The Cleveland Guardians beat the San Francisco Giants on Saturday and evened the series after their Friday loss.
The teams will play the finale on Sunday, with Cleveland going for the series win.
The Guards are 55-32, and that’s the best record in the American League since the Baltimore Orioles’ winning percentage of .629 is slightly worse than Cleveland’s .632.
It’s amazing how much the Guardians have been able to achieve with a mediocre rotation for most of the season.
Team insider Hayden Grove helps put things in perspective in that regard.
“If you told me that Shane Bieber was out for the year in April and Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen are at Triple-A in July, I’d think the Guardians were having a miserable season. Instead, they have the AL’s best record as of July 7,” he tweeted.
If you told me that Shane Bieber was out for the year in April and Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen are at Triple-A in July, I'd think the Guardians were having a miserable season.
Instead, they have the AL's best record as of July 7.#Guardians
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) July 7, 2024
No, the Guardians aren’t having a miserable season.
No, they aren’t just “hanging on” in the standings.
They have the best record in the American League and, by winning percentage, the second-best in baseball after the Philadelphia Phillies’ .652.
Imagine where they would be if they had a decent rotation.
It’s certainly one of the areas to improve ahead of the trade deadline.
With Bieber in the picture (especially considering the offseason he had and the brilliant start he was off to), this team could be a no-doubt World Series contender.
Instead, we are left in the dark as to what to think about the Guardians’ ceiling with this roster and, particularly, this rotation.
If they manage to bring in one or two impact pitchers, they could be serious contenders for the title.
NEXT: Guardians Add To Their Pitching Depth
