David Fry's breakout 2024 season with the Guardians has him in MLB All-Star consideration

CLEVELAND — In the last 100 years of Major League Baseball, only three players have had a 14-game stretch in which they tallied at least five home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 walks, three steals, a 1.400 OPS, fewer than five strikeouts and 12 team wins, according to OptaSTATS.

Two of the three names could probably be guessed by virtually any baseball fan of any level. The third name might not be guessed by a baseball historian even if they were given 1,000 guesses.

The first player to accomplish the aforementioned feat was Babe Ruth. The second was Barry Bonds. Both are true legends of the game and statistically two of the greatest hitters to ever walk the Earth (regardless of any feelings about Bonds' past, his numbers are official in the record books).

The third player to do it? It's David Fry.

It's the Guardians' utility man who started the season without an everyday role in the lineup. It's a hitter who entered 2024 with 101 major league at-bats. It's someone who was intriguing for his defensive versatility with perhaps the ability to add to the lineup every now and then.

Instead, he's been among the game's best hitters in 2024, at least when he's been in the game. Lately, that's been every single day, which was something he had to earn.

"I'd never really seen him play before spring training, and you're going off of what you hear, you're going off of what you've seen on paper," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "But watching David work at every position, watching him hit, watching him go about his business, it was in there, and he's getting to see and he's getting to be example of what it looks like to be a hard worker and earn more.

"And what David is doing right now isn't a fluke. This guy can play baseball."

Ruth. Bonds. Fry.

"Yeah, it's been awesome," said Steven Kwan of Fry's season. "I've been back home [while injured] watching the games and he's blasting home runs. It's like I've become a fan of him just watching. I'm texting my girlfriend whenever he gets a hit and a home run. … I mean, we knew what he could do and he was just patiently waiting, waiting his time. Never said anything, never got out of line."

David Fry making All-Star case alongside Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, Emmanuel Clase

As of June 5, Fry was hitting .342 with a .479 on-base percentage, eight home runs, six doubles, 27 RBIs and four stolen bases.

The Guardians opened the season 40-20. It's only the fourth time in franchise history Cleveland has won at least 40 of the first 60 games in a season, along with 1954, 1995 and 1999. Jose Ramirez, Kwan and Emmanuel Clase are all key reasons for that. One could also make an argument that Austin Hedges has had a major impact in the clubhouse, which double-digit Guardians players have pointed to as a big positive.

And you could point to Fry, who has now landed in a normal role in the No. 5 spot in the lineup, even if his defensive position switches on a near-daily basis between catcher, the outfield or a corner infield spot.

First, he had to make the team out of spring training.

"I mean, it's like cliche, but just trying to go at it day by day," Fry said when asked about his recent run and if this has been his wildest dream type of a year. "One, somewhat, trying to make the team, hoping to make the team and then just prepare and go be a pro every day and try to earn some at-bats, and luckily Vogter's been fighting for me, getting me in the lineup."

Vogt recently joked it was pretty easy to go to Clase whenever the Guardians have the lead in the ninth inning, considering he's been among the game's best relievers. Lately, writing Fry's name in the lineup has to rank among the easiest thing on the daily to-do list for the Guardians' first-year manager.

2024 MLB All-Star voting opens: David Fry in an odd position at DH

Fry's case to be an All-Star, though, is a complicated one.

Because he opened the year without an everyday spot in the order, Fry has totaled only 144 plate appearances, which in some cases is about half of other All-Star candidates. So although he's unquestionably been among the best hitters in the game when he's played, he doesn't have quite the same counting stats as other players.

He also has been listed by MLB as a designated hitter on the All-Star ballot, which was initially released Wednesday. Fry has logged 13 games at catcher, 12 in left field, 10 as a DH, eight at first base and one at third base.

Without a set position, Fry has been grouped in with DHs, namely Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez.

But regardless of the caveats of Fry's All-Star case, he has plenty of arguments on his side.

Perhaps a main point is Fry's OPS and wRC+, both offensive numbers that feature a number of different facets of production.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge would be the runaway winner for AL MVP if voting was held this week. But who is the only hitter with at least 140 plate appearances who has a higher OPS than Judge? Yep, it's Fry.

And there are only two hitters in the game with a wRC+ of at least 200, which would mean twice as productive as the average major league hitter. One is Judge, at 201. The other is Fry, at 208.

It just remains to be seen if the 2024 All-Star Game falls on a "Fryday."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Could Guardians' David Fry make the All-Star team amid breakout year?