During stretches of the regular season, there were legitimate doubts about how good or prepared this Cleveland Guardians team was. Some were concerned they wouldn’t even make the playoffs, and for a while, it looked like they wouldn’t.
Not only did they make it to October, but they also cleared their first hurdle there, the Chicago White Sox, in the AL Division Series. They had to come from behind a 0-2 deficit, too, making the achievement even more impressive.
Now, they are back in the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2024, when they fell into a 0-2 hole against the New York Yankees, won Game 3, and then lost the remaining two clashes.
This time, they took a 1-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays after a convincing 7-3 victory on Monday night on the road. Guardians fans have to be on cloud nine, and they have every right to be, as Anthony Lima explains.
“This is cloud nine. This is a cloud-nine situation. A week ago, this team was buried. It was literally seven days ago [when] everybody wanted their hitting coach fired. It was blame-Dolan radio. That’s what we were doing. Seven days later, you might have the best offense in the postseason if you actually go by the numbers and their trade deadline moves look insanely good, transformed the team into a ball club that’s three wins away from going to the World Series,” Lima said.
"To see the way that they played yesterday, I don't know how a Guardians fan could be anything but excited."
"This cloud nine. This is cloud nine situation. A week ago, this team was buried…7 days later, you might have the best offense in the postseason if you actually go by… https://t.co/KgRKtICFVl pic.twitter.com/FqiSmgqaWH
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 13, 2026
Lima makes for an interesting point. Just a few days ago, when the Guardians fell 0-2 in the ALDS vs. Chicago after losing Games 1 and 2 at Progressive Field, people were asking for the head of the hitting coach, blaming the front office for roster decisions, criticizing the ownership for the lack of spending, and questioning whether the pitching staff was good enough to avoid being embarrassed in Chicago.
Now, after eliminating the White Sox and taking Game 1 of the ALCS in Tampa Bay, fans in Cleveland are oozing joy, confidence, and optimism. And rightly so. This group of men is inviting an entire city to dream, to aim higher every day, and to break barriers.
At the moment, they are flirting with their first World Series appearance in 10 years and their first title since 1948. There’s a long way to go before even thinking about those possibilities and scenarios as concrete, though.
Tampa Bay won 98 games in the regular season for a reason. And even if the Guardians make it through the Fall Classic, the Milwaukee Brewers or Los Angeles Dodgers await. Cleveland needs to stay focused and go one day at a time.
NEXT: Guardians Rookie Is Close To Tying A Postseason Record
