The 24 best players in Cleveland Guardians history

Woonsocket, RI native Nap Lajoie was such a big star in Cleveland in the early 1900s that for nearly his entire tenure with the club the team was actually called the Cleveland Naps in his honor. In 1,614 games with the organization Lajoie did his best to live up to the pressure of having the team named after him, slashing .339/.389/.452 with 2,047 total hits, 535 extra-base hits, 919 RBI and 240 stolen bases. He won four batting titles with Cleveland, led the league in hits and doubles three times each, and paced the majors with 102 RBI in 1904. After he left the team in 2014 the club was renamed the Cleveland Indians, a moniker that stuck until 2022. Lajoie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937. 

Center fielder Tris Speaker played for the Indians for 11 seasons, and in each and every one of them was among the most productive offensive players in the American League. In 1,519 games with Cleveland, the left-handed swinging Speaker slashed .354/.444/.520 with 73 homers, 886 RBI, 486 doubles, 108 triples and 155 stolen bases. He won the batting title in 1916 with an incredible .386 mark, led the league in doubles seven times, and paced the AL with 130 RBI in 1923. With the Indians, Speaker also led the AL in hits once, OBP three times, and SLG% once, and was a huge piece of Cleveland's World Series-winning team in 1920. Not all of them came in an Indians uniform, but it's important to point out that Speaker's 792 career doubles are the most in MLB history, and he was deservedly ushered into the Hall of Fame in 1937. 

The best pitcher in Indians history is easily right-hander Bob Feller, whose impressive resume would have been even better had he not taken a three-year hiatus to serve in the military. The Van Meter, Iowa-born hurler spent his entire career with Cleveland, and was among the most elite pitchers in baseball for nearly his entire big-league tenure. In 570 lifetime outings, Feller earned 266 wins and pitched to a stellar 3.25 ERA in 3,827 innings. He qualified for eight all-star teams, led the league in wins six times, earned an ERA title, and in 1940 even won the pitching Triple Crown. Feller led the American League in innings on five different occasions, struck out more hitters than anyone else seven times, and despite never winning a Cy Young award, he finished in the top eight of the AL MVP voting six times. Most importantly, Feller was arguably the linchpin behind Cleveland's World Series win in 1948. The Indians made the obvious decision to retire his number 19 in 1956, and he was welcomed into Cooperstown in 1962. 

Harvey, IL native Lou Boudreau spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Cleveland, and quite arguably was the best shortstop of his era. With the Indians, Boudreau slashed a tremendous .296/.382/.416 with 495 extra-base hits, 740 RBI, and 50 steals. He won the batting title in 1944, was named American League MVP in 1948, and was chosen to represent Cleveland in eight Midsummer Classics. Boudreau led the AL in doubles three times — and amazingly finished with 45 in each of those three campaigns. The Indians retired his number 5 in 1970, the same year he was voted into the Hall of Fame. 

Righty Stan Coveleski spent the vast majority of his 14-year career with the Indians, and for nearly a decade provided the club with a legitimate number-one pitcher who could go toe to toe with anyone. In nine seasons in Cleveland, Coveleski earned 172 victories and pitched to a 2.80 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP in 2,502.1 innings. He fired an eyebrow-raising — especially in comparison to today's standards — 193 complete games (31 of which were shutouts). Coveleski helped the Indians win the World Series in 1920, won the ERA title in 1923, and threw over 228 innings in each of his nine years with Cleveland. The Veteran's Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 1969. 

Center fielder Earl Averill debuted for the Indians in 1929 as a relatively old rookie — he was already 27 — but that didn't prevent him from enjoying a long, successful career with the organization. In 1,510 games with the club, Averill slashed an excellent .322/.399/.542 with 226 home runs, 1,084 RBI, 377 doubles, a franchise-record 121 triples, and 66 stolen bases. He was chosen to represent Cleveland in six consecutive All-Star Games from '33-'38, led the AL in triples and hits one time each, and is still the franchise's all-time leader in total bases with exactly 3,200. The Indians retired his number 3 in 1975, and he was ushered into Cooperstown the same year. 

The back of Kenny Lofton's baseball card reads a little bit like a tangled web. The energetic center fielder spent one season or less with 10 major-league teams, and 10 years with an 11th — the Indians. In 1,276 games with Cleveland, the University of Arizona product slashed .300/.375/.426 with 397 extra-base hits, 518 RBI, and 452 stolen bases. He represented the Indians in six straight All-Star Games from '94-'99, won four Gold Gloves in a row from '93-'96, and was an enormous part of Cleveland's American League pennant-winning team in 1995. With the Indians, Lofton led the AL in stolen bases five times and triples once, and his legacy in this franchise's lore is secure. 

San Bernadino, Calif.-born Bob Lemon spent his entire 13-year career with the Indians, and was easily one of the greatest right-handed starting pitchers of his generation. In 460 big league games (350 starts), Lemon earned 207 victories and pitched to a 3.23 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. He struck out 1,277 hitters in 2,850 innings, tossed an incredible 188 complete games, fired 31 shutouts, and even earned 22 saves in sporadic relief appearances. Lemon represented the Indians in seven consecutive All-Star Games from '48-'54 and was an integral piece of their 1948 World Series-winning team. He led the American League in complete games five times and innings pitched four times, paced the junior circuit in wins three times, and in '48 his 10 shutouts were the most in the majors. Lemon was an obvious choice to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976. Cleveland retired his number 21 in 1998. 

Left-handed slugger Jim Thome enjoyed a tremendous 22-year major league career and played for six different teams, but the majority of his playing days were spent in Cleveland, where he was an elite run producer for more than a decade. In 1,399 games with the Indians, Thome slashed .287/.414/.566 with 337 long balls, 937 RBI, and 263 doubles. He wore a Cleveland hat in three All-Star Games, earned a Silver Slugger award in 1996, and drove in over 100 runs for the Indians six times. Thome left to join the Phillies as a free agent in 2003 but returned to Cleveland late in 2011, where it was instantly apparent he was still a fan favorite in east Ohio. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Indians retired his number 25 the same year. 

Infielder Joe Sewell broke into the big leagues with the Indians all the way back in 1920, and the Titus, AL native would go on to spend over a decade with the organization. Sewell took the field in a Cleveland uniform 1,513 times, and slashed an excellent .320/.398/.425 with 468 extra-base hits, 868 RBI, and 71 stolen bases. He drove in more than 100 runs for the Indians in back-to-back seasons in 1923 and 1924, contributed more than 35 doubles eight times, and earned a World Series ring with the club as a rookie. Sewell was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1977. 

While so many of the names on this list played a long, long time ago, that is quite clearly not the case with third baseman Jose Ramirez, who is currently Cleveland's best player. The 31-year-old debuted for the then-Indians 10 years ago and has seemingly done nothing but hit in his entire career. Ramirez has driven in more than 100 runs for Cleveland three times, led American League in doubles twice, runs once, and has been selected to represent the club in five All-Star contests. The veteran switch-hitter has never won the award, but he's finished in the top six in the AL MVP voting five times, and has taken home four Silver Sluggers.

For the majority of righty Addie Joss' career, Cleveland was known as the Cleveland Naps in honor of captain Nap Lajoie, and while Lajoie was the team's undisputed offensive leader, Joss held the same responsibility within the pitching staff. During his nine-year career Joss took the mound 286 times and earned an astounding 160 victories with an otherworldly 1.89 ERA in 2,327 innings. He fired 234 complete games — including 45 shutouts — struck out 920 batters, and his 0.96 WHIP is the best all-time mark among qualifying pitchers. Joss won ERA titles in both 1904 and 1908, and while his career was relatively short by most accounts, he deservedly ended up in Cooperstown in 1978 thanks to the Veteran's Committee. 

No Cleveland player suited up in more games for the club than right-hander Mel Harder, who spent more than two decades with the Indians and took the field in their uniform 582 times. The Beemer, NE native debuted with Cleveland as a raw 18-year-old in 1928 and would pitch for the team until he was 37. In between, he earned 223 wins while pitching to a 3.80 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP in 3,426.1 frames. Harder represented the Indians in four All-Star Games, threw 181 complete games — including 25 shutouts — and threw more than 200 innings for the team eight times. Cleveland retired his number 18 in 1990.

Nearly everyone in America could tell you that Jackie Robinson was the man that broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, but how many do you think could tell you who the second player was? That distinction belongs to Larry Doby, who became the first black player in the American League when he took the field for Cleveland shortly after Robinson debuted with the Dodgers. The Camden, SC native would go on to play more than 1,200 games for the Indians, slashing a terrific .286/.389/.500 and contributing 215 home runs, 776 RBI, 190 doubles, 45 triples, and 44 stolen bases. Doby represented the Indians in seven All-Star Games, led the league in homers twice, RBI once, hits once, runs once, and triples once, and most importantly helped Cleveland win the 1948 World Series. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Indians retired his number 14 in '94. 

Southpaw Sam McDowell spent his first 11 major league seasons in Cleveland with the Indians, and somewhat quietly was one of the better pitchers of his era. In 336 games with the Indians (295 of which were starts), he won 122 games and pitched to a strong 2.99 ERA in 2,109.2 innings. McDowell represented the Indians in six All-Star Games, won the ERA title in 1965 with a stellar 2.18 mark, and led the majors in strikeouts five different times. 

Right-hander Early Wynn was a serviceable starting pitcher for the Washington Senators early in his career, but he didn't develop into the star he ultimately became until he arrived in Cleveland in 1949. With the Indians Wynn was phenomenal, earning 164 victories and pitching to a 3.24 ERA in 10 seasons. He fired 144 complete games in an Indians uniform, authored 24 shutouts, struck out 1,277 hitters in 2,286.2 innings, and gave the team over 200 frames in eight different seasons. The Hartford, AL native wore a Cleveland hat in three All-Star Games, led the league in innings pitched twice, and won the American League ERA title in 1950. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1972. 

Infielder Terry Turner played all but 40 of his 1,659 career games with Cleveland, and for a decade and a half provided the Naps — and later, the Indians — with a reliable everyday regular. With Cleveland, the Sandy Lake, PA native slashed .254/.310/.320 with 289 extra-base hits, 521 RBI, and 254 stolen bases. He was never much of a power threat, but was adept at using his legs, getting on base, and setting the table for the club's run producers, while at the same time being a sturdy defender at three infield positions. 

Cleveland-born right-hander George Uhle debuted for his hometown team in 1919 and would go on to become an important part of the club's pitching staff for over a decade. In 357 appearances for the Indians (267 starts), Uhle went 147-119 with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 2,200.1 innings. He tossed 167 complete games for Cleveland, earned 16 saves, struck out 763 hitters, and earned a World Series ring with the team in 1920. 

Right-hander Wes Ferrell spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Indians and was able to pack a lot of production into a relatively short amount of time. In 195 outings with the team (157 of which were starts), Ferrell won 102 games and pitched to a 3.67 ERA across 1,321.1 frames. He led the major leagues with 27 complete games in 1931, made the AL all-star team in 1933, and gave the Indians more than 200 innings in five straight seasons from '29-'33. Cleveland traded him to Boston ahead of the 1934 season in a deal they would come to regret, as with the Red Sox Ferrell took his game to the next level and led the American League in innings and complete games in three consecutive seasons. 

Outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson is most remembered today for his time with the Chicago White Sox and the 1919 World Series scandal that followed, but prior to that, he was a valuable member of Cleveland's everyday lineup. In 674 games across parts of six seasons with the Naps, Jackson slashed an astonishing .375/.441/.542 with 281 extra-base hits, 353 RBI, and 138 stolen bases. With Cleveland, he led the league in hits twice, doubles and triples once, and in 1911 paced the major leagues with a .468 OBP. He finished in the top 10 in the AL MVP voting in four straight years from 1911-1914, and while his name is somewhat tarnished in the history of the game, let's not forget just how talented a player he really was. 

Right-handed swinging Bill Bradley patrolled the hot corner in Cleveland for 10 years in the early part of the 20th century and was a productive everyday player for the club. In 1,231 games with Cleveland he slashed .272/.317/.373 with 339 extra-base hits, 473 RBI, and 157 stolen bases. Bradley didn't hit a whole lot of homers but was still an extra-base machine, contributing 30 or more doubles four times and reaching double digits in triples on three different occasions. In an obscure stat, he also led the major leagues in sacrifice bunts in back-to-back seasons in 1907 and 1908. 

From one Cleveland third baseman to another, checking in next on the list is Milwaukee, WI native Ken Keltner, who played for the Indians for a dozen seasons in the 1930s and 1940s. The right-handed hitter took the field for Cleveland 1,513 times, slashing .276/.337/.441 with 163 homers, 850 RBI, 306 doubles, 69 triples and 39 stolen bases. He was chosen to represent the Indians in seven All-Star Games, drove in more than 90 runs four times, and was the club's starter at the hot corner when Cleveland won the World Series in 1948. 

The Indians acquired right-hander Corey Kluber in a three-way trade with St. Louis and San Diego at the trade deadline in 2010 while he was still in the minor leagues, and the Padres almost certainly regret letting him get away. With Cleveland, Kluber eventually developed into the best pitcher in the American League, and while his reign was relatively short-lived thanks to myriad arm injuries, at his peak he was simply unhittable. In 208 total outings with the Indians (203 starts), Kluber earned 98 victories and pitched to a 3.16 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP, while striking out 1,461 hitters in 1,341.2 innings. He won the American League Cy Young award in both 2014 and 2017, represented Cleveland in three All-Star Games, and won an ERA title. Kluber led the AL in both complete games and shutouts three times each and gave the Indians more than 200 innings five times. Unfortunately, injuries in 2019 led to his eventual departure from eastern Ohio, and he's spent the last three years bouncing around the AL East. 

Righty Willis Hudlin pitched for four major league teams, but the majority of his career was spent in Cleveland, where he provided the Indians with a valuable arm both in the rotation and out of the bullpen. In 475 appearances with the team (320 starts), Hudlin won 157 games and delivered a 4.34 ERA in 2,557.2 innings. He impressively tossed 154 complete games —including 11 shutouts — and even racked up 31 saves while he was pitching in relief.