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.

When Bob Lemon returned from military service in 1946, he had every intention of roaming center field for the Tribe. He even began the season with a spectacular diving catch that seemed to cement his future in the outfield. However, the Cleveland braintrust saw potential in his arm that surpassed his utility with a glove. In one of the most successful gambles in franchise history, they convinced Lemon to move to the mound full-time. He arrived as a middle-of-the-road outfielder and left his first few seasons as a developing project, but by 1948, the transformation was complete.

The peak of his residency, and the spark that ignited the last great Cleveland championship, arrived in 1948. Lemon didn't just transition to pitching; he dominated, tossing a no-hitter and winning 20 games while leading the American League in shutouts (10) and innings pitched (293.2). He was the high-efficiency engine of the World Series championship run, going 2-0 in the Fall Classic and proving that his run as a pitcher was no fluke. This began a staggering seven-year streak of All-Star selections, a period where Lemon became the definitive "Big Game" pitcher for the organization.

The middle of his journey was a masterclass in durability. Throughout the early 1950s, Lemon was a metronome of 20-win seasons, reaching that elite benchmark seven times in total. He was a workhorse in every sense of the word, leading the league in innings pitched four times and strikeouts once in 1950. While he was often overshadowed in the national media by flashier names, his peers knew the truth; he was named the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year three different times (1948, 1950, 1954). In the historic 111-win campaign of 1954, it was Lemon who led the staff with 23 wins, anchoring a rotation that is still whispered about in Cleveland as the greatest ever assembled.

Beyond the rubber, Lemon remained a dual-threat weapon. Because of his outfield roots, he was arguably the best-hitting pitcher of his era, batting .232 and collecting 274 hits as a Red. He spent all fifteen seasons of his playing career in a Cleveland uniform, finishing with 207 wins and a legacy of selflessness. He didn't just pitch for the Indians; he sacrificed his original dream to give the team the best chance to win.

The final walk toward the exit for Lemon came in 1958, but his relationship with the game was far from over, eventually leading him to a legendary managerial career. He was a first-ballot immortal in the hearts of Cleveland fans, entering the team Hall of Fame in 1960 and Cooperstown in 1976. The team rightfully retired his number 21 in 1998, a permanent tribute to the man who gave up his glove to give Cleveland a golden era.