Despite what our eyes told us — and even if every reader of this article is as ensconced in numbers as your typical quant — it feels under-reported just how bad the offense-first positions dragged down the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.
The division title and winning a playoff series certainly helped gloss over it, but that 1B/DH combo was just a pit. Due in part to their continuing to fold in new rookies, the utter collapse of Franmil Reyes, and the presence of Owen Miller for 80 games at first, Cleveland ranked 20th in offense from first basemen with a 99 wRC+ and 30th at designated hitter, with a 68 wRC+.