The Cleveland Guardians spent much of August looking like a team that had slipped out of the playoff picture. They were tied for first in the AL Central at the All-Star break, but the slide hit hard: below .500, down to fourth in the division, and sinking in the AL Wild Card race.
Now, after a seven-game winning streak, the mood around Cleveland has shifted. The Guardians head into September with a strong shot at winning the Central for a third straight season, and that has put them back on the radar as one of MLB’s postseason dark horses.
MLB.com analyst Travis Sawchik said the Guardians are more dangerous than the record shows.
“The Guardians’ regular-season record understates how dangerous their October roster could be. The Guardians have one of the stronger rotations among the fringe contenders.
Their rotation is tied for sixth in ERA (3.74), tied for eighth in xERA (3.96) and 11th in fWAR (10.5). The Guardians also strengthened themselves at the deadline by adding [Foster] Griffin, Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe.
This is a stronger group than it was before the deadline, or that its record might suggest,” Sawchik wrote.
The streak ended Friday with a 3-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a 10-game homestand. Cleveland dropped to 68-67, and with the White Sox also winning, the Guardians fell 3.5 games back in the division with 27 games left.
Even so, the Guardians still hold a two-game edge over the Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot. That route may be their clearest path back to October, especially with none of the five teams chasing them within three games of a winning record.
There were signs before the shutout loss that Cleveland’s offense had started to wake up. During a six-game road trip, the Guardians piled up 36 runs while sweeping three-game series from the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels.
Adell was a big part of that surge, collecting six hits and six RBIs against the Rockies, though he has gone 2-for-16 over his last four games. Griffin has also been a factor, winning his last three decisions before taking the ball against Kansas City on Saturday.
Cleveland has already shown it can make a late push. Last season’s run to the division title proved that much, and the Guardians are once again positioned to stay in the race and potentially do damage if they get back in.
In Other News...
Guardians Roster Decision Could Expose A Bigger Power Problem
When rosters expand, the Guardians will have a chance to add a fresh body for the stretch run, and Daniel Schneemann is part of that conversation. Hes the kind of versatile piece teams often like to have on hand, but the bigger issue for Cleveland is less about filling a bench role and more about whether the roster finally gets another bat that can change an inning.
That is why the alternatives matter. Kyle Manzardo, Ralphy Velazquez and Cooper Ingle all point more directly toward the kind of offensive upside the Guardians have lacked, while a utility addition would only paper over a larger need. However Cleveland handles the move, the decision says plenty about whether the front office is trying to get through September or actually address the power shortage that has defined too much of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough September Choice With Two Roster Spots Open
With September call-ups arriving Tuesday, the Guardians are preparing to move from 26 players to 28 and give the roster a little more breathing room for the seasons final stretch. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said one of those additions will likely be a reliever and the other a position player, with the club still sorting through a mix of Triple-A options and injured-list candidates as it looks for the best fit.
The decision comes down to more than just filling space. Cleveland wants players who complement what is already on hand, and it is also weighing the reality that the extra bat may not see many plate appearances. In other words, these final roster spots are less about headlines than balance, and the Guardians still have a few moving pieces before those choices are locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Jose Ramirez Just Raised A New Concern For Guardians Fans
Jos Ramrez has already given Guardians fans enough reason to breathe easier by making it back after surgery for a hamate fracture, but his return has not come with a full sense of normalcy. He missed more than a month earlier this season, came back in July, and has still been working through the lingering effects of the injury while trying to anchor Clevelands lineup.
After a recent game against the Royals, Ramrez said the hand is still part of the conversation because the pain and strength have not fully gone away. Even so, he showed again why the Guardians need him, collecting two hits, a home run and four RBIs in the win, a reminder of the production he can still provide even while the injury concern hangs around. [Read more 🡒]