Who are these guys? Sox to face upstart Guardians in sneaky big series

Jun. 24—Coming into the season there couldn't have been many who had the late-June road series against Cleveland circled on the calendar.

Why would it have been? The newly rebranded Cleveland Guardians were coming off a middling 2021 season, and with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball they weren't expected to be much better this year.

And yet, when the Red Sox head to Progressive Field this weekend, it could prove one of the most important tests the club has faced all year.

The Guardians have been one of baseball's biggest surprises, defying all expectations to emerge as a legitimate playoff contender. Cleveland enters the weekend tied for first in the AL Central, having just taken two of three from top division rival Minnesota in a statement-making series victory.

Before that the Guardians also took two of three on the road against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, and all told they have won 17 of their last 22 games to go from five games below .500 in late May to the thick of the playoff chase.

So who are these guys anyway?

Led by former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona, the Guardians are the youngest team in baseball with an average age of approximately 26. The Guardians haven't had a pitcher over 27 make a start all season, and they've also gotten significant contributions from young standouts like 23-year-old second baseman Andrés Giménez, 24-year-old outfielder Steven Kwan and 24-year-old closer Emmanuel Clase.

But the big difference-maker for the Guardians has been 29-year-old third baseman Jose Ramirez. Long regarded as one of the top young players in baseball, Ramirez is enjoying an MVP-caliber year and entering Thursday ranked near the top of the American League in just about every major offensive category. He led the league in offensive wins above replacement (3.8) and boasted a .302 batting average with 16 home runs, 62 RBI, a 1.023 OPS, 12 stolen bases and 34 walks against only 20 strikeouts through 62 games.

The Red Sox will have to contend with him and a whole lot more, and after a long run of feasting on relatively weak competition, the club now has a real measuring stick opportunity before the upcoming gauntlet against AL East competitors begins.

Over the course of the weekend the Red Sox are expected to face Cal Quantrill (4-4, 3.77 ERA), Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.00) and Aaron Civale (2-3, 7.84). Bieber, Cleveland's ace, is already a two-time All-Star and won the AL Cy Young Award during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and fans of a certain age may remember Cal's father Paul Quantrill, who was a key part of the New York Yankees bullpen back in 2004. Boston will answer with Nick Pivetta (7-5, 3.31), Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.68) and Rich Hill (2-4, 4.42).

Duran unavailable for Toronto series

Once the Red Sox finish up in Cleveland they'll move on to Toronto for their second road trip north of the border this season. Just like in April the Red Sox won't be able to bring any players who aren't vaccinated due to Canadian law, and in addition to closer Tanner Houck the club also confirmed another key player won't be able to make the trip.

Jarren Duran, who has enjoyed a terrific run as Boston's leadoff hitter and center fielder while filling in for the injured Kiké Hernández, is unvaccinated and won't be available for the three-game series against the Blue Jays. Duran is batting .297 with an .852 OPS and eight runs scored in 10 big league games, but now risks missing out on the chance to continue capitalizing on his recent opportunity.

"It's hard but it's also a personal decision. It's just what I have to decide. I don't have any further comment on that," Duran said. "Obviously I want to be in the lineup every day but it's a personal decision that I'm still thinking about with family and friends."

With Duran unavailable and Kiké Hernández (hip) not expected to be ready in time, the Red Sox outfield depth could be spread uncomfortably thin. Presumably Alex Verdugo will start in left, Jackie Bradley Jr. will bump over to center and either Rob Refsnyder or Christian Arroyo — who is expected to rejoin the club in Cleveland after a bout with COVID-19 — could start in right. If the Red Sox decided to make a roster move to add another outfield option off the bench, the most likely candidate would be Jaylin Davis, who is batting .301 with a .885 OPS in 35 games at Triple-A this spring.

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com.

Twitter: @MacCerullo.