The Cleveland Guardians might not make the playoffs this season.
But even if that’s the case, the fans and the front office have to feel proud about this group.
They’ve lost some key contributors, yet they’ve stayed competitive and continued to push through everything.
As pointed out by Guardians Prospective on X, seeing them in pursuit of the Seattle Mariners for an AL Wild Card is remarkable considering the players Cleveland lost to injury or suspension.
The Guardians are without pitchers Emmanuel Clase, Ben Lively, Luis L. Ortiz, Trevor Stephan, Andrew Walters and Paul Sewald.
If that wasn’t enough, they’ve also missed infielder Juan Brito, outfielder Lane Thomas, and didn’t get to call up star prospect Chase DeLauter as expected.
Cleveland #Guardians are now 73-70 on the season still within reach of the wild card 2.5 games back of the Mariners.
The Guardians are doing this despite key pieces that were supposed to help this year either lost to injury or suspended.
RHP Emmanuel Clase
RHP Ben Lively
RHP…— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 9, 2025
Losing two pitchers to a sports gambling scandal could’ve been a massive blow to the team’s morale.
That’s even more obvious if you consider that one of those players was their superstar closer (Clase).
Manager Stephen Vogt has done an outstanding job with the hand he’s been given.
The front office didn’t make moves to bolster the roster at the trade deadline, after the team looked lost and out of sorts in June.
They hoped to fare much better than they have so far, but it takes a special manager and group of players to stay grounded and resilient through the struggles.
That should be an encouraging sign for the future of this organization.
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