Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt admitted it will be “all hands on deck,” trying to make up for Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez’s production in the lineup.

Truly, replicating Ramirez, even with it being a down year for the star third baseman, is no easy task.

However, there is a group of Guardians who need to step up to help keep the ship afloat while Ramirez and Martinez are on the sidelines.

Brayan Rocchio is putting together a breakout season at the plate. His .752 OPS ranks second on the Guardians, only trailing Ramirez’s .757 OPS.

That said, Rocchio’s production has come at the back of the order with him finding a “home” at the team’s nine-hole hitter. With Ramirez sidelined, Cleveland will need Rocchio to step up and continue that production, only further up in the order.

On Sunday, before the games were postponed due to inclement weather, Vogt had Rocchio written in as Cleveland’s two-hole hitter, with Kyle Manzardo hitting behind him at three. Cleveland opted to go with the exact same lineup on Tuesday.

The next few weeks are going to be an opportunity for Rocchio to step up and prove he can continue his productive season at the plate higher up in the order.

Cleveland needs to count on the offense to come from somewhere with both Martinez and Ramirez out of the lineup. Steven Kwan has shown the ability to lead a lineup over the last few years, but that just hasn’t been the case in 2026. 

Kwan hasn’t had the season he or the Guardians would’ve wanted, but now is the perfect time for him to get back on track, step up, and help lead this group over the next month. 

The former All-Star has shown some signs of getting back on track over the last two weeks, but Cleveland needs him to be a consistent threat in the order if they’re going to survive this stretch.

Of course, the Guardians are going to need players to step up on offense, but some players are also going to be asked to do more on the defensive end of things, too.

One player who could see a larger role in the field over the next month is David Fry.

Fry has always been known as a super utility player, but that could really come to the test with both Ramirez and Martinez out. 

Fry may be an infielder by trade, but Cleveland will need his right-handed bat in the lineup with Martinez absent. Vogt also brought up the possibility of Fry being able to play some third base, too. 

This versatility could help keep some of the Guardians’ best bats in their lineup. 

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