The Guardians are making noise at the right time, and the latest ESPN power rankings show it even if the number itself hasn’t budged. Cleveland remains 12th, but the club has pushed back into the playoff picture with a stretch that’s gotten it back into the conversation in the AL Central and the Wild Card race.
Cleveland is three games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the division and currently sits third in the AL Wild Card race. That recent run has been enough to keep the Guardians steady in the rankings, with insider Buster Olney pointing to the way this team tends to close.
“During the Terry Francona and Steven Vogt managerial years, Cleveland has historically finished strongly - only the Dodgers have a better September/October winning percentage than Cleveland since the start of 2013 - and now the Guardians have won nine of their last 12. With the playoff push underway, Chase DeLauter hit .363 in August while Steven Kwan hit .347, and Jose Ramirez is seemingly hitting with more authority,” Olney wrote.
That’s the part that matters for Cleveland: the pitching has carried the load for most of the season, but the lineup is finally giving the Guardians something to work with. For much of the year, the offense lagged behind. Now, at the most important stretch of the season, it’s beginning to show signs of life.
The timing couldn’t be much better. Cleveland enters the final month controlling its own fate, starting with a series against the Tigers on Friday. After that comes a demanding run through the Orioles, White Sox, and Twins, with three straight divisional series that the Guardians will need to treat like must-wins.
DeLauter and Kwan have been central to that offensive turnaround. Both battled through their own rough patches earlier in the season, but each has started to find his rhythm again. If Cleveland is going to keep winning, those two will have to keep delivering.
The Guardians have dropped their last two series, so there’s still work to do. But with a heavy division schedule ahead and the standings still within reach, staying at No. 12 in the rankings is hardly a setback.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A Postseason Problem They Never Expected From Bibee
Tanner Bibees recent start in Toronto only added to the uneasy feeling around Clevelands rotation at the exact moment the Guardians can least afford it. In a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Bibee gave up five runs in four innings, another reminder that the clubs most important stretch run is being complicated by a pitcher who entered the game as one of the biggest questions on the staff.
Cleveland is still clinging to a half-game lead for the American Leagues final Wild Card spot at 70-70, but the margin for error is thin and the pitching picture is getting harder to trust. Bibee has been inconsistent enough to lead the majors in losses, and if the Guardians are going to make this race hold, they need a lot more certainty from a starter they expected to lean on when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Could Haunt Cleveland Fans All Through September
September has a way of turning old acquaintances into uncomfortable reminders, and that figure is likely to be a recurring theme for Cleveland fans as the season closes. Several former Guardians hitters are positioned for meaningful roles with new clubs down the stretch, giving them a chance to matter in the pennant race and, if their teams keep going, in October as well. Bo Naylor is with the Milwaukee Brewers, Josh Naylor has landed with the Seattle Mariners, Richie Palacios is part of the Tampa Bay Rays mix, Amed Rosario is now in the New York Yankees orbit, and Lane Thomas is with the Atlanta Braves.
For Cleveland, the challenge is not just seeing familiar faces on other rosters, but seeing them in spots where their current teams can lean on them. Each one brings a different kind of value and a different level of postseason relevance, which makes the next month feel a little like a reunion tour with real stakes attached. The Guardians are trying to finish their own season on their terms, but these ex-Guardians could keep showing up in moments that matter for someone else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Bullpen Question Before A Crucial Doubleheader
Carlos Hernndez had been giving the Guardians a look out of the bullpen, working two relief appearances and striking out multiple batters while operating in low-leverage spots. Even so, Cleveland moved him off the roster to create space for pitching prospect Austin Peterson ahead of a doubleheader, a reminder of how quickly a club can shift its pitching picture when the schedule tightens.
The move leaves Hernndez in limbo as the Guardians wait to see whether he clears waivers and stays in the organization. For a team trying to manage arms around a crucial doubleheader, it is another small but potentially meaningful bullpen wrinkle, especially with a call-up in Peterson now taking priority over a veteran reliever who had just started to settle in. [Read more 🡒]