Cal Quantrill could take off in the second half of the season just like last year. Who else could follow him?
The Guardians have had a lot of players who have been playing great this season! They also have a few players that are on the verge of breaking out and being big contributors in the second half of the season as the Guardians continue their playoff hunt.
Cal Quantrill
The best pitcher in baseball after the All-Star break last year was Cal Quantrill and there's a chance he could do the same thing in 2022. In the first half of 2021, Quantrill had a 4.23 ERA and struggled a lot with giving up hits and walks. After the All-Star break, he ended with a sub-two ERA and a 1.034 WHIP.
This performance was incredible to watch!
So far this season, Qunatril has a 3.75 ERA and an impressive 5-0 record at home. He has been fairly consistent for the Guardians. One thing that could make him take off for the Guardians in the second half of the season is his strikeout rate.
Quantrill had eight strikeouts per nine innings in 2021 but so far only has 5.6 strikeouts per in their first half. If Cal can get his strikeouts up he could easily repeat the second half of 2021.
Myles Straw
Myles Straw started off the season strong with a .291 batting average in the month of April before plummeting down to a .178 average in May. Then in June he only hit .149. Obviously not great but there are better days ahead for Straw.
So far in July, he only needs one more hit to tie his June total and has already exceeded his RBI total too. Straw is batting .286 in his last seven games and also had a six-game hitting streak going this month too.
We know Straw is a great hitter and what he is capable of. He was a great addition after coming over from Houston last year. yes, he's been in a slump this year but is showing his breaking out of it which could mean he is poised to have a big second half!
Nick Sandlin
Nick Sandlin has the potential to be a big part of the Guardians bullpen. He has a unique release point that gives the ball a distinctive spin which can give hitters trouble. But he has struggled a lot with control this season which has found him getting optioned back to Columbus.
However, he hasn't given up a walk since getting recalled on July 5 and has only given up two runs. Sandlin also hasn't given up a hit in his last four appearances.
If Sandlin can keep this consistency up he could become a great setup man for the bullpen and have a big second half of the season.
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