CLEVELAND (AP) — Heads bobbed in sync around Cleveland’s clubhouse late Sunday afternoon as techno music blasted from a floor speaker that also projected colored lights throughout the area.
The atmosphere was both joyful and normal, with some of the Guardians playing cards, video games, or relaxing after a series sweep.
Another spring day at Progressive Field.
Another win.
The Guardians are rarely, if ever, considered the best team in baseball. They’re off to the franchise’s best start in 25 years and appear to be here to stay.
At 16-6 under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, who has pushed every correct button so far, the Guardians move into the final days of the season’s first month with the best record in the majors and atop the AL Central.
Cleveland Guardians’ Ramón Laureano, Steven Kwan and Tyler Freeman, from left, celebrate the team’s win over the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Cleveland hasn’t begun this hot since 1999, and it only finished 17-5 in its first 22 games in 1966.
Two weeks ago, the Guardians gathered on the field before their home opener against the White Sox to witness the total solar eclipse. Since then, nearly everything has gone their way.
Everyone, except the Guardians, appears to be taken aback by their explosive start.
“I don’t think it’s surprising one bit,” right fielder Will Brennan said after hitting a home run and making a diving catch in Sunday’s 6-2 victory over Oakland. “We know the sort of guys that we have, and we know that we can win ballgames and play hard against anyone, and it’s just a recipe for success when you have that.”
It’s also a deeply connected team, and a group of players unafraid to talk about how much they love one another. Many of them came up in Cleveland’s organization together and are now enjoying success at the highest level.
They work hard. They play hard. But it’s not like they’re not having fun.
On Saturday, animated first baseman Josh Naylor celebrated hitting a two-run homer by smashing himself in the helmet with his bat before spiking it on the grass and beginning his home run trot.
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