Guardians Players Celebrate Hard Hits with Unique Thumbs Up Tradition

Cleveland Guardians players have adopted a distinctive celebration to signify the quality of their hits during games. When a player reaches first base after a single, they turn to the dugout and display either two thumbs up or two thumbs down, depending on the force of their hit.

This celebration is tied to Statcast's definition of a hard-hit ball, which is classified as a hit exceeding 95 mph. Players use thumbs up for hard hits and thumbs down for softer hits, such as ground balls. This lighthearted approach reflects the current emphasis in baseball on hitting the ball hard and in the air.