José Ramírez leads Guardians’ All-Star charge, but who else could join him in Atlanta?

CLEVELAND, Ohio — With Major League Baseball’s All-Star ballots now live online, the race is on to determine which Guardians players will represent the team at the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta this July. The Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast dove into this topic, with hosts Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes breaking down the team’s top candidates.

The conversation began with the obvious: José Ramírez. The superstar third baseman appears to be a lock.

“Jose Ramirez, a six-time All-Star, is probably one of the leading candidates and almost, I would say a sure bet at third base, probably even to earn a starting spot,” Noga stated during the podcast.

Beyond Ramírez, the hosts identified several other Guardians who could make compelling cases for inclusion. Steven Kwan, who earned a starting spot in last year’s game, remains a strong candidate among American League left fielders with his consistent production at the plate and elite defense.

The bullpen could also provide Cleveland with another representative. “If Emmanuel Clase stays on the upward trend that he’s on, he has a real good chance of returning,” Hoynes predicted. Clase has already saved two All-Star Game victories for the American League in his career, making him a valuable asset for the mid-summer exhibition.

Perhaps the most intriguing discussion centered around a surprise candidate who might not be on most fans’ All-Star radar: second baseman Daniel Schneemann.

“Kind of a dark horse with the Guardians is Daniel Schneemann,” Hoynes revealed. “You check his numbers against the AL second baseman, and he’s right up there.”

Schneemann has quietly put together a solid campaign, with his go-ahead grand slam in Toronto on May 3 standing as a signature moment. While he faces stiff competition from more established names like Jose Altuve, Marcus Semien and Jazz Chisholm Jr., his performance warrants consideration in what has historically been a less offensively dominant position.

The hosts also mentioned Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo as potential candidates at first base and designated hitter. Santana has extended his hitting streak to 14 games, tying a career high, while the rookie Manzardo has shown impressive power with 11 home runs.

All-Star selection involves multiple pathways: fan voting (which determines starters), player ballots, and manager selections to round out the rosters. The fan voting process has evolved into a two-phase system, with the initial phase narrowing the field to finalists who then compete head-to-head for starting spots.

The Guardians’ representation may ultimately depend on their place in the standings. Last year’s five All-Stars reflected their position atop the AL Central. “I don’t know if they’re going to send five guys like they did last year,” Hoynes noted. “They’re not in first place. Their record isn’t as good as it was at this time last year.”

For Cleveland fans hoping to see their favorite players in Atlanta, the message is clear: vote early and vote often. The online ballot allows fans to submit up to five votes daily, creating an opportunity for Guardians Nation to make its voice heard.

To hear the complete breakdown of the Guardians’ All-Star candidates and other team news, including analysis of their recent series against the Yankees, tune in to the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.

Podcast transcript

Joe Noga 0:04Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoynes. Hoynesy, the Guardians, dropped the finale of the three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees, shut out by New York and Max Breed for nothing as the final. Slade Sigoni pitched well, gave him five innings.Innings, but gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger that that sort of gave the the Yankees the lead and Jacob Junus gives up two more runs after that. Cleveland held it just three hits, two of those by Jose Ramirez.

0:24Yes.

Joe Noga 0:40They had their chances, but but really could never come up with the big hit. And even though they they sort of extended Max Fried’s pitch count a little bit, they still weren’t able to take advantage at any point during the game. How’d you see it go down in the Bronx?

Paul Hoynes 0:57Yeah, Joe, that that is pretty good. Some, some summarization. They just never got, they never really got a big hit. They never took advantage of the opportunities that presented to themselves. They had a chance in the first inning.Runners on 2nd and 3rd 2 outs, which is you know you’re you’re rolling the dice obviously, but Carlos Santana pops up and then the big chance came in the 7th when they were just down to nothing. They load the bases with one out.You know, single by Ramirez, single by Santana to extend his hitting streak to 14 straight games, tying a career high then.Anthony Volpe, the Yankee shortstop, makes a bad throw on a on a force attempt on a ground ball by Gabriel Arias that loads the bases and with the bottom of the lineup, Paul Naylor and.And John Kenzie Noel with the chance to really do some damage. Yankees bring in Tim Hill, a lefty. He strikes out Naylor and retires Noel on a fly ball to right. And that was it. Basically, Joe, that was that was the ball game right there.

Joe Noga 2:19Yeah, it just really sort of took the the wind out of their sails even after they, you know, had had some momentum with a really nice double play that they got out of the what was the 5th inning with the a bases loaded situation.And and Sacconi got a 423 double play to to sort of help them get out of a bases loaded jam there. The offense just really didn’t do the job of of picking up the defense that played just so well throughout the entire series really, but but really.See some flashes of really good defense for the Guardians in this series.

Paul Hoynes 3:01Yeah, and that really the IT was on display again tonight or last night. I should say you know Angel Martinez robs Oswaldo Peraza in the third inning with a great sprawling catch against the center field fence for the 2nd.Out then as you said the the force, the 423 double play. That was a textbook double play in the 5th inning to relieve the pressure on Sacconi. But and Gabriel Arias made a couple nice plays at short.Solid defense, Joe. But defense doesn’t win games. You got to score. You got to score to win a baseball game. And they didn’t do that tonight.

Joe Noga 3:45Well, and you got to hit the ball. Jose Ramirez, like we said, two hits. And I don’t think either of those two hits had, you know, a combined 100 mile an hour exit velocity. I mean, those were little bloops and little dumpers. He gets on base, extends his on base.Streak to what, 30 games? I believe 31 games on base for for Jose. He’s just on a tear recently and that’s continued. But it can’t just be Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana in the middle of that lineup. They need contributions from from everybody.

Paul Hoynes 4:0631 games, 31 games.

Joe Noga 4:25And and when we saw that on sort of on display again on Thursday in the Bronx as far as you mentioned the bottom of the lineup with the opportunity to come through there.Bo Naylor, you know he snapped a long hit list streak on in Wednesday’s win. But John Kenzie Noel again, just the frustration seems to be mounting for him and and you know it sounds like the the writing might be on the wall when.When Lane Thomas is eligible to come off the the injured list.

Paul Hoynes 5:03Yeah, Joe, I mean, and you know, it’s just been, you know, it reminds me of the way the Guardians handled Oscar Gonzalez his second year. They just, you know, I mean, they really, you know, Oscar struggled. He didn’t get a cheat. He really was kind of pushed to the back of the bench.He didn’t handle it well. I think John Kenzie’s handling it much better, but he’s just in a tough, tough spot. This is a young guy, a power hitter. He’s not getting regular at bats. He’s facing when he does get in the game, he’s facing left-handers, you know, really tough left-handers like.Like Max Fried tonight and I I just think his swing is so out of whack right now. His timing is so is so poor that they would be doing him a favor if they sent him down. And the the one reason I don’t think they have is they know they put him in this spot.You know they know they you know that that there is responsible for this as as as Noel is. But ultimately the player decides his own fate and John Kenzie is either going to have to start hitting or he’s going to have to you know go to AAA and and get his head together and get.Just figured out.

Joe Noga 6:22What was his disposition after the game? I know you guys talked to him and and it was, it was kind of tough.

Paul Hoynes 6:27It was the same, Joe. I mean, I I give the guy credit. You know, he says I’m doing the same work I’ve done. I’m trying to stay ready and you know, I’m just, I’m doing what I have to do every day. I don’t get frustrated. I’m. I just take it as it is. I play when they tell.Tell me to play and when I’m not playing, I’m I’m working toward, you know, you know, being ready and being a better player. So I thought, I thought he’s handled it well, but it’s just he’s in a tough spot. He knows it. Everybody in that room knows it.And you know, I I really think it would be he’d be better off playing every day at AAA and then having a shot to come back later in the season.

Joe Noga 7:12Yeah, it’s it’s definitely tough so far for Noel. I just, you know, he had success last year. He had the the sort of the signature moments in the the postseason. Again, the the parallels and the comparisons to Oscar Gonzalez.Are are are just sort of you know very true right now. Gonzalez like like him had had had success in the postseason sort of before he was maybe ready for it and and that’s the the way it’s playing out right now for Noel. It’s sort of a mirror image of the way Oscar Gonzalez is.Time with the Guardians went. So yeah, we’ll we’ll look ahead to to see you know what the the next option for him is. I think a lot determined is determined by when Lane Thomas is is feeling better. Do we have an update on Lane Thomas and when he’s eligible to come back?

Paul Hoynes 8:07Lane Thomas, according to Steven Vogt, has been running the last couple days, but there’s no target date yet. They don’t think it’s going to be a long time, but there’s no definite timetable on him yet. So it sounds like it’s still going to be a wild show and.

Joe Noga 8:24Yeah, and it.

Paul Hoynes 8:26You know the the one thing I’ll give, I’ll give John Kenzie credit is he’s still playing great defense. Made a nice catch against the wall in the late innings and he’s got an arm Joe. He he’s that is not he’s taking care of that arm. Maybe his swing is off, but there’s nothing wrong with his arm.

Joe Noga 8:37Mm-hmm.

Paul Hoynes 8:45And the accuracy of his arm and the velocity, he’s he’s still playing good defense and you know, I think that’s that’s a sign of what kind of player he is.

Joe Noga 8:54Yeah, for sure. All right. Want to talk about more injury news. And this is actually, this came out before the the game on Thursday night. Word that Shane Bieber, who was scheduled for a rehab start in Akron on Friday, that’s been pushed back.After Bieber reported some soreness following his bullpen with the rubber ducks this week, what did you learn about Shane Bieber and his progress now? And does this sort of put a damper on all that excitement that had started to build?With Bieber coming coming east from the Arizona complex where you’ve been doing all of his rehab.

Paul Hoynes 9:39Yeah, I think so, Joe. This is, this is a setback. I don’t know how serious a setback is, but I think everybody that probably every picture that goes through Tommy John’s surgery has a moment or two like this. Bieber, at least from the outside.It looks like this is really his first kind of the first time he’s stubbed his toe. From all indications I’m getting from the Guardians, the doctors have told them that this is this is expected soreness that most pitchers or players coming back from ligament transplants.Plant surgery experience. They don’t think it’s a a red flag. You know, obviously it’s a flag, it’s a setback, but they right now at this moment, they don’t think it’s, you know, you know, serious.The Beaver will talk to Doctor Keith Meister, I think tomorrow via phone to get an update on what Meister thinks and to compare notes with the Guardian’s medical team. And Meister, of course, is the Doctor who performed surgery.On Bieber’s right elbow on April 12, 2024.

Joe Noga 10:58Yeah, between, you know, Ben Lively’s surgery this week and Will Brennan, who was supposed to meet with Meister at some point this week as well for potential, you know, looking at his elbow and and Bieber, you know, they’re they should be building a wing. The Guardian should be.

Paul Hoynes 11:17OK.

Joe Noga 11:18Building a wing in Meister’s clinic based on all the the doctor’s bills that they’ve been racking up there. But yeah, I I think just that maybe pump the brakes and and just take a step and you know understand that you it’s not the the norm for a guy to just waltz right.Through.30 days of a rehab assignment and make your three or four starts or whatever and then just come right back and jump on the Major League mound. Sometimes there are obstacles in the way and you have to sort of encounter those. We really didn’t see much of that from.From what we had with with Matthew Boyd in in last year because he he came along or he he joined the Guardians sort of at the point where he was already past this stage with with Shane Bieber and it was just you know a matter of getting him on the mound to to to start throwing his rehabs games.You know, I think he was a little bit ahead of where Bieber was.

Paul Hoynes 12:23Yeah, you know, I think, I think that’s right, Joe. I mean, Bieber, what? He had this surgery in April of 2024. Boyd had it in, I believe, June of, you know, 2023. And you know, both all guys, all pitchers and players respond differently.Differently to it so but Boyd you know kind of you’re right he was he was past most of the hurdles you you have to clear when he signed with the Guardians. He still had to you know he still had to go through the rehab starts.

Joe Noga 12:52Mhm.

Paul Hoynes 13:00But you know, I think he had been cleared right up until then. So you know, with Bieber, we’re just going to have to wait and see. But from from what the guardians have heard from their, from the, from the doctors they’ve talked to, it shouldn’t be a prolonged, you know, prolonged wait. So we’ll see.I mean, you never know.

Joe Noga 13:22Yeah, and you know, if they’re not that there are silver linings or anything like that, but you know, the Guardians starting rotation, including Slade Sacconi on Thursday night, just went through a series where all three starters in that that New York series gave them a chance to win those games.And you know, they only won one of the three, but all three were, you know, pretty good outings and good efforts, including Tanner Bybee’s on on Tuesday. It was just a solid start. So the rotation sort of feels like it’s starting to come together and starting to to.Deal and and you know, make the make that progress that they need to make. Adding Bieber probably would have been even, you know, it would have had to allow for him to stumble a couple of times early on.Out of the gates. So you know it’s probably the for the best is that you know the the rotation is able to keep going the way they have.

Paul Hoynes 14:24Yeah, the rotation, you know, we were talking about this yesterday. You know, the last three times through the rotation, they’ve gone five and six with the 3.68 ERA. They’ve gotten good starts, you know, multiple good starts from Ortiz, from Williams, from.Bybee, all of which have been encouraging and you know, just in in.In in May and in May in general seven they they the rotation went seven and nine with the 3.60 ERA compared to going 8 and 12 with the 4.84 ERA in March and April. So we see the improvement.It hasn’t been, uh, you know, dramatic, but it has been steady.

Joe Noga 15:17Yeah, and that’s a a huge positive for the Guardians moving forward. All right, Hoinsey, the Major League Baseball All-Star game set for July in Atlanta. Truest Park. The All-Star ballots came out this week, I believe.On Wednesday at noon, they went live online. Fans can vote five times a day online and the Guardians have several players on the the ballots. Obviously Jose Ramirez, a six time All Star, is probably one of the leading candidates.And and almost, I would say a sure bet at at third base, probably even to earn a starting spot. Steven Kwan, who was an All-Star last year, he’s on the ballot as well. Probably a very strong candidate among AL left fielders. Just what do you think of?The Guardians chances of landing multiple All Stars this year beyond just Jose Ramirez at their base.

Paul Hoynes 16:23Yeah, I think, I think they’ve got a chance, Joe. I don’t know if they’re going to send five guys like they did last year. You know, they’re not in first. They’re not in first place. You know, their record isn’t that as good as it was this at this time last year. But I think, you know, guys like Santana has got.Kind of an interesting guy. He’s had a a solid year at first base. Do they look at a guy like Kyle Manzardo? Maybe, you know, with 11 home runs and you know, 2829 RBIs and like you said, Kwan and Ramirez, definitely. And we haven’t seen.You know, obviously the the fans don’t vote for the pitchers, but I would think if Emmanuel Class A keeps on the, you know, the upward trend that he’s on, I think he has a real good chance of returning to the All-Star game.

Joe Noga 17:18Yeah, he’s he’s saved two All-Star wins for the American League. I think Emmanuel Clase, certainly a guy who if over the next several weeks continues to trend the way that he has been, he’s he’s almost, you know, a sure thing because they they do like to.Keep closers and you know that Johan Duron from Minnesota, a guy who might be giving him a little competition for something like that. But again, we’re talking, you know, those are decisions made by the league and you know, through a vote of the.The.Players and coaches, so we’ll have to to keep an eye there, but we’ll we’ll start to get weekly updates now on Monday or Tuesday from the league about, you know, where guys like Jose Ramirez, where Steven Kwan rank in the the fan voting. The fan voting again will be in two phases this year.So they’ll have to get through that phase one to in order to finish among the the top two at each position or I’m sorry, the top. Yeah, it’s the the top two at each position except for the outfield. I think it’s the top six and the the number one overall vote getter in each league. So Aaron Judge and.

Paul Hoynes 18:27That’s not too.

Joe Noga 18:37Shoheo Tani, those guys will be automatic starters and you know, whatever positions they’re elected from will have, you know, fewer guys to to pick from as finalists. But phase two of the voting will happen in a, you know, after a few weeks and.That’s more of a head-to-head competition between the two candidates there, Jose Ramirez last year winning a starting spot as well as Steven Kwan in a starting spot in the American League. So you know, just a lot to to consider.And the pounder, you know, the Guardians fans can can vote online five times a day, as we said. But you know there there’s some stiff competition out there. So you know, try to vote as as often as you can in order to see those guys.Make the trip to Atlanta, Hoynesi. That’s gonna wrap, yeah.

Paul Hoynes 19:37Joe, hey, Joe, Joe, one thing, kind of a dark horse with the Guardians is Daniel Schneeman. You check his numbers against the AL second baseman and he’s he’s right up there. You know, he hasn’t played a lot. I mean, he’s he’s, he’s bounced around, but he’s played I think over 40 games at second base.And he’s got some decent numbers. So you know, I, you know, I’m sure most people outside of Cleveland don’t know who Daniel Schneeman is, but he’s having a pretty a solid year.

Joe Noga 20:08Well, and haven’t we seen enough of Jose Altuve at second base? I mean, I think he’s been to what, you know, ten of these All-Star games. Daniel Schneeman would would definitely be a guy who would appreciate a trip to the All-Star game in Atlanta, I’m sure. But you’re right.He’s he’s had some pretty big moments there as well. You know the the Grand Slam in in Toronto, just a signature moment for him. But you know, you got to look at the other candidates there, Kristen Campbell from Boston, Willie Castro from.From Minnesota and and Jazz Chisholm, even though, you know, even though he’s only batting 207, eight home runs, 19 RBI’s and and he was what playing third base tonight. But he, you know, obviously out of New York, that’s going to be a guy who is is going to get some eyeballs.

Paul Hoynes 20:46Twins.

Joe Noga 21:05I’m going to get some, some love there. My dark horse, maybe Glaber Torres with the the Tigers, former Yankee 5 home runs, 29 RBI’s. But you know he’s playing well and a guy who definitely deserves some recognition there. So as we, you know, move towards the.All-star game and move towards you know those those announcements of the the the fan voting and and the releases. We’ll we’ll discuss who deserves to be there at the top and you know who who’s getting sort of the boost from the hometown guys as we move forward. So that’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast.We will check in with you on Monday.

Paul Hoynes 21:46Good deal, Joe.