Cleveland trails Chicago in the AL Central standings, but one national analyst believes the gap will not last much longer once the calendar flips toward the season’s second half. Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer included a bold call for the Guardians among his predictions for the rest of the 2026 regular season, pointing to two specific factors that he believes will swing the division race in Cleveland’s favor over the coming months.
Rymer laid out his case for why the Guardians will ultimately overtake the White Sox.
“The Cleveland Guardians will win the AL Central. On the flip side, we need to talk about pitching. And specifically starting pitching, which the Guardians have and the White Sox don’t. This has become especially apparent in June, wherein Cleveland’s starters have a 3.58 ERA to Chicago starters’ 5.55 ERA. And just as the White Sox will get Munetaka Murakami back after the break, so too with the Guardians get Jose Ramirez back from a hamate fracture,” Rymer wrote.
The Guardians have leaned on the same five starters since Opening Day, a level of continuity that has produced one of the better rotation ERAs in the American League this month. Chicago, by contrast, has dealt with far more instability on the mound, a disparity that becomes especially relevant as both clubs jockey for position with the season already half over.
Ramirez’s return looms as the more significant variable for Cleveland specifically. The Guardians posted a 39-33 record with their All-Star third baseman in the lineup before his hamate fracture, compared to a 5-7 mark in the games since he went down. That split underscores just how much Ramirez’s bat means to this offense, and his expected return in the coming weeks could provide the kind of boost capable of closing the gap with Chicago in the standings.
Whether the Guardians can actually overtake the White Sox will depend on more than just one player returning to health, but Rymer’s reasoning reflects a belief that Cleveland’s pitching depth gives it a sustainable advantage over the long haul. With Ramirez nearing a return and the rotation continuing to hold steady, the Guardians appear well-positioned to make a serious push at the division before the season reaches its final stretch.
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