It's been a shaky start for the Cleveland Guardians bullpen, but the organization remains confident in the group it has.
The Cleveland Guardians are in a difficult spot, and in some cases, uncharted territory right now. Over time, the strength of the team has been the pitching, starters, and relievers.
Even though the start of the season has been an overwhelming success for the majority of the rotation, it’s been a different story for the bullpen. There have been times when the reliever core looks elite, and like one of the best groups in all of MLB, but there have also been times when the bullpen has cost the Guardians games.
As a group, the Guardians have a bullpen ERA of 5.18, which ranks 24th in MLB. Their reliever WHIP of 1.33 is slightly better, ranking 15th in baseball, but there's still room for improvement.
These numbers also come after Cleveland brought in a handful of new relievers into the organization over the offseason, knowing that bullpen depth was an area of need coming into the season.
Despite all of these struggles, the Guardians still have faith in the group that they have.
“We still like the group of guys that we have,” said Chris Antonetti on Sunday.
“It obviously hasn't performed as a group as consistently as we think it's capable of, but I'm optimistic that that group will develop into a strength of the team over time. even if we're not quite there yet.”
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Hunter Gaddis (33) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesAs rocky a start as it’s been for the Guardians reliever core, they do still have some proven high-leverage arms in the bullpen for them to feel confident in.
Cade Smith appears to be turning his season around and re-finding his command. Hunter Gaddis is finally back in the mix after beginning the season on the injured list. Shawn Armstrong has been hit hard, but his xBA of .206 proves that it should even out eventually.
Clearly, Cleveland still believes in the group that they have, and in the bullpen’s defense, the Guardians are in the middle of a 13-game, 13-day stretch. Even a near no-hitter isn’t enough for the bullpen to feel fully rested. That off day on Thursday could do wonders for the group as a whole, helping everyone simply feel 100 percent.
Right now, it appears that Guardians are going to let the group weather the storm, but if struggles continue, Cleveland could have three waiter reinforcements in the Minors by the time summer rolls around: Daniel Espino, Andrew Walters, and Franco Aleman.
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