If you pinch yourself, expect pain because you aren't dreaming.
Heading into the All-Star break, the Cleveland Guardians really have the best record in the American League, the second best in all of baseball as of July 15 at 58-37 and 30-11 at home, the best home record in baseball..
So, what's been working?
Obviously, the play of all stars Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, David Fry, and Emmanuel Clase has been the driving force to the Guards attack.
But there are three other names that may not be getting the same level of credit as those five, but have been almost equally as impressive.
Daniel Schneemann, Jhonkensy Noel, and Angel Martinez.
Though the trio have only played a combined 59 games, there is no denying their tremendous impact on the team.
Daniel Schneemann, the right fielder out of Brigham Young University, spent the first six years of his pro career bouncing around the minors before finally making his major league debut on June 2 of this year.
Since then, he has batted .236 with four home runs and 14 RBI's, with a .805 OPS.
The Guardians may not be able to play him as much thanks to their depth, but his time will certainly come.
Another right fielder, Jhonkensy Noel signed with the Guardians organization in 2017 at 16 years old as an international prospect.
He made his major league on June 26 of this year, hitting a homerun in his first at bat. Batting
.257, he has also hit four home-runs with seven RBI's and a OPS of .936, the highest on the team.
Noel can also play first base and left field, giving the Guard's impressive defensive versatility.
Meanwhile, third basemen Angel Martinez, the number two man in Stephen Voght's lineup also signed with the Guards at the age of 16 in 2018, finally making his debut almost six years later on July 21 of this year.
Despite missing a good portion of the season with the Columbus Clippers due to injury, he has shown no sign of it plaguing him, batting .277 with two home-runs and four RBI's, proving to be a very reliable guy to get on base.
This resilience coming back from injury is further proof that he is bound for a long career.
Together, the three rookies have packed a lethal unexpected punch that has been very valuable to the Guards.
Their emergence has added depth and unpredictability to the lineup, making them even more dangerous and formidable.
Without question, the Guardians success this season has been no fluke.
However, there is still a lot of season left to be played, but with the amount of depth these three special rookies provide, another deep Guardiac kids run into October is certainly within reach.
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