Cleveland Guardians fans did not expect the team to be under .500 at the All-Star break, especially after falling three wins shy of the World Series last year.
A recent sweep of the Houston Astros restored a bit of faith after a 10-game losing streak, which is why one analyst recently made a bold prediction about Cleveland’s trajectory.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report said the Guardians will be the next in line of an intriguing trend and make the AL playoffs.
“In each of the past two years, there has been one and only one team that went from a sub-.500 record at the All-Star break to a spot in the postseason field. While both Minnesota (47-49) and Kansas City (47-50) could be the ones to make it happen, let’s get more specifically bold by proclaiming it will be the Cleveland Guardians (46-49) who pull it off. For starters, they have the easiest remaining schedule in the majors, per Tankathon. That could have them flying high into the trade deadline, much less likely to sell off an Emmanuel Clase or a Carlos Santana, maybe even buying a much-needed bat or two,” Miller wrote.
Having an easy schedule is key, as the Guardians return with a series against the Athletics, followed by the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins.
If Cleveland is going to turn things around and avoid being sellers at the deadline, it will need more players to step up on offense.
Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan have carried the team, while too many others have fallen well short of expectations.
It’s nice to have an easy schedule, and hopefully, the Guardians can use it to get hot.
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