The Cleveland Guardians are still fighting hard.
Despite having all odds against them, Stephen Vogt’s team continues to push for a playoff berth.
Notably, plenty of that has had to do with their starting rotation.
The starters have been lights out in September.
As pointed out by former MLB player Chris Gimenez, their hurlers are doing an outstanding job of getting ahead of the count.
Talking on the Carlos Baerga Show, he explained why that’s so crucial to their success:
“Cecconi had five-run lead, a six-run lead where it allows you to go out there and just challenge the strikes and not have to be so fine. He had to go out there and still had to attack. Getting ahead in the count is the difference-maker in the world. The major league average with two strikes is .170. That’s like my career batting average,” Gimenez said.
"The major league average with two strikes is .170."@ChrisGimenez5 praises Guards' SPs for getting ahead in the count.
presented by @BathroomsUSA https://t.co/FvdEQxhkl2 pic.twitter.com/LPS5ogrd1S
— Carlos Baerga Show (@BaergaShow) September 13, 2025
Getting ahead of the count allows players to take some risks and be in control of the at-bat.
The Guardians’ starting rotation currently holds a sub-3.00 ERA in September, and they’re clearly trending up in the right direction at the right time.
Manager Vogt acknowledged that he needed to roll with a six-man rotation to endure a stretch of 24 games in as many days, including one doubleheader after just one day off.
Even the young players, like Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick, have contributed in big ways during this crucial stretch.
Of course, he might not put the ball in their hands in high-stakes games in the playoffs if the Guardians wind up getting the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Even so, it’s encouraging to see that this team has strong options, not only to close out the season but also for years to come.
Whether they’ll close out the year in the strong way they need to and beat the odds to make the playoffs remains to be seen.
NEXT: Steven Kwan Made Incredible Catch On Sunday
