The Cleveland Guardians have played seven games in the 2024 MLB Postseason to this point, five against the Detroit Tigers in the Division Series and two vs. the New York Yankees in the Championship Series.
They have been competitive, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the ALCS.
However, a big organizational deficit is becoming more evident with each passing game and it reached a worrisome peak on Tuesday’s Game 2 in the Bronx.
“Cleveland’s starting pitchers this postseason: 4 2/3 innings, 4 2/3 innings, 3 innings, 4 innings, 2 innings, 2 2/3 innings, 1 1/3 innings,” The Athletic’s Zack Meisel posted on X.
Cleveland's starting pitchers this postseason:
4 2/3 innings
4 2/3 innings
3 innings
4 innings
2 innings
2 2/3 innings
1 1/3 innings— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 16, 2024
That last 1 1/3 innings appearance was Tanner Bibee’s Game 2 start on Tuesday, in which he couldn’t complete two frames.
Yes, the Guardians have the best and deepest bullpen in baseball and that invites manager Stephen Vogt to have a short leash if he sees a sign of struggle in his starters.
And yes, the playoffs are a different environment than the regular season.
Both of those things are true.
However, it’s also true that no team can win it all by overtaxing its bullpen game after game, no matter how good or dominate the unit is.
This is where the Guardians’ lack of rotation depth and quality is starting to show up.
They made some savvy acquisitions around midseason and on the deadline in Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb, but the Shane Bieber injury and Triston McKenzie/Logan Allen struggles are proving costly.
There is still a path for the Guardians to come back in the series, but they are going to need big games from Boyd and Gavin Williams in Cleveland if they are the chose ones to pick up the ball and compete against a top Yankees’ lineup.
Vogt needs more consistency on his starters, but they also need to show they can at least pitch five frames.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Concern About Guardians After Game 2 Loss In ALCS
