N&N: Three Positives From the Week of August 11th

Another up-and-down week for the Guardians had some major pick-me-ups from a couple of unlikely candidates.

The Guardians have been one of the most confusing – and frustrating if you’re a fan – teams in the league since the All-Star Break. A stretch of five wins in a row, seven losses, five more wins, and then a sweep by the Brewers has us fans scratching our heads. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to smile about with this young team.

Cobb Holding His Own Early

While we’ve only seen two starts from the Trade Deadline acquisition, Alex Cobb has been doing exactly what the team has needed him to do. Take on innings for the starting rotation that has been hanging on by a thread since the beginning of the season. In his first start on August 9th, Cobb gave up four runs on nine hits across 4.2 innings. Nothing excellent, but in his first start back after injury it was about what you’d expect.

His most recent start, however, was exactly what the team was hoping for when they acquired him last month. Giving up just one earned run on three hits across 5.2 innings, Cobb earned his first win with the Guardians with a 6-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. If he can stretch out his innings just a bit further and keep the hits under control, he may be a reliable option for the rest of this season and the postseason.

Boyd Has Successful Opener

Much like Cobb, the Guardians acquired Matthew Boyd in late June as he was recovering from elbow surgery. After some rehab starts in Akron and Columbus, he made his debut with the team on August 13th against the Cubs. He was able to go 5.1 innings, giving up just one run on three hits. He would end the game with a no-decision, but the team went on to win 2-1 with the help of a Jhonkensy Noel home run in the sixth inning.

Alongside Cobb, Boyd has the potential to keep this starting rotation going just long enough to make a push at the end of the season and into the playoffs. His next start will take place on Tuesday as he faces off against Luis Gil and the New York Yankees. He has a .300 batting average against in his previous appearances versus tomorrow’s probable Yankee lineup. We’ll see if he can keep up the early success.

Ramírez Marks 100 RBI

José Ramírez earned his 100th RBI of the season Friday night with a two-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers. While his team couldn’t bring home the victory that night, it was still a special moment for Ramírez. He became just the second player to reach this mark in 2024 behind only MVP-favorite Aaron Judge.

Ramírez is also holding his own in many other statistics. He’s seventh in the league in home runs with 32, eighth in total bases with 257, sixth in runs scored with 92, and 10th in WAR for position players with 4.6. It’s looking to be another one of those years where he would have a great shot for MVP if there weren’t one player leading every stat category.