Few expected the Cleveland Guardians to be as good as they have been through 60 games this season, but here they are sitting at 40-20 with a 5-game lead in the AL Central.
After beating the Kansas City Royals by a final of 8-5 last night, the team has hit 40 wins, which has them in elite company.
The Athletic’s Zack Meisel pointed out that the Guardians are one of only three teams with 40+ wins so far alongside the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.
MLB teams with 40+ wins thus far:
Yankees
Phillies
GuardiansJust as you all predicted. Proud of you.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) June 5, 2024
With injuries to major pieces of the team in Shane Bieber, Steven Kwan, and Gavin Williams, it’s a testament to this team’s grit and the leadership of manager Stephen Vogt that the Guardians are even in this position.
This season could have gone off the rails quickly when Bieber went down with Tommy John surgery, but guys like Ben Lively, Triston McKenzie, and Tanner Bibee have held it down in his absence while Williams works to return soon as well.
Cleveland is in the midst of a favorable stretch of games against five of the six last-place teams in the league over the course of a month or so, with the current battle against the second-place Royals mixed in.
It’s the perfect opportunity to open up some breathing room, which is what the team has been able to do so far by opening up a 5-game cushion over Kansas City.
Vibes are high in Cleveland at the moment.
NEXT: Analyst Breaks Down Gavin Williams' Latest Rehab Start
