The Cleveland Guardians won on Sunday and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
They are playing better baseball and aren’t out of the postseason race yet.
They might be too far back in the division, as they are 11 games behind the Detroit Tigers, but the Wild Card is a realistic target if they make win-now moves.
Cleveland is 4.5 games behind the third and last Wild Card spot.
However, despite their recent surge in the standings and the renewed hope, Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan doesn’t believe the Guardians can make it too far, even if they make the postseason.
“They are a threat to no one in the playoffs… I think they’ll get a wild card but they’re not gonna go anywhere,” he said, per 92.3 The Fan.
🚨"They are a threat to no one in the playoffs… I think they'll get a wild card but they're not gonna go anywhere."@RuiterWrongFAN keeps it real with @Spencito_ on his expectations for the #Guardians the rest of the season.⚾
🔊: https://t.co/umiAuh9Z1w pic.twitter.com/ipgp5aibSz
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 21, 2025
He explained that the schedule is going to help Cleveland get some wins and make it to October, but that “they are not true contenders.”
“Their lineup is extremely weak, especially the bottom half of it,” he also stated, and the evidence backs up his claim.
Hitters like Bo Naylor, Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, Nolan Jones, David Fry, Lane Thomas, and Brayan Rocchio have all been below the league average offensively this year.
Only Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan can be counted on to make things happen at the plate, and no team will go far with just two steady and productive hitters.
The 2025 Guardians have too many holes at the moment to think about a deep postseason run, but the feeling is that a couple of trades with one or two promotions from Triple-A can give the roster a much-needed injection of talent and renewed hope.
Will they make it happen?
NEXT: Bruce Drennan Gets Honest About Guardians' Playoff Chances
