The Cleveland Guardians had to fight for their playoff lives all of last year. Though it didn’t seem possible at times, they did manage to overcome a historic deficit and win the AL Central on the last day of the season.
This time around, the Guardians look to be on a much better path. After a recent stretch of 10 wins in 11 games, they have one of the best records in the American League and hold a modest lead in their division over the resurgent Chicago White Sox.
That is why MLB.com is listing the Guardians among the biggest surprises in the early playoff picture, as they currently hold the No. 2 seed in the AL and the first-round bye that comes with it.
“Byes: Rays (1) and Guardians (2),” Manny Randhawa wrote. “Nope, not the defending AL champion Blue Jays. Not the Yankees. The two top seeds currently belong to none other than the Rays and Guards. And manager Steven Vogt is looking to make it three straight AL Central titles since he took the helm in Cleveland. Two teams that we’ve learned not to underestimate over the years currently own byes in the AL.”
Entering play Saturday, Cleveland is 34-25, behind Tampa Bay at 35-19, and New York at 35-22. The Guardians would get the bye as a division winner, while the Yankees would be a wild card, trailing the Rays in the AL East.
Since the new playoff format, including three wild-card teams, was implemented in 2022, the Guardians have earned a bye in 2024. That season, as the No. 2 seed, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in the AL Division series before losing to the top-seeded Yankees in the ALCS.
In 2022, as the third seed, the Guardians swept the Rays in the Wild Card Series before losing to the Yankees in the ALDS. Cleveland missed the playoffs in 2023.
This season, the Guardians look to be a legitimate contender to reach the World Series. They seem to have a playoff-worthy rotation led by Gavin Williams and Parker Messick, who would be a formidable duo to start Games 1 and 2 of any potential matchup. Cleveland also has one of the best closers in the game in Cade Smith.
The lineup is also starting to come around, with rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana showing the kind of plate discipline that can really pay off in postseason at-bats. In addition, most of the roster has playoff experience that cannot be underestimated.
Earning a bye would be a significant accomplishment for the Guardians, and it could make their path to the World Series much more manageable.
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