Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Guardians.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Duration and Impact.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the Major League Baseball.

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Guardians were sellers at the trade deadline but got hot and shocked the baseball world by driving toward an AL Central Division Championship.  They fell to Detroit in the Wild Card, but considering where they were on August 1, this was a positive campaign for Cleveland. There were no new additions, but movement within the Top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which differs from last year's, both due to the new algorithm and to one active Guardian.

1. Bob Feller
2. Nap Lajoie
3. Tris Speaker
4. Jose Ramirez
5. Lou Boudreau

You can find the entire list https://www.notinhalloffame.com/baseball/top-50-baseball-players-by-franchise/top-50-cincinnati-reds">here.

Major changes were afoot among the top five, as the new algorithm flipped Bob Feller and Nap Lajoie from their previous #1 and #2 spots. 

Off the strength of another All-Star campaign, Jose Ramirez broke into the top five.  He was ranked at #7 last year.

The only other change among active Guardians players was the return of Carlos Santana, who rose from #41 to #37.  He is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Guardians.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Guardians entered the season as a World Series contender, and competed in the American League Championship Series, losing to the New York Yankees in five.  There was one new entry, though that was based on the new algorithm.   There were also changes on the list, based on 2024.

As always, we present our top five, which had a major change based on the algorithm.

1. Nap Lajoie

2. Bob Feller

3. Tris Speaker

4. Lou Boudreau

5. Bob Lemon

You can find the entire list here.

On the top five, we have a brand new number one, based on our adjustments.  Nap Lajoie takes over the pole position.

Jose Ramirez made a significant jump from #13 to #7.   

Pitcher Shane Bieber remained at #47.

With the new algorithm, Catcher Steve O’Neill enters at #48.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Guardians.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Guardians failed to make the playoffs and there were no new entries to the Top 50.  However, two players did see moderate elevations on the list.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Bob Feller

2. Nap Lajoie

3. Tris Speaker

4. Lou Boudreau

5. Bob Lemon

You can find the entire list here.

Jose Ramirez climbed to #13 from #16 and Shane Bieber moved up from #49 to #47.

We thank you for your continued support for our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Guardians.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Cleveland had a great year, making the playoffs, and showing that they have a roster that could go deep this year.  This resulted in two changes, one new entrant, and one elevation.

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Bob Feller

2. Nap Lajoie

3. Tris Speaker

4. Lou Boudreau

5. Bob Lemon

You can find the entire list here.

Slugger, Jose Ramirez, climbed to #16 from #21.

The lone new entry is 2020 Cy Young winner, Shane Bieber, who debuts at #49.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Cleveland Indians.

The origin of the Cleveland Indians begins in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1894, where they played in the Western League.  The franchise relocated in 1900, becoming the Cleveland Lake Shores, and eventually were an inaugural team of the American League, going through multiple name changes (Bluebirds, Broncos, Naps) before becoming the Indians for over a decade.

Cleveland would become a great sports town, but the baseball team has not given them very much to cheer for over the years.  The Indians have only won the World Series twice (1920 and 1948), with three other appearances.  

The team has announced that they will soon drop the Indians nickname, though as of this writing, it is not sure what they will change it to and when precisely it will take place.

Our Top 50 lists in baseball look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2019 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Bob Feller

2. Nap Lajoie

3. Tris Speaker

4. Lou Boudreau

5. Stan Coveleski

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.

When Bob Feller arrived in Cleveland in 1936, he was a 17-year-old high school student who looked like a farm boy but threw like a god. Bypassing the minors entirely, he famously struck out eight Cardinals in an exhibition game before he had even graduated. By the time he was 19, "Rapid Robert" was already the most feared strikeout artist in the American League, leading the circuit with 240 K's in 1938. His residency in Cleveland began with a level of hype that would have crushed a lesser player, but Feller thrived under the pressure, pairing a legendary fastball with a devastating curveball that left future Hall of Famers like Ted Williams calling him the fastest pitcher they had ever seen.

The peak of his pre-war journey arrived in 1940, a season that began with the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League history. Feller was a statistical outlier that year, capturing the pitching Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (27), ERA (2.61), and strikeouts (261). He was the undisputed ace of the Tribe and the face of the sport, a player who seemed destined to shatter every cumulative record in the books. However, his journey took a dramatic, selfless turn on December 8, 1941. Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Feller became the first professional athlete to volunteer for combat, walking away from a $50,000 contract and his athletic prime to serve as a gun captain on the USS Alabama.

The middle chapter of his career was a testament to his sheer resilience. Returning to the mound in late 1945 after missing nearly four seasons of his prime, Feller didn't just pick up where he left off, he found a second gear. In 1946, he threw a career-high 371 innings and struck out 348 batters, a single-season record that stood for nearly two decades. He anchored the rotation for the 1948 World Series champions, providing the veteran gravity that pulled the franchise toward its first title in 28 years. Even as his velocity eventually began to wane in the early 50s, his "junk" and his competitive fire allowed him to post one final 20-win season in 1951, proving that he could outthink hitters just as easily as he once overpowered them.

Beyond the box score, Feller was a pioneer who understood the value of the players who made the game possible. He was an early, outspoken critic of the reserve clause and a driving force behind the development of the memorabilia and barnstorming circuits, creating vital secondary income for his peers. He was a man who never hedged an opinion and never forgot the blue-collar roots of the game, serving as a permanent ambassador for the Indians long after his playing days were over.

His final walk toward the exit came in 1956, concluding an 18-season residency spent entirely in a Cleveland uniform. He left the "Tribe" as the franchise’s all-time leader in wins (266), strikeouts (2,581), and shutouts (46). The team wasted no time in honoring its greatest son, making his number 19 the first retired jersey in Cleveland history just one year after he hung up his spikes. In 1962, he was ushered into Cooperstown on the first ballot—the first player since the inaugural 1936 class to earn that honor.

Bob Feller arrived as a teenage prodigy from Iowa and left as a national hero and a permanent monument of the Cleveland landscape. He proved that while the war might have cost him some stats, it could never touch his legacy as the most dominant right-hander to ever toe the rubber for the Indians.