strengths of each arm.

While Cleveland’s identity remains tied to the mound, the offense revolves around one of the most quietly dominant players of this generation. José Ramírez remains the centerpiece of the lineup and one of baseball’s most complete players, combining power, plate discipline, baserunning, and good defensive. Last season J-Ram posted 5.8 WAR with 30 home runs and 44 stolen bases, good for an .863 OPS and a third-place finish in the MVP race behind the first loser Cal Raleigh and, of course, The Captain himself, Aaron Judge.

He must also really believe Cleveland rocks. Ramírez signed a seven-year, $175 million extension that will keep him with the Guardians through his age-39 season, a rare commitment between a star player and a small-market franchise.

Alongside Ramírez, Steven Kwan provides a completely different but valuable offensive profile. His contact ability and disciplined approach make him one of the hardest hitters in the league to strike out and a natural table-setter at the top of the lineup. Cleveland needs that skill set, because offense has often been hard to come by. The Guardians scored more runs than only the Pirates and Rockies in all of baseball last season.

Beyond those two anchors, Cleveland once again hopes several young hitters can take the next step. Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo represent the next wave of offensive hope, while top prospects Chase DeLauter and George Valera should also factor into the lineup this season.

That reliance on internal development reflects Cleveland’s long-standing roster philosophy. This offseason, their most notable addition was first baseman/designated hitter Rhys Hoskins on a minor league deal. Hoskins is expected to make the big league club and projects as a regular splitting time between first base and designated hitter with Manzardo. Even after losing their star closer and a starting pitcher to betting allegations last July, the Guardians made no real additions to reinforce the bullpen or the rotation.

Rather than chasing free agents, Cleveland continues trusting its development pipeline to supply the next wave of contributors. In some seasons that approach works beautifully. In others, it leaves the lineup searching for consistent production behind Ramírez. That volatility is why Cleveland remains one of the harder teams in baseball to project. Their pitching depth keeps them competitive most seasons, but the offense often determines whether they hover around .500 or push toward the top of the division.

A team built on development rarely views its roster as static. If Cleveland struggles early this summer, the front office could again explore selling pieces for additional young talent.

That flexibility is part of why the Guardians feel like a team that simply refuses to go away. Some seasons they’re the belle of the trade deadline ball, making just enough moves to stay competitive without committing to a full rebuild. Then later that same year, they’re a team you see in October with grown men dancing to the SpongeBob theme song.

For the Yankees, Cleveland remains one of the more intriguing matchups on the schedule. The Guardians may not always feature the most intimidating lineup, but their pitching development consistently produces staffs capable of neutralizing even elite offenses. Games between these two clubs often turn into battles of pitching depth, discipline at the plate, and occasionally get a little chippy.

As long as Cleveland continues producing pitchers the way it has for the last decade — and as long as José Ramírez stays healthy — the Guardians will remain one of baseball’s quietest but most persistent threats.

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More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

The big news in today’s line-up sits right at the top, where Corbin Carroll is back in the line-up. It’s an amazingly quick return, just one month and a day after he suffered the injury on a swing during live batting practice on February 10. Given that when we looked at previous hamate-afflicted players, the average amount of time missed was almost twice as much, at 61 days, this is remarkably quick. In fact, it’s quicker than any of the players in our (admittedly fairly small) sample from the past five years. It being spring training may be a factor: this could be the equivalent of a rehab assignment. It’s good to see him, regardless; let’s just hope he is not being rushed back.

Corbin kicking us off. pic.twitter.com/BVmRDNqQc7

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 11, 2026

Ryne Nelson gets the start, and after him we can expect to see RHP Thomas Hatch, RHP Kevin Ginkel, RHP Ryan Thompson and LHP Philip Abner. It will be Nelson’s third start of spring: the other two lasted for a total of 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, with an impressive 6:0 K:BB ratio so far. With the news that Zac Gallen is going to be the Opening Day starter (I’ll be writing that up next), the next question is where Nelson is going to slot into the rotation. My instinct is it’ll be just behind Gallen, but we’ll see. Out of the bullpen, Ginkel and Thompson are the names to watch, as they look to establish dominance among our relief corps.

At the top line, Spencer Strider looked really good on Wednesday afternoon: four innings, one walk, five strikeouts. When you consider that it was a visiting Rays team, maybe that’s more akin to something expected, but… I thought that this was a nice outing for him.

When Strider returned from injury last year, my amateur take on his struggles early was that he was struggling to stay mechanically consistent after taking a break between innings. Then, when things fell apart for him later in the year after his really nice run of starts, it was the slider mechanics (and resulting command) that did him in. So, I wasn’t surprised at all to see that in his first two Spring Training outings, the things he was struggling with were these same two: getting feel back after “going up and down” and having any semblance of consistency on his slider release.

So, the good news, if you care at all about my divinations into a guy’s mechanics in Spring Training, is that Strider looked much better for big chunks of this outing. There seemed to be a concerted effort to “slow down,” which I saw both in that he was “pulling” his four-seamer a lot (later release) and that everything was definitely not max effort.

The end result seemed to work out fairly well, especially towards the latter half of the outing. Strider worked the fastball early and didn’t get creamed for it (again, a quarter-strength Rays lineup at best here) and then really started carving up the set of Spring Training randos in his latter two frames. When he struck out the side in the third, it was very vintage Strider — Logan Davidson went down on a 1-2 well-located slider below the zone, Chandler Simpson swung through a zone curveball, and Gavin Lux got eaten alive on an above-the-zone fastball. Again, not the stiffest of competition, but still. Strider did issue his only walk in the fourth, but ended his outing with a nice (and Drake Baldwin/ABS-assisted) strikeout where he got Ben Williamson to look daft on two waste-type sliders.

Oh, and there was a game separate from Strider’s outing, too. Who knew. Matt Olson popped his third Spring Training 2026 homer, and the Braves drew some walks against Nick Martinez, but this was a low-scoring game for a while. Martinez actually struck out the side in the third before walking Austin Riley to start the fourth and departing. The Braves had a bit of a rally against Bryan Baker in the fifth: Brett Wisely homered to start the half-inning, Mauricio Dubon was robbed by a diving catch on a 100 mph screamer in center, Baldwin struck out (again), and then Olson, Riley, and Mike Yastrzemski proceeded to dunk balls onto grass to give Atlanta a 4-0 lead. There was a late tack-on run, too, with Luis Guanipa bouncing one up the middle to score a runner from second.

On the pitching end, Raisel Iglesias came in after Strider and had a few scary fly balls, but survived. Martin Perez worked the rest of the slate — all four innings — and was kind of mean to the random Rays’ hangers-on and minor leaguers, given his arsenal. Williamson did pop him for a three-run homer after a barely-there roller and a walk put two on with two out, but the rest was easy pickin’ for the veteran, as he struck out six of the 17 batters he faced.

The Braves will play a night game tomorrow as they head to Bradenton to hang with the Pirates. Will they return with Charlie Morton? Who knows. (Probably not.) Stay tuned.

Down in the desert, the Royals are dividing-and-conquering today.

At Surprise Stadium, a group led by the likes of Jonathan India, Carter Jensen, and Starling Marte face the Giants.

At Sloan Park, Kyle Isbel, John Rave, and Tyler Tolbert lead a group against the Cubs.

Split Squad Lineups for 3/11/26

Split squad action today as we take on the Giants and the Cubs. pic.twitter.com/bt5vIZbDsv

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 11, 2026

Here are the lineups for the Giants and Cubs:

Wednesday baseball in Surprise ⚾️

⌚️: 1:05 p.m. PT
📻: https://t.co/LJDYx8ThRppic.twitter.com/xb9zKY0gkS

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) March 11, 2026

see you soon, @SloanParkMesa. pic.twitter.com/6D8hnbtv7B

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 11, 2026

The White Sox are back at Camelback Ranch, hoping to recover from yesterday’s beatdown by the A’s. The good news is the bats have been alive, and today’s another shot to keep the offense rolling against the Angels. First pitch at 3:05 p.m. CST.

Anthony Kay gets the ball for Chicago, who’s looking to make the most of his spring. Once a first-round pick, Kay still flashes the stuff that got him drafted — a fastball with some life and a slider that sometimes actually misses bats when it’s working. The southpaw has performed well so far this spring, going 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 frames across three starts, but that 1.57 WHIP is a mess. Welcome to Cactus League, where everyone’s just shaking off the rust and trying to remember how to pitch.

The Angels counter with Alek Manoah, who once looked like a future ace before injuries and wildness sent him spinning. If he’s got it working, Manoah can still blow hitters away with a mid-90s fastball and a slider that actually bites. The Angels are crossing their fingers that he can get back to form, but spring hasn’t been kind so far to the righthander in his three starts, with a 6.14 ERA and 2.05 WHIP over 7 1/3 innings.

Today’s Sox lineup features a handful of bats who’ve been making noise lately. Austin Hays continues to square everything up and looks locked in at the dish, while Colson Montgomery has been flashing some pop after leaving the yard on Sunday. Add in the veteran Andrew Benintendi, who has put together a solid spring, and the versatility of LaMonte Wade Jr., and Chicago once again rolls out a lineup that can create some chaos on the bases and do damage in a hurry. Who would have thought?

Benny leads us off vs. the Angels pic.twitter.com/oMSwvKDA8h

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 11, 2026

The Angels counter with their own mix of veterans and hopefuls as Manoah takes the mound.

hump day in Camelback 🐪

📻: @AngelsRadioKLAA#LAASpring x @FBMSupplypic.twitter.com/LTCsoIO5k7

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 11, 2026

Unfortunately, there’s no TV for this one. If you’re desperate for some Good Guys baseball, fire up MLB.TV or MLB+ and settle for the Angels radio call at 3:05 p.m. CST.

This afternoon, the Athletics will look to make it five Cactus League wins in a row as they play the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second time this spring. A week ago, the Diamondbacks defeated the A’s 3-1.

Since then, the A’s offense has woken up in full force, seemingly scoring runs at will during this winning streak. Yesterday, the A’s pounded White Sox pitching, scoring 11 runs on 16 hits. First baseman Nick Kurtz, catcher Shea Langeliers and designated hitter Brent Rooker all hit home runs, with Kurtz and Langeliers going back-to-back in the fourth inning. On the other hand, the team’s pitching continues to be a concern, as A’s starter Jeffrey Springs gave up six runs over only 2 2/3 innings.

Right-hander Luis Morales will start on the mound for the A’s today, looking to improve from his last outing against the Los Angeles Angels, in which he gave up two runs over 3 2/3 innings. That performance was much improved from his previous spring outing, a sign Morales is becoming prepared to positively contribute to the A’s success this season.

In his first 10 MLB appearances last August and September, Morales went 4-3 with a 3.14 ERA, recording 43 strikeouts over 48 innings pitched. Morales could help reverse the A’s recent trend of top international signings failing to pan out. The Cuban pitcher has the talent to pitch at the front of a rotation and could play an important role in helping the team allow fewer runs this season.

Here’s how the A’s lineup behind Morales:

Another day in the desert 🌵 pic.twitter.com/ryL4RNtywi

— Athletics (@Athletics) March 11, 2026

With the start of the regular season just a couple of weeks away, starters are beginning to play more as teams send lower-level minor leaguers and non-roster invitees unlikely to make the roster to minor league camp.

The A’s lineup this afternoon is very close to what it will presumably look like come the regular season. The first five names are the team’s five best hitters. Max Muncy has received the most playing time at third base this spring and will presumably start there on Opening Day. Utility infielder Andy Ibanez is playing second base, a position he will likely see time at this year in addition to third.

Henry Bolte is in the lineup again. The team’s top outfield prospect is batting .414 with a home run and three RBIs in 29 Cactus League at-bats. If Bolte carries his spring success into the start of the Triple-A season, he could be rewarded with his MLB debut sometime this year.

Here’s how the Diamondbacks line up this afternoon behind starting pitcher Ryne Nelson:

Corbin kicking us off. pic.twitter.com/BVmRDNqQc7

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 11, 2026

Diamondbacks superstar outfielder Corbin Carroll will make his spring debut a month after breaking his right hamate bone. Additionally, first baseman Pavin Smith is off to a good start this spring, hitting .308 with two home runs and four RBIs.

Outside of those two regulars, the rest of Arizona’s starting lineup is made up of prospects and backups, which could give Morales a favorable matchup this afternoon as he continues vying for a spot in the A’s Opening Day rotation.

Should be a fun one in the desert. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Let’s go A’s!

Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller, who hasn’t pitched in a game since the start of spring training with an abdomen/oblique injury, was scheduled to pitch a 25-pitch standard bullpen today as part of his rehab process. Instead, Miller’s bullpen was cut short after just a few warmup tosses, as Miller reported feeling tightness in the area while ramping up to his bullpen. The Mariners immediately opted to shut him down for the day, though not from throwing in general.

“This is rehab. This is part of that,” said Mariners GM Justin Hollander. “We told Bryce specifically…if you feel anything at all, don’t push through it. That’s not where you’re at in this process.”

Miller got through the on-ramp to his bullpen—stretching, touch-and-feel tosses, throwing around a football and warming up—fine, but felt tightness once he got on the mound and started throwing with more intent. As instructed, he immediately reported the feeling to a trainer, and the Mariners opted to cut the session short.

“We’re not going to push through this and risk actually having to take a step backwards,” said Hollander.

Miller won’t be shut down from throwing; he’ll still play catch, and in another three to four days they’ll try again with the touch and feel bullpen, similar to the one he threw a few days ago. If Miller progresses through all of that without issue, he can move to trying the standard bullpen again, about a week from today. Hollander says that’s just what the rehab process looks like.

“Some days, you feel a little tightness, and we back it down. Sometimes you feel great, and we feel like you’re ready to take the next step. He wasn’t ready to take the next step today, and smartly said, I’m not ready to take the next step today, so we’ll try again in a couple of days.”

The bullpen step is the hardest one to clear, moving from playing catch to throwing with intent and intensity, but it does delay Miller’s timeline by about a week. Hollander wouldn’t decisively rule out Miller, whose last game appearance was February 26th, for Opening Day, but the math isn’t in Miller’s favor with the regular season starting up in just two weeks. All Hollander would commit to acknowledging was that Miller is behind schedule, and that the team will make decisions as necessary.

The Mariners have built depth this spring with both minor-league signings and internal improvements. They’ve brought back Tacoma stalwarts Jhonathan Díaz and Casey Lawrence, both of whom have filled in at the big-league level. Emerson Hancock, who filled in last spring for various rotation members battling injury, has been especially impressive this spring, showcasing consistent improved velocity and an improved sweeper. Off-season acquisition Cooper Criswell has also been working as a starter this spring, and could either start himself, piggyback with Hancock, or serve as longman out of the ‘pen, all roles the Swiss army knife pitcher says he’s comfortable with. And beyond that, the Mariners could even tap into young but polished Kade Anderson, although that seems like a distant third option ahead of their longer-tenured options or Criswell, who lacks options and was looking like a lock to make the roster even before this. Who is your preferred option to fill in for Miller as he works back from his oblique injury? Let us know in the comments.

The talk of the baseball world today is Italy’s stunning upset of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The 8-6 win is the biggest for Italy in international play, and was led by Colorado Rockies’ RHP Michael Lorenzen pitching 4.2 scoreless innings and giving up only two hits to some of the best batters in the world. The result forces quite a bit of drama for the U.S. heading into the final day of group play.

Back in the Cactus League, the Rockies will look to rebound after a pair of rough blowouts to start the week, losing to the Chicago White Sox 12-3 on Monday and to the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Tuesday. The bats have cooled down in recent days, with a number of top contributors going “o-fer” at the plate. Taking on the Seattle Mariners, Chase Dollander gets his fourth start of the spring, going 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA, five strikeouts, and three walks so far.

On Seattle’s end, Luis Castillo takes the mound, looking to break a troublesome start to camp. In two games, Castillo is 0-2 has an abysmal 27.00 ERA across 2.2 innings pitched, after giving up six hits, six runs, and a homer to the San Diego Padres, and four hits, three runs, and a homer to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies’ bats could turn the team’s week around with a juicy matchup if they can take advantage of Castillo’s NL West woes.

First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. MDT

TV: None

Radio: Seattle Sports 710AM

Lineups:

Happy Dollander Day! pic.twitter.com/5EVaXC1OjH

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) March 11, 2026

One day closer to the regular season ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/Bj94kl5hFg

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 11, 2026

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