Former MLB Player Says Guardians Have The Upper Hand In AL Central

In the most important series of the year, the Cleveland Guardians were able to take two out of three games from the Chicago White Sox, and in the process, grab hold of first place in the AL Central for the first time in months. The division that once appeared to be slipping away is now in their grasp as they head into a weekend series with the Athletics with a 0.5-game lead in the division and in possession of a highly coveted first-round bye in the playoffs.

It was a massive achievement, but there is still plenty of work to be done. The margins are still razor-thin, and the Guardians could still easily fall back to the sixth seed, though one former player believes Cleveland has the upper hand now.

During a recent episode of The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds stopped by to talk about the Guardians. He believes they will hang onto the division lead and said that they have the upper hand going forward.

“It’s definitely wide open. I think the Guardians are playing their best ball right now. I was worried about the White Sox because they’re such a young team. Finishing a season is tough to do. I think the Guardians are going to win the Central. I think what the Guardians are doing right now is fantastic. I think the Guardians have the upper hand right now,” Reynolds said.

"It's definitely wide open. I think the Guardians are playing their best ball right now. I think the Guardians are going to win the Central. I think the Guardians have the upper hand right now."

🚨 @MLBNetwork analyst Harold Reynolds with @KenCarman and @SportsBoyTony on the… pic.twitter.com/AEyjpn94bA

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 17, 2026

Cleveland has nine games remaining and six of them are against the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals. Those two series are sandwiched around a tough three-game set at the Boston Red Sox, who are also in playoff preparation mode and may not have a lot to play for since they are essentially locked into the fifth seed.

Chicago’s schedule is even easier with ten games remaining. They have four against the Detroit Tigers, three at the Royals, and three against the Colorado Rockies to close out the year.

We’re all set up for a photo finish, and now that the Guardians have a little momentum, let’s hope they can keep it going. They did what they had to do against the Sox and it’s time to finish the job.