Guardians maintain record pace for left-handed hitters in MLB

The Cleveland Guardians have established a lefty-heavy batting order during the 2026 MLB season, accumulating only 565 plate appearances by right-handed hitters through their first 82 games. This positions them as the only team below 600 right-handed plate appearances, with the next closest team, the Washington Nationals, at 946. Despite the imbalance, the Guardians have not heavily struggled against right-handed pitchers, holding a 93 wRC+ against them. Manager Stephen Vogt stated the team is fully committed to its left-handed lineup strategy as injuries impact player availability. The team might pursue right-handed hitters before the trade deadline to improve balance in the lineup.

• 10:05 AMYahoo Sports — Guardians lineup on pace to be among most left-handed orders of all time