CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians are navigating some rough waters, but they refuse to alter course despite recent struggles. Following a challenging month of June that included being swept twice, most recently by the Cardinals, the team’s leadership and players continue to express complete confidence in their abilities and approach.

“I believe in this team,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “I believe we have the right players. I believe our guys are talented, phenomenal baseball players. My confidence never shakes in this group. We’re going through a tough stretch.”

The Guardians’ difficult June has tested the team’s resolve, but rather than making dramatic changes, Vogt has doubled down on his philosophy of consistency and patience.

“As soon as we start changing things, that means we don’t believe,” Vogt said after Sunday’s 7-0 loss to St. Louis which marked its third shutout in the last four games.

“We haven’t changed a thing. We believe in this group. We’re gonna turn it around.”

Vogt’s philosophy of steadfastness extends to the clubhouse. Catcher Austin Hedges, one of the team’s veteran voices, maintains a big-picture perspective when assessing their situation.

“We didn’t sign up to play 80 games, we signed up to play 162,” Hedges said. “When September’s over, that’s when we’ll judge our season.”

When asked about what needs to change to snap their slump, Hedges’ answer revealed the team’s unwavering commitment to Vogt’s brand: “You do the same thing you do every day. Nothing changes whether you’re playing good, playing bad. (Be the) same guy every day.”

Cleveland hit just .176 as a team during its just completed 1-5 homestand and scored in only one of their last 36 innings. But rather than viewing their struggles as a reason to panic, the Guardians see it as a natural part a long baseball season.

“We’ve got 13 games in a row coming up after this off day,” Vogt noted. “We have an opportunity to get it rolling, and that’s the way I look at it.”

Starting pitcher Logan Allen echoed this sentiment, describing a clubhouse of professionals who remain committed to their process regardless of results.

“I think we’ve got a clubhouse full of pros,” Allen said. “We just show up to the field every day ready to play, ready to work hard. The wins and losses are going to come. We’re going to start playing some better ball. But all in all, the approach is good. I think the process is good.”

While some teams might respond to a difficult stretch by making wholesale changes to lineups, strategies, or even personnel, the Guardians have taken the opposite approach. That suggests a deep belief in their current roster that they think is strong enough to weather temporary struggles.

As the calendar turns to July, there might be a psychological benefit to putting June in the rearview mirror, though Hedges dismisses the significance of the calendar itself.

“Next game … doesn’t matter what month it is,” Hedges said. “Like I said, at the end of September, that’s when we’ll see how we really did.”

With an off day in Chicago before beginning their next series, the Guardians have an opportunity to reset mentally before embarking on their upcoming 13-game stretch. For Vogt and his players, the formula for turning things around isn’t about making drastic changes but rather about maintaining their faith in each other and their approach.

“We’re going about our work the same way every day,” Allen said. “Sometimes the balls are going to go our way. It’s coming up.”

Generative AI was used to organize information for this story.