Back in mid-August, the Cleveland Guardians had fallen into fourth place in the AL Central and were looking like a team that might not recover. That was reflected in power rankings that placed them in the bottom half of the majors.
Since then, the Guardians have been playing like their usual formidable selves, and they are back atop their division with one week left to go. This, too, is being reflected in the power rankings.
Based on another late-season surge, the Guardians are among the biggest movers in Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings, climbing to No. 8 from No. 11.
“On Wednesday, the Guardians claimed their first outright AL Central division lead since July 3 while finishing off a series victory over the White Sox team they have been chasing for much of the year. A 12-7 record in September has put them in the driver’s seat, and the one-two punch of Gavin Williams (31 GS, 3.63 ERA, 244 K, 181.0 IP) and Parker Messick (30 GS, 2.57 ERA, 186 K, 178.1 IP) could do some real damage in October,” Joel Reuter wrote.
On Aug. 17, Cleveland was five games under .500 and six games behind the Chicago White Sox. The Guardians were also trailing the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins in their division, and Bleacher Report had them at No. 19 in their power rankings.
Now, Cleveland is into the top 10, moving ahead of the White Sox not only in the standings but in these rankings. Chicago has fallen to No. 13 after being No. 11 one month ago.
Even more encouraging for the Guardians is the fact that they are currently ranked behind only the No. 2 Tampa Bay Rays and No. 5 New York Yankees among American League teams. Those AL East clubs should prove to be Cleveland’s most formidable postseason opposition, and if it can secure the No. 2 playoff seed, it would not have to face either of them until the ALCS.
With just a one-game lead over the White Sox entering play Tuesday, there is still work to be done. The Guardians open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park before finishing the campaign at the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. Chicago is visiting Kansas City for three games before ending at home against the Colorado Rockies.
Riding a five-game winning streak that ended their final homestand of the year, the Guardians have plenty of momentum, and they just need to keep it up for a few more days before even bigger challenges await.
NEXT: Analyst Names 2 Big Surprises For Guardians This Season
