Cleveland Guardians Studs & Duds In June

And it’s not like he saw fewer plate appearances in June (25) than in April (18) and May (21); in fact, the opposite is true.

June was a real coming-out party for Giménez, who looks to be a long-term fixture in Cleveland, along with other young upstarts in Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez.

Dud: Myles Straw

If Giménez had a June to remember, Straw’s mid-summer stretch was one to absolutely forget.

His defense is remarkable, no knocks there.

But at the plate, Straw was borderline unplayable for stretches.

Last month, Straw batted well below the Mendoza line, posting an average of .149.

Straw’s struggled to get anything going since a strong March and April start to the season.

Since then, his batting has declined (in May, Straw batted a grim .178) and his strikeout rate ballooned.

In June alone, Straw struck out 22 times, almost double his May figure (12).

When Straw and catcher Austin Hedges both slot into the lineup, opposing pitchers are almost guaranteed an easy out.

That’s not something that can continue if the club hopes to play into late October.

Dud: Emmanuel Clase

Is a 1.50 ERA too high for you?

How about 0.00?

That’s what Clase accomplished last month for the Guardians.

Not a single earned run in 15 appearances in June — incredible.

In a league where teams are constantly struggling to find some consistency in their closers, Clase is a real luxury.

The lack of an earned run helped plummet his season-long ERA from 2.35 to start the month to a minuscule 1.35 by June’s end.

A few more numbers to impress you: Clase only surrendered 7 hits in June, didn’t walk a single batter and struck out 16.

That’s the level of play that, in stark contrast to Straw, is what playoff runs are made of.

Dud: Triston McKenzie

The bullpen excelled in June, headlined by great play from Clase and Eli Morgan.

But the starters, on the other hand, did not fare so well.

And few struggled as mightily as Triston McKenzie.

Though his second and third starts of the month were quality, he gave up five or more runs in his other three starts.

Case in point, McKenzie ends June with a 6.44 ERA across his five starts last month. He struck out as many batters (28) as he allowed runs (21).

Opposing batters loaded up on McKenzie, to the tune of a .271 average.

But one of the biggest reasons McKenzie’s June was disappointing is that he’s the no. 2 starter.

Aaron Civale‘s ERA is unsightly and Zach Plesac‘s inconsistency is maddening.

But as the day two starter, McKenzie is expected to play at a high level.

He’s more than capable of it, even if June was not a great showcase of his talent.