With 20 games left in the MLB regular season, the Cleveland Guardians are still pretty much in the playoff race.
The margin for error is pretty narrow, though.
They’re currently 2.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wild-card spot in the American League, but they’re not alone in that pursuit.
Fortunately, as Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report points out, they have the perfect opportunity to eliminate one of those opponents from playoff contention this week:
“The Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays are all within four games of the Mariners for the final AL wild-card position. Kansas City and Cleveland’s midweek series has the potential to eliminate one of those teams from the wild-card conversation,” Tansey wrote.
The Guardians need to approach this series as a playoff series.
To be fair, they have to take that same approach with every single game from now until the end of the season.
Of course, that’s not necessarily ideal for a team trying to make a push.
On the other hand, it also helps the team enter postseason mode and adopt that mindset earlier, which has often helped struggling teams compete at the highest level when it matters most.
The Guardians’ offensive woes have come back to haunt them over and over, often leading to slumps and lengthy losing streaks.
Still, this group has gotten right back on its feet every single time they’ve fallen, showcasing the most resiliency in all of baseball this season.
They’re not a perfect team by any means, but they’re scrappy and find ways to win games they could’ve and should’ve lost.
And if they get the job done this week, they will have to feel quite confident about their postseason chances.
NEXT: Rehabbing Guardians Pitcher Could Be Nearing Return To Majors
