CLEVELAND -- With how their schedule is aligned, the Guardians knew entering this season they would be tested early and often. Cleveland’s opponents through April include a bevy of playoff hopefuls, including a 10-game stretch to open the season against the Mariners, Dodgers and Cubs.
“This whole first month is going to show us where we are, because we're playing playoff baseball in April,” starting pitcher Slade Cecconi said.
The Guardians have now won two of their first three series (against the Dodgers and Cubs) and split another (against the Mariners) to start the season.
“Going into it, the veterans were saying, ‘Better be ready,’” CJ Kayfus said of the Guardians’ mentality entering the season. “We’re playing some good baseball right now against really good teams, and we couldn’t be any happier.”
“Be ready,” is also an adept way to describe what we saw from Kayfus on Sunday.
Kayfus drew the start in Game 1 of the twin bill, when his sixth-inning double off Edward Cabrera marked the Guardians' only hit. The 24-year-old was not in the lineup in Game 2, but knew there was a decent chance he would get in the game. The Guardians have a propensity for using their entire roster.
Kayfus’ number was called in the sixth inning, and he went on to go 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs. He pinch-hit for David Fry in the sixth inning, when the Guardians trailed, 3-0, and hit an RBI single off right-hander Ben Brown to cut Cleveland’s deficit to two. An ensuing Chase DeLauter sac fly and Gabriel Arias RBI single drew the Guardians even.
In the bottom of the eighth, Kayfus and Arias came up key again. Kayfus hit a game-tying solo homer, to match the one Chicago’s Ian Happ hit in the top of the inning. Arias added an RBI single to put the Guardians ahead, 5-4, and an Austin Hedges RBI single made it 6-4.
Arias and Hedges each finished 2-for-4 in the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the lineup.
“We want to make the lineup as long as possible,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “When we're getting contributions from Gabby and Hedgie at the bottom of the lineup today, it just makes it longer. When you're relying on two to three people to carry it every day, it's not sustainable, as we've seen.
“When you're getting more and more people to chip in, it just takes the pressure off. I’m really happy for Gabby.”
We saw what Vogt alluded to last year, when the Guardians' lineup collectively struggled for extended stretches. It often felt like they needed Steven Kwan and/or José Ramírez to deliver to be successful.
The 2026 season is still young, but performances like Sunday are exactly what the Guardians need more of this year. Kayfus and Arias’ performances were encouraging in their own ways. Kayfus entered Sunday 0-for-10 in four games this season, and Game 1 marked his first game appearance since Tuesday against the Dodgers. It was his first start in seven days, but he has remained ready.
“Obviously, top to bottom, it’s an unbelievable team off to a great start,” Kayfus said. “I’m open to helping wherever I can.”
Arias, meanwhile, entered the day 3-for-21 in seven games this season, with two of those hits going for home runs. He hit a go-ahead solo shot in the seventh inning of the Guardians’ 4-1 win on Friday.
“I think the focus is the same in those [leverage] situations,” Arias said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “It's just trying not to do too much and be able to hit the ball hard, whatever it is. And that has allowed me to bring those runs and help the team.”
There’s no such thing as an easy game in the big leagues, but the Guardians’ schedule doesn’t lighten up anytime soon. They’ll welcome the Royals to Cleveland for a three-game series on Monday, and then head off to Atlanta for a three-game weekend set against the Braves.
Cleveland is pleased with its work thus far, while knowing it has a lot more ahead.
“I think we're just proving to ourselves again, we are good and we know that,” Vogt said. “We just have to continue to go one day at a time, one inning at a time. The second game today was testament to that.”