Against all odds, the Cleveland Guardians are still in the race for a playoff spot.
That doesn’t mean they’re a lock to make it.
That’s why, as much as everybody would want to think about a potential three-man rotation for the Wild Card series, they will most likely have to go all-in to close out the season just to get there.
At least, that’s how Paul Hoynes feels.
Even so, the Cleveland.com analyst put together his three-man rotation for a potential Wild Card series, assuming they’re healthy and well-rested:
“First they have to get to the postseason, which is a going to be a challenge. If they do qualify for the best-of-three wild card series starting on Sept. 30, I’d go with Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Slade Cecconi. The problem is the Guardians are on the outside looking in as far as the postseason goes, and will probably have to use their top starters just to qualify. That means they may not have a choice when it comes to setting the wild card rotation, which will be played in three straight days,” Hoynes wrote.
That makes perfect sense, but they will most definitely have options.
The rotation has been lights out in September, combining for a sub-3.00 ERA in almost 84 innings of work.
Of course, trusting inexperienced players like Joey Cantillo or Parker Messick might be a little too risky, and John Means might not even be ready to get on the mound after spending most of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Still, this six-man rotation has proven that they can hold their ground against anybody else in baseball.
If anything, the Guardians need to be more worried about how they perform at the plate than anything else.
Their offense, not their pitching, might be their biggest weakness ahead of the final stretch of the season.
But when there’s a will, there’s a way, and this team won’t give up fighting until the very last game of the regular season.
NEXT: Guardians Urged To Trust Rookie Slugger Against Lefties
