The 2024 edition of the Cleveland Guardians is probably better than what they showed in 2023 (76-86 record), but slightly worse than what they did in 2022 (92-70).
Adding a couple of power bats would get them much closer to postseason contention, but as things stand right now, the Guardians are not exactly a shoo-in for the playoffs.
They have to fight with the Minnesota Twins (and probably the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, too) to win the AL Central, and there are too many teams with comparable or better outlooks in the American League Wild Card situation.
Cleveland will be competitive, though.
Are they favorites to win the World Series?
Not exactly.
Talkin’ Baseball published FanGraphs’ most recent World Series odds.
They didn’t show all teams: just the top ten.
The Guardians are not on that list.
These teams have the best World Series odds, per Fangraphs pic.twitter.com/E479n3G1iN
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 7, 2024
That’s World Series odds: the Guardians’ strategy and main goal should be making the playoffs.
From there, they could be very dangerous, a la the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks.
Postseason baseball is a complex thing, completely different than regular-season baseball.
To succeed in October, four elements are crucial: starting pitching, power, bullpen, and form/luck.
Right now, the Guardians have two (starting pitching and bullpen) and could have three depending on their form in early October.
The power is missing, though, and they should do something to address that.
They have placed some players on the trade block, most notably Shane Bieber, but have had no luck flipping him for offensive help.
There is still some time, though.
If they make the playoffs (right now, it’s more of a 50-50 chance than anything), they could be players in October.
NEXT: Josh Naylor Lands On Elite 2024 MLB List
