The Cleveland Guardians were facing a daunting schedule to open the 2026 season, set to face three playoff teams from last year in their first three series. Getting off to a slow start would go a long way to confirming the dire predictions about the Guardians’ chances to succeed over the course of the full campaign.
Opening on the road against the ALCS losing Seattle Mariners and the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers, the Guardians could have seen their season derailed before it ever got going. Instead, Cleveland won four of those seven games and returned to Progressive Field with some momentum.
The Guardians then won two of three games at home against the Chicago Cubs. So, they completed that tough opening stretch with a winning record and in first place in the AL Central.
Based on that success, the Guardians have made a big jump in Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings, climbing to No. 7 from No. 13.
“The Guardians had arguably the toughest schedule of any team last week, but they came away with a pair of series wins, and they have yet to suffer a series loss after splitting a four-game set to open the year. They have earned their spot inside the top 10, but it might be wise to temper expectations until they show they can do better than a .198/.290/.335 batting line as a team,” Joel Reuter wrote.
It is worth noting that the Guardians were ranked No. 16 by Bleacher Report before the season began. Cleveland was also projected to finish out of the playoffs with a losing record by multiple other outlets.
Instead, the Guardians have turned that perception around in large part due to the history-making debut of rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter and some excellent starting pitching. However, as these latest rankings mention, the rest of the offense, which was already a preseason concern, has gotten off to a very slow start.
In addition, closer Cade Smith has not been at the top of his game, either. Squandering close games that they could otherwise win would not bode well for the Guardians over the long haul.
The Guardians continue a key early-season series against the Kansas City Royals, who, along with the Detroit Tigers, are their most likely competition for the AL Central title this season. Cleveland managed just four hits in losing the series opener on Monday, and it will try to get its offense going in frigid conditions in the second game on Tuesday afternoon.
After playing the Royals, the Guardians will go on the road for six more games against the National League, with visits to the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.
NEXT: Guardians-Royals Game Facing Tough Weather Conditions Today
