Do you remember Asdrubal Cabrera?

He was a middle infielder who played for both the Indians (currently the Guardians) and Phillies - briefly for 49 games for the Fightins’. Cabrera hit five homers with 17 RBIs and hit .228.

Overall, a total of 269 players (96 pitchers) have played for both clubs between 1892 and 2023.

In 1892, Gus Weyhing played for the Phillies, and later played for Cleveland (1901). In 2022, Brad Hand pitched for the Phillies, and earlier threw for Cleveland (2018-2020), as did Michael Kelly with the Phillies in 2022 and the Guardians in 2023.

In this weeks’ version of my Behind the Plate column - past and present trends with the Phillies, Mets and Yankees, as well as the overall game - I’ll take a look at the Cleveland Guardians and their fast start, as well as the connections between the clubs.

To me, the Guardians will always be the Indians. It’s just like when the Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas, and now the A’s will make the same move in a few years.

Who Are These Guys? ... Through Saturday’s play, the Guardians had arguably the game’s best record at 19-8, while Atlanta was 18-7. The two teams completed a weekend series Sunday.

After Saturday’s game, the Guardians had the third-best run differential at plus-45 (a stat in which they have been on top for most of the year), sixth best in ERA (3.31), and 11th in batting average (.249).

Five-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez heads a rather unfamiliar cast that features Stephen Kwan, Josh Naylor, Will Braun, Andres Gimenez, Ramon Laureano, and former Yankee farmhand Estevan Florian.

Kwan was hitting .345, Naylor had six homers with 21 RBIs, and Ramirez had five homers with 24 RBIs.

On the mound, Logan Allen was 3-1 with 26 strikeouts, Tanner Bibee was 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA, and Triston McKenzie was 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA.

Emmanuel Chase has been lights out in the bullpen with eight saves and an 0.64 ERA.

Carlos Carrasco and ex-Phillie Ben Lively have provided a veteran presence.

To top it off, first-year 39-year-old manager Stephen Vogt spent only a year as Seattle’s bullpen coach in 2023 after his retirement from the game in 2022 as a catcher and designated hitter.

It will be interesting to see if the Guardians can keep the pace, especially with the division-defending Twins out to a 13-13 start. The Royals and Tigers have also been surprises in the early going, making it another likely year of a tight AL Central Division.

Fast Starts ... The Guardians’ start was matched twice by former Cleveland Indians teams.

In 1966, the Indians had a similar start, but lost their momentum and slipped to a final record of 81-81. Legendary lefty Sam McDowell headed the staff, and Reading’s Rocky Colavito and Phillies-killer Vic Davalillo (remember Black Friday?) paced the offense.

In 1995, the Indians rambled to a 100-44 slate. The trio of ex-Phillie Jim Thome, Albert Belle (50 homers) and Manny Ramirez were an offensive juggernaut. Cleveland advanced to the World Series, where they lost in six games to the Braves.

We Knew These Guys ... Throughout the 70s and beyond, there were plenty of players who donned both uniforms. Here is a sampling of players that you should know: Paul Byrd, Marlon Byrd, Oscar Gamble, Von Hayes, Dave Hollins, Joe Lis, Cliff Lee, Bake McBride, Kevin Milwood, Jim Thome, Many Trillo, Grady Sizemore, Jose Cardenal, Alan Bannister, David Bell and George Vukovich.

Turn Back the Clock ... Going back a little farther from the previous list, do you remember Granny Hamner, Dave Philley, Bobby Locke, Jim Hegan, Tito Francona, Don Ferrarese, Dom Demeter and Dick Ellsworth?

Of course, Terry Francona had a nice 11-year run as Cleveland’s manager after stints with the Phillies and Red Sox.

Phillers ... The Phillies’ staff has received a boost from Ranger Suarez’s performance. In six starts, Suarez has a 5-0 slate with a sterling 1.32 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 40 innings and became the seventh Phillies’ pitcher to throw 30 scoreless innings.

Overall, the Phils’ staff had a 3.26 ERA through Saturday - good enough for seventh-best in the league.

Through Saturday, Alec Bohm was third in the league in hitting at .354, and Trea Turner was sixth at .345. It’s certainly a turnaround for Turner after his sluggish start last season.

The Phils had an 18-10 record through Saturday, and they were seventh in the league in hitting (.253), despite Kyle Schwarber’s (.190) and Nick Castellanos’ (.181) woes.

Yankee Doodles ... Through Saturday’s game, the Yankees sat atop the AL East with an overall 18-10 record. It has been a relatively quiet run for the Bronx Bombers, who have been getting it done with a new cast.

Juan Soto’s fast start has overshadowed the struggles of Aaron Judge (.190) and Gleyber Torres (.210), which led to the team’s 15th-best .245 average. Soto leads the team in nearly every major offensive category, capped by his .324 batting average and his .443 OBP.

The Yanks expect to have top prospect Jasson Dominquez back in the lineup soon. Hal Steinbrenner should open up his checkbook soon to keep Soto in pinstripes before the 25-year-old slugger tests the free-agent market.

But the real success of the Yankees has been their pitching staff that had a second-best 3.01 ERA without ace Garrit Cole.

Journeyman 30-year-old Luke Weaver apparently has found a home in the starting staff with his 3-0 record and 3.86 ERA. Carlos Rodon is looking like the pitcher the Yankees envisioned with his 2-1 mark and a 2.48 ERA.

The biggest surprise has been the development of closer Clay Holmes, who had nine of the team’s league-leading 13 saves and hadn’t allowed an earned run in his first 13 innings.

The Yanks are getting it done without Cole and instead with a patchwork starting staff.

Metro Stops ... After a six-game winning streak, the Mets may be leveling off, as they dipped to a 13-13 mark through Saturday.

Some of their early magic has worn off, and Francisco Lindor (.198), Jeff McNeil (.244) and Brandon Nimmo (.213) continue to try and find their stroke, although Nimmo had 17 RBIs through Saturday.

Their pitching staff, which had a 10th best 3.69 ERA, also may be hitting its high-water mark, not having a clear front end of the rotation starter.

Tickets, please ... The Astros and Rockies squared off this past weekend in the Mexico City series. It is another venture from the one the league began in 1996 when the Mets and Padres took a trip to Monterrey, Mexico. (There will be more on MLB abroad in a future column).

The Dodgers and Padres began the season March 21 with a two-game set in Seoul, South Korea.

Ever want to take a trip to England? The Phillies and Mets will meet in London June 8-9 for a two-game set. You probably still have time to make arrangements.

Tribe Trivia ... Back in the 70s, two of Cleveland’s more momentous occasions involved a promotion and a manager.

It was June 4, 1974, and the Indians had their “10-cent Beer Night,” a ploy to help hike attendance in a game between the Indians and Rangers. However, it turned into a disastrous night with fans throwing beer cans on the field, and Texas was eventually awarded a forfeit due to the state of mayhem with fans on the field.

A year later, Frank Robinson became the first player-manager and black manager in the majors. He ran the team for three seasons.

Time Passages ... Each week, I’ll look back at a former Phillies player or a game.

When was the initial meeting between the Phillies and Cleveland in the regular season? It was June 10, 2002 at Cleveland’s Jacobs Field. The Phillies (28-34) posted a 3-1 victory behind Terry Adams’ six strong innings and Jimmy Rollins’ two hits. CC Sabathia took the loss for Cleveland (30-34).

Feedback ... Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com