Believe it or not, the Cleveland Guardians are an interesting team to watch in 2022.
Granted they haven’t exactly started great.
They’re 16-17 and sit tied for second place in the American League Central division, but they are only three games back of the first-place Minnesota Twins.
Many expected the Guardians to be a little lower on the totem pole, but that hasn’t been the case.
Their lineup has been a plus for them this season, thanks in large part to the emergence of Steven Kwan.
The Guardians have been patient at the plate too.
This morning, the team tweeted some swing and miss rates among their players, five of which are in the top 20 with some of the lowest whiff rates in the American League.
Swings and misses are hard to come by up and down our lineup.
Whiff Rate, American League:
1. Steven Kwan: 7.5%
4. José Ramírez: 12.9%
6. Myles Straw: 14.2%
16. Owen Miller: 17.1%
17. Amed Rosario: 17.2%#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/XusjTUxjYM— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 16, 2022
Patience At The Plate
Patience is a virtue, and it pays off in baseball with any offense.
This is a team that may not be a powerhouse by any means, but having patience at the plate can lead to drawing walks and having more opportunities to score runs with more men on base.
To have five of the top 20 lowest swing and miss rates is quite impressive for a team.
These guys are patient and can grind out at bats.
They have in fact scored the third-most runs in the American League with 157.
So while they aren’t exactly a juggernaut of a team, they can at least rely on their offense to score enough runs and win some ballgames.
This certainly is not a bad team by any stretch of the imagination.
A good offense is essential for any contending ballclub.
Patience pays off, and it has paid off so far for the Guardians.
NEXT: Guardians Dealing With A Long List Of COVID Absences