Over the years, the Cleveland Guardians have found the formula that works for them in this era of Major League Baseball. The approach of developing players in their minor league system rather than spending on the free agent market has paid off with three straight AL Central titles.
It has yet to result in a World Series championship, but the Guardians are in a good position to get there this year. After earning the No. 2 seed in the American League, they only need to win the ALDS against either the Chicago White Sox or Houston Astros to get back to the ALCS for the second time in three seasons.
MLB.com analysts reveal what’s fueling the Guardians’ postseason run, highlighting the fact that they have more homegrown talent than any of their competitors.
“For the second straight year, the Guardians are the most homegrown playoff team by a wide margin. They’ve mined the draft better than any postseason club as well, hitting on first-rounders Gavin Williams (2021), Chase DeLauter (2022) and Travis Bazzana (2024) as well as later picks such as Parker Messick (second round, 2022) and Steven Kwan (fifth, 2018). Cleveland also has done well internationally with Brayan Rocchio, Jose Ramirez and Angel Genao and boasts the best nondrafted free agent in the playoffs in closer Cade Smith,” Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo wrote.
The Guardians, in turn, also have the lowest payroll among MLB’s 12 playoff teams. In fact, Cleveland had the lowest payroll among all of the 30 teams in 2026, postseason or not.
That is because much of the young talent on the roster has yet to become even arbitration-eligible, let alone free agents. DeLauter, Bazzana and Messick are each in their first full MLB seasons, and Genao made his debut as a late-season call-up. Smith is in his third season, Williams and Rocchio are in their fourth, and Kwan is in his fifth.
Only Ramirez has been given a lucrative long-term contract, and he has notably taken a “hometown discount” in an effort to help the Guardians remain competitive. Even though the organization has not spent those savings as much as Ramirez or their fans may have liked, it is hard to argue with the results.
Cleveland broke character somewhat when it made some noteworthy moves before the MLB trade deadline. The Guardians made savvy acquisitions, adding outfielder Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds, and starting pitcher Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals.
Combining them with the existing core worked out as well as the Guardians could have hoped, and they are counting on that to continue as they look to extend their postseason stay for as long as they can.
NEXT: One Guardians Reliever Deserves More Recognition After Strong Season
