Getty Cleveland's Jose Ramirez could have a big season this year.
Not only do they look to remain atop the AL Central in 2023, but the Cleveland Guardians enter the season with real World Series aspirations.
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Most Guardians games this season will be locally televised on Bally Sports Great Lakes, while others may be nationally televised on MLB Network (those ones will also be on Bally Sports Great Lakes), ESPN, ESPN2, Fox or FS1. A couple may be untelevised and stream on YouTube, Apple TV+, Peacock TV or ESPN+.
If you don’t have cable and you live in the Guardians market, you can watch a live stream of every televised Guardians game on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include Bally Sports Great Lakes and come with a free trial.
Here’s a full rundown of those options, as well as some ways for out-of-market viewers to watch Guardians games live online without cable in 2023:
If You’re in the Guardians Market
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Bally Sports Great Lakes, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, MLB Network and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need to include the “Sports Plus” add-on for MLB Network, but you can include any add-ons you want with your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Guardians games live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN, ESPN2, Fox and FS1 are included in every one, while Bally Sports Great Lakes and MLB Network are in “Choice” and up, but you can pick any package and any add-ons you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Guardians games live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
If You’re Out of the Guardians Market
Amazon Prime’s MLB.TV Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch every out-of-market, non-nationally televised MLB game via Prime Channels.
The MLB.TV channel costs either $24.99 per month to watch every out-of-market game (“All Team Pass”) or $129.99 for the year to just watch out-of-market Guardians games (“Single Team Pass”), but either option comes with a free seven-day trial:
MLB.TV Amazon Prime Free Trial
Once you’re signed up for the Prime MLB.TV Channel, out-of-market viewers can watch Guardians games live on the Prime Video app or Amazon website.
Compatible devices for the Prime Video app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
MLB.TV
This is ultimately the same as the Amazon Prime option above, only you’ll watch games on MLB’s digital platforms instead of Amazon’s.
You can watch all out-of-market, non-nationally televised MLB games via MLB.TV. It costs $24.99 per month or $149.99 for the year to watch every out-of-market game, or $129.99 for the year to just watch out-of-market Guardians games. The monthly and yearly all-team options include a free seven-day trial (the single-team option does not):
Once signed up for MLB.TV, out-of-market viewers can watch Guardians games live on the MLB TV app or MLB.TV website.
Compatible devices for the MLB TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
ESPN+
This isn’t going to be an option to watch a lot of Guardians games, but if you’re looking for a cheap way to watch a random MLB game daily, ESPN+ includes at least one out-of-market game every day during the regular season:
In addition to one live MLB game every day, ESPN+ also has dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, out-of-market viewers can watch a daily MLB game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Compatible devices for the ESPN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Guardians Season Preview 2023
Despite fielding the youngest team in baseball last summer, the Cleveland Guardians went 92-70 won the American League Central but fell to the New York Yankees in the playoffs.
“If we go by what others say, shame on us, you know,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said via Bally Sports. “Last year, we talked about it from day one, like OK, we’re the youngest team in the league. That’s the elephant in the room, (but we) can’t use it as an excuse to get in the way of us winning. And they never did.”
Cleveland looks to build on that this season with another AL Central pennant and postseason appearance. Because no other AL Central team finished above .500, the Guardians appear to have a clear path to the division title in many experts’ eyes.
“I don’t think it matters,” Francona said via Bally Sports. “Like somebody says, ‘You have a target or something.’ When we were playing the White Sox last September, I would go on a limb and say they weren’t overlooking that series, you know? We were up by a game or two.
“So again, those are things that maybe are perceived from the outside,” Francona added. “We feel, and that’s why we believe in the things we do. … See how good you can do, learn from it and then move on, win or lose.”
The Guardians only tweaked the roster to build on 2022. Josh Bell signed with the Guardians. He hit 17 home runs last season amid stints with the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.
Cleveland notably finished near the bottom of the AL in home runs, which Bell could help. Oscar Gonzalez, who played just 91 games last season, could build on his 11-home run campaign in 2023. The Guardians also have home run leader Jose Ramirez back in the lineup again.
Ramirez could do much more damage against AL pitchers after a big season of run production in 2022 with 126 RBI and 90 runs scored. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel speculates that Ramirez could even make a run at MVP.
“Is it possible that everything is aligned for the 2023 season to be José Ramírez’s best yet, for him to capture his first MVP honor after so many near misses? Shohei Ohtani and others might have something to say about award season, but Ramírez could be in store for a career year,” Meisel wrote.
Cleveland will need an improved Mike Zunino at the plate this season as the team’s new catcher. Zunino only hit .148 with 16 RBI and five home runs in 36 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022. Life behind the plate will take some time for Zunino.
“It’s going to be a learning curve,” Zunino said via Cleveland.com. “We’re leaning on a lot of guys in camp who have had experience with it in the minors leagues. What’s great about this group [is] there is a lot of open conversation.”
“When you have a group as close as this one, communication is key to be able to adapt as quick as possible.”
Projected Lineup
Mike Zunino, catcher
Josh Naylor, first base
Andres Gimenez, second base
Amed Rosario, shortstop
Jose Ramirez, left field
Myles Straw, center field
Oscar Gonzalez, right field
Josh Bell, designated hitter
Projected Pitching Rotation and Bullpen
Shane Bieber, starter
Triston McKenzie, starter
Cal Quantril, starter
Aaron Civale, starter
Zach Plesac, starter
Emmanuel Clase, closer
James Karinchak, setup
Trevor Stephan, reliever
Sam Hentges, reliever
Enyel De Los Santos, reliever
Elijah Morgan, reliever
Nick Sandin, reliever
Tim Herrin, reliever
Hunter Gaddis, reliever