Apr. 29—Slow starts like the one the Guardians are going through are not new to them. They went in to their April 29 game in Boston at 13-13. But because they play in the mediocre AL Central Division they are in second place, 2.5 games behind the first-place Twins. They would be fifth if they played in the AL East, 8.5 games behind the first-place Rays.

The Guardians were 9-12 in April last year and won the division with a 92-70 record. They were 12-12 in 2021. They finished 80-82 and missed the playoffs.

Sluggers aren't slugging. The Guardians rank 29th in the majors with a paltry 15 home runs — 37 fewer than the still-hot Rays. The Guards are 24th with 100 runs scored. They rank 22nd with a team batting average of .231.

Steven Kwan, batting .265, isn't discouraged.

"You can barrel up four balls and get out, and you could do everything wrong and chase a pitch and tap it, and get it a hit," Kwan said after a loss to the Rockies. "Those are the things you have to know and just stick with it. Baseball is a long, tough, tough game.

"You can't put too much stock in it. I feel like we kind of did that last year, too. We started off a little slow and then things picked up. That's part of it. It's April. It's cold, nobody's really happy with that, so just kind of understand that and just keep going."

The Guardians are near the top in one category. They have stolen 33 bases. Only the Pirates with 37 have more steals.