The Cleveland Guardians refused to give up without a fight.
And now, after all they’ve been through, they may not have to give up at all.
With their recent surge, they control their own destiny to make the playoffs.
With that in mind, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report had a big prediction for them:
“Prediction: Cleveland Guardians No. 3 seed,” Miller wrote. “Since August 26, the Guardians have been the best team in baseball. Prior to Sunday’s loss at Minnesota, they had won 20 out of 25, allowing just 2.4 runs per game. In less than a month, they gained 11.5 games on the Tigers, who even lost a series at home to the White Sox during their nightmarish stretch of 18 losses in 25 games. Cleveland winning the AL Central was about a one-in-a-million proposition not even three weeks ago. But now? It almost feels inevitable.”
The Guardians are about to begin a crucial three-game series with the division-leading Detroit Tigers.
They already swept them in their previous three meetings, and doing so again will almost guarantee them the AL Central Division pennant.
As things stand now, the Guardians are in the playoffs as a wild-card team.
However, they’re just one game behind the Tigers for the lead in the division.
A.J. Hinch has fallen from grace after a spectacular start to the campaign, whereas Stephen Vogt and his troops are peaking at the right time.
It was almost impossible to think that this team would have a chance to make the playoffs after failing to win double-digit games in June.
The picture was even grimmer once they lost Luis L. Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase over a sports gambling investigation, and once they traded Shane Bieber away.
Fast forward to today, and they’ve been one of the hottest teams in all of baseball when it matters most.
They still need to close out the year on a high note and take care of business in the final stretch of the regular season, but there are plenty of reasons to feel excited.
NEXT: Guardians Make Notable Move In Latest Power Rankings
