Well it’s another off day, so let’s jump into the goings on at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. When the Guards went up against Tito’s Reds, Vogt-er did something shocking. Sure, many of us had clamoured for it, but who expected he’d move Kwan and Jose’s spots in the lineup.
The Slumping GOAT at Number 2
If you remember back August of 2023, right before Tito retired, he decided to shake things up by sliding José up to second. Tito wedged him right between Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor. The GOAT was in a slump, and the position kind of worked by making pitchers actually pitch to José and not walk him.
It didn’t last, because at the time we didn’t have anyone else who was consistent in the cleanup spot. I love Josh Naylor to bits, but consistency is not his middle name. With the introduction of DeLauter and Hoskins, and Manzardo’s breakout, suddenly all bets are off.
I don’t know about you, but my gut sure jumped after 5 games and thought this might be exactly what the doctor ordered. And more or less, my gut was right. So let’s dive into the numbers for our favorite duo, José Ramírez and Steven Kwan, to see how the new view from the dugout is treating them.
The New Leadoff Identity: Schnee & Angel
To understand why Steven Kwan was able to slide down to the bottom half of the order to catch his breath, we have to look at the guys filling his shoes. Vogt hasn’t just committed to one replacement at the moment. Instead, he’s playing the hot hand and creating a dynamic duo at the top of the card between Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martínez.
When “Schnee” or Angel are setting the table, they bring a distinct, high-energy spark. Martínez has been a revelation with his disciplined two-strike approach, and Schneemann’s knack for getting on base has kept the line moving. By rotating these two, Vogt keeps opposing pitchers guessing and completely removes the leadoff pressure from Kwan.
I had a sneaking feeling that this current rotation was just a beautiful bridge to the future. With Travis Bazzana’s incredible playing since his call-up shaking out the way it is, we have something cooking. The Australian is walking a ton and putting up an elite .429 OBP basically becoming a hero.
Bazzana got his first shot at the leadoff on May 23rd, versus the Phillies. He went 1 for 4. The next day he went 3 for 4 as leadoff with a home run in the 8th. We may very well end up trading Gabriel Arias (which would suck!) to clear the logjam, officially moving our favorite man from down under straight up to the top of the lineup.
Letting “The Chosen Kwan” Breathe
For the first time since June of 2022, Steven Kwan was penciled into a spot other than leadoff. A grueling start to the 2026 season saw his average dip to an uncharacteristic .201 with a sluggish .566 OPS. He admitted he felt like he was starting every at-bat down 0-2 in the count, aggressively chasing pitches to try and “swing his way out of a slump.”
On May 16, Vogt made the move to slide him down to the No. 6 and No. 7 spots—and the shift has acted like an immediate pressure-relief valve.
Check out the instant turnaround:
- Walk Like a Man: Free from the pressure of immediately kickstarting the offense, Kwan’s world-class plate discipline returned with a vengeance. In his first few games lower in the lineup, he drew a staggering 11 walks, including a 3-walk game against Detroit.
- The OPS Jump: Because he is suddenly seeing deeper pitches and taking his free passes, his on-base metrics have skyrocketed. In individual games since the move, he’s posted single-game on-base percentages of .500, .750, and .667, lifting his overall season OBP back up to a much healthier .330.
- The Verdict: His overall season average (.207) still needs some TLC, but by allowing him to reset lower in the order, his daily OPS has surged into the stratosphere compared to his early-May blues. The spark is officially back.
While Kwan’s hitting dipped below the Mendoza Line, that very next day he got hits and RBIs, so it’s very much looking like he’s getting his groove back.
Make ’em Pitch More to José Ramírez
Meanwhile, our eternal MVP candidate and future Hall of Famer, José Ramírez, has seen a shift of his own. Vogt has been utilizing José heavily in the No. 2 hole recently, right behind our new leadoff options. If you felt like José has been absolutely cooking lately, you win the prize!
Take a look at how dominant José was leading up to this stretch:
| Stat Category | José’s Recent Stretch |
|---|---|
| Batting Average (BA) | .269 |
| On-Base Percentage (OBP) | .410 |
| Slugging (SLG) | .552 |
| OPS | .962 |
| Swiped Bags | 10 SB |
Putting José in the two-spot keeps opposing pitchers on their toes from the literal jump of the game. With an outstanding .410 OBP in his recent stretch, he isn’t just driving runs in—he’s getting on base at an elite clip, scoring 16 runs, and causing absolute chaos on the basepaths with 10 stolen bases.
There’s also a bonus of having a new guy in cleanup who is hitting well. People can’t intentionally walk José all the time! In 2025, José’s 22 intentional walks ranked second in all of Major League Baseball, trailing only the alien-like season of Aaron Judge (36). He actually finished ahead of Shohei Ohtani (20) and Juan Soto (13). Hell, José actually leads all of Major League Baseball in total intentional walks over the last five seasons combined!
Compared to Cleveland Legends
This year we’ve been following the J-Ram Train as he sets record after record for the Guards.
- Most Games Played: He is the all-time franchise leader, surpassing Terry Turner’s 1,619 games.
- Most Extra-Base Hits (XBH): He created 730, breaking a legendary 86-year-old record previously held by Hall of Famer Earl Averill (726).
- Most Career Intentional Walks: He’s well past Jim Thome’s previous record of 87 and is the most feared hitter in club history.
- Most Multi-Homer Games: José holds the club record with 27 multi-homer games, passing both Thome and Belle (who were tied at 26).
- Most Postseason Games Played: He holds the record for the most playoff appearances in a Cleveland uniform.
- The 250/250 Club Founder: He is the only player in Cleveland’s 125-year history to hit 250+ home runs and steal 250+ bases. In fact, he’s the first primary third baseman in MLB history to achieve three separate 30-home run / 30-stolen base seasons.
- Most At-Bats and Plate Appearances: By sticking around and being incredibly durable, he has also stepped into the batter’s box more times than anyone else to ever wear the uniform.
Cleveland has been home to some of the most feared sluggers in baseball history: Albert Belle, Manny Ramírez, and Jim Thome, just to name a few. José has officially surpassed them all in the respect department. He has nearly 30 more IBB (intentional base on balls) than the next guy.
While J-Ram holds the career record because of his longevity and consistency, his 22 IBBs in 2025 sit comfortably among the highest single-season marks in club history. For context, even when Jim Thome was hitting 52 home runs in 2002, he was intentionally walked 26 times. José getting 22 in a lineup that lacked power protection is just wild.
And now? The times be changing!
See DeLauter: Protection in the Cleanup Spot
You can’t talk about José hitting second without looking at who has his back. Enter prize rookie Chase DeLauter, who has confidently planted his flag in the cleanup (No. 4) spot.
Historically, teams could (and would) just walk the GOAT and dare the rest of the lineup to beat them. Not anymore. Moving DeLauter to cleanup changes the entire anatomy of the Guardians’ offense:
- Elite Plate Discipline: For a young slugger, Chase plays with veteran wisdom. He boasts a fantastic .354 OBP on the season, meaning he doesn’t just swing for the fences every time. DeLauter knows how to work a walk and keep innings alive.
- The Ultimate Threat: With 7 home runs and 30 RBIs under his belt already, pitchers have to throw to José. If they try to pitch around J-Ram, they look up to find an incredibly dangerous DeLauter waiting for them with ducks on the pond.
Belles Note: Having a legitimate power option with an elite eye hitting cleanup is the ultimate “bodyguard” effect for José. It forces pitchers to pick their poison.
The Big Picture
Change can be scary, especially when it involves the players who feel like the heartbeat of Cleveland baseball. But this lineup shuffle is breathing new life into the Guardians. It maximizes José’s MVP powers early, gives Kwany the space he needs to let his OPS explode, and lets young studs like Schnee, Angel, and Chase show us exactly why the future in Cleveland is so incredibly bright.
Keep trusting your gut, Belles. It looks like Stephen Vogt is reading from the exact same playbook!
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