Cleveland Guardians: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Cleveland Guardians set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan led off 156 times in 2025, and Cleveland's leadoff hitter matched the previous game 95% of the time, the highest rate in the league. Below the top, the order moved a lot: 147 different batting orders, eighth most.
Much of that movement followed the opposing starter's hand. Cleveland started 4.7 left-handed hitters per game against right-handers, second most in the league, but 2.2 against left-handers. Kyle Manzardo started 93% of games against right-handers and 28% against left-handers, and Daniel Schneemann 83% against 17%. Bo Naylor, who made the most starts at catcher (106), started 79% of games against right-handers and 30% against left-handers, and 43% of day games after night games against 73% otherwise.
Where the Cleveland Guardians ranked in 2025
| Cleveland Guardians | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 88 | 81.0 | 10 |
| Different batting orders | 147 | 135.9 | 8 |
| Same order as previous game | 1.9% | 4.8% | T-22 |
| Most uses of one order | 3 | 4.8 | T-21 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 95% | 75% | 1 |
| Players in the lineup | 21 | 24.4 | T-26 |
| Games vs LHP | 46 | 42.6 | T-11 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 4.7 | 3.6 | 2 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 2.2 | 2.0 | 14 |
| Starting pitchers | 10 | 13.2 | T-22 |
| Top-five starters' share | 80% | 76% | 7 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 28% | 31% | 22 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 2% | 5% | 26 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 65% | 58% | T-9 |
| Players at DH | 9 | 10.7 | T-18 |
| Top DH's share | 42% | 51% | 18 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 76–86 | 103 / 59 | 124 | 21 | 14 |
| 2024 | 92–69 | 121 / 40 | 142 | 21 | 14 |
| 2025 | 88–74 | 116 / 46 | 147 | 21 | 10 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Bo Naylor (55) | Bo Naylor (101) | Bo Naylor (106) |
| 1B | Josh Naylor (87) | Josh Naylor (137) | Carlos Santana (92) |
| 2B | Andres Gimenez (146) | Andres Gimenez (151) | Daniel Schneemann (58) |
| 3B | Jose Ramirez (125) | Jose Ramirez (126) | Jose Ramirez (132) |
| SS | Amed Rosario (88) | Brayan Rocchio (121) | Gabriel Arias (102) |
| LF | Steven Kwan (151) | Steven Kwan (114) | Steven Kwan (152) |
| CF | Myles Straw (137) | Tyler Freeman (82) | Angel Martinez (87) |
| RF | Will Brennan (88) | Will Brennan (65) | Nolan Jones (72) |
| DH | Josh Bell (66) | David Fry (40) | Kyle Manzardo (68) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 30 | 17–13 | 6 | 28 | 6 | – |
| May | 27 | 14–13 | 5 | 25 | 7 | Will Brennan |
| June | 25 | 9–16 | 12 | 23 | 5 | David Fry, Dom Nunez |
| July | 26 | 14–12 | 10 | 23 | 6 | none |
| August | 27 | 14–13 | 5 | 24 | 6 | C. J. Kayfus |
| September | 27 | 20–7 | 8 | 26 | 6 | George Valera, Petey Halpin |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Steven Kwan (156); 2. Angel Martinez (41); 3. Jose Ramirez (139); 4. Kyle Manzardo (91); 5. Carlos Santana (51); 6. Gabriel Arias (49); 7. Gabriel Arias (35); 8. Bo Naylor (36); 9. Brayan Rocchio (65).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Austin Hedges (54) | 3 | 63% |
| 1B | Kyle Manzardo (53) | 4 | 50% |
| 2B | Brayan Rocchio (49) | 5 | 45% |
| 3B | Daniel Schneemann (14) | 4 | 37% |
| SS | Brayan Rocchio (56) | 3 | 20% |
| LF | Nolan Jones (7) | 3 | 10% |
| CF | Lane Thomas (32) | 5 | 47% |
| RF | Jhonkensy Noel (28) | 9 | 60% |
| DH | David Fry (37) | 9 | 77% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 4.7 | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Left-handed | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Schneemann | left-handed | 83% (96) | 17% (8) |
| Kyle Manzardo | left-handed | 93% (108) | 28% (13) |
| Bo Naylor | left-handed | 79% (92) | 30% (14) |
| Austin Hedges | right-handed | 21% (24) | 65% (30) |
| Nolan Jones | left-handed | 72% (84) | 39% (18) |
| Angel Martinez | switch-hitting | 60% (70) | 93% (43) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Williams | RHP | 31 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Tanner Bibee | RHP | 31 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Logan Allen | LHP | 29 | April 1, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Slade Cecconi | RHP | 23 | May 17, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Luis Ortiz | RHP | 16 | March 31, 2025 | June 27, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Joey Cantillo | LHP | 13 | July 3, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Ben Lively | RHP | 9 | March 27, 2025 | May 12, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Parker Messick | LHP | 7 | Aug. 20, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| Rest before start | Cleveland Guardians | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 28% | 31% |
| 5 days | 53% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 17% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 2% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 65% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 40 | 43% | 44% |
| All other games | 122 | 73% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Manzardo | 68 | 42% |
| David Fry | 37 | 23% |
| Jose Ramirez | 26 | 16% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 3 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (3 times, last on July 23, 2025): 1. Steven Kwan LF, 2. Angel Martinez CF, 3. Jose Ramirez 3B, 4. Kyle Manzardo DH, 5. Carlos Santana 1B, 6. Nolan Jones RF, 7. Daniel Schneemann 2B, 8. Brayan Rocchio SS, 9. Bo Naylor C.
Lineup 2 (3 times, last on Aug. 19, 2025): 1. Steven Kwan LF, 2. Angel Martinez CF, 3. Jose Ramirez 3B, 4. David Fry DH, 5. Carlos Santana 1B, 6. Gabriel Arias SS, 7. Nolan Jones RF, 8. Brayan Rocchio 2B, 9. Austin Hedges C.
Lineup 3 (2 times, last on April 15, 2025): 1. Steven Kwan LF, 2. Jose Ramirez 3B, 3. Carlos Santana 1B, 4. Kyle Manzardo DH, 5. Nolan Jones RF, 6. Gabriel Arias 2B, 7. Angel Martinez CF, 8. Bo Naylor C, 9. Brayan Rocchio SS.
Top nine vs RHP (12/116): Angel Martinez, Bo Naylor, Carlos Santana, Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, Jose Ramirez, Kyle Manzardo, Nolan Jones, Steven Kwan.
Top nine vs LHP (4/46): Angel Martinez, Austin Hedges, Carlos Santana, David Fry, Gabriel Arias, Johnathan Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Lane Thomas, Steven Kwan.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.