Opening Day is here, and the Cleveland Guardians once again don’t have a lot of people believing they can make a playoff run in a division where the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals appear to be the favorites to win the AL Central. While the Guardians may not have made the moves many were hoping for this offseason, there is still plenty of reason for optimism as the 2026 season gets ready to kick off.
The starting rotation should once again be among the best in the American League, and the lineup should be better thanks to the much-needed addition of some prospects taking a step forward. Despite all of that, most still don’t think it’s enough to end the league’s longest World Series drought.
Ken Carman recently made his prediction for this Guardians season, and he sees another similar result to the last two years, with 87 wins and an early playoff exit.
“87 wins. Wild Card. Series win. Not a World Series win. Divisional round. See you next year,” Carman said.
"87 wins. Wild Card. Series win."
🚨@KenCarman makes his prediction for the Guardians this season pic.twitter.com/9tXHrjUrsg
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 26, 2026
The Tigers added Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander to their rotation this offseason and brought in Kenley Jansen to close. They also called up top prospect Kevin McGonigle to play shortstop, as there is a lot of pressure on them to succeed in what could be Tarik Skubal’s last year in the Motor City.
Kansas City is counting on some young talent taking a step forward as well, with Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen set for prominent roles in right field and catcher, respectively. Both teams are trending up, which certainly makes life tougher for the Guardians in their quest for another division crown.
The Guardians definitely need a thing or two to go right for this season to be more successful than the past few years, but it’s all in front of them.
There is a ton of young talent on this team and room for improvement, and we’ll see if the lads are ready to make the leap.
NEXT: Insider Reveals What Needs To Go Right For Guardians This Season
