Jo Adell is walking into October with a real chance to shape this series for the Cleveland Guardians.
This is his first playoff run with Cleveland, and it comes after a regular season that ended in a strange but welcome place: with the Guardians already having clinched the American League Central on Saturday evening before game 162 last Sunday. For Adell, that meant a finale with no stakes on the scoreboard but a very different feel from the usual season-ending grind.
He said he’s spent plenty of years in games that had nothing on the line, and that kind of finish can wear on a player. This time, though, the ending led somewhere.
On Friday, Adell said the best part of entering the postseason with this Cleveland group is being able to come in and just play his game. He said he’s excited to do exactly that.
And the matchup lines up in a way that could put him right in the middle of things.
The Guardians open their ALDS against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, and Chicago is carrying a heavy load of left-handed arms. Rookie Hagen Smith gets the ball in Game 1, and the bullpen options behind him include Bryan Hudson, Anthony Kay, Sean Newcomb, and Noah Schultz.
The White Sox have every reason to lean on those pitchers in big spots, too. Cleveland hit just .230/.314/.362 against left-handed pitching in the regular season, while Adell posted a .971 OPS against southpaws.
That split makes him a dangerous bat in this series, and maybe more than that. If Cleveland is going to push through to the ALCS, there’s a strong case that it will need Adell to deliver at least one defining swing.
Beyond the numbers, he’s fit in quickly. Adell has been in Cleveland for only two months, but the way he’s blended into the team’s culture and clubhouse makes it feel longer. That kind of connection matters in October, especially for a player making his postseason debut.
Now he gets the chance he’s been waiting for, and if he turns it into a big moment or two, Adell could go from recent arrival to Cleveland playoff name fast.
In Other News...
Guardians Send Clear Message With Urgent Game 2 Lineup Shakeup
The Guardians came into Game 2 against the White Sox with a noticeably different look, making several lineup adjustments that suggested urgency after the opener. Patrick Bailey was behind the plate and Nathaniel Lowe handled first base, while Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell were shifted into different defensive spots as Cleveland also rearranged the batting order.
Chicago answered with changes of its own, inserting Andrew Benintendi, Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters while moving Kyle Teel up to the No. 2 spot. With both clubs altering the mix on the fly, the second game had the feel of a quick reset, with Cleveland clearly trying to spark something early and keep the series from settling into one team's preferred rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Real First Base Problem
Clevelands run to a third straight AL Central title came with plenty of familiar caveats, but first base has emerged as one of the clearest offseason questions on the roster. Kyle Manzardo looked like part of the answer after his breakout in 2025, only to stumble offensively in 2026 and wind up back in Triple-A. The Guardians responded at the trade deadline by adding Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell, a sign they were willing to patch the spot quickly rather than wait for the bats to come around.
Now the bigger issue is what comes next. Manzardos future in Cleveland is uncertain, and prospect Ralphy Velazquez is expected to take over first base, which puts the organization in a position it likely did not expect when the season started. The Guardians have survived roster uncertainty before, but this one has the feel of a move that could reshape how they handle the position for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Need Someone Else To Deliver Their Big October Moment
The Guardians had plenty of pitching in place for a familiar playoff script, but the first game of the ALDS turned on the kind of offensive drought that can make even a solid performance feel hollow. Chicagos 3-0 win was driven by Munetaka Murakamis two-run homer, while Cleveland spent the night trying to solve a parade of White Sox arms, including Anthony Kay and Sean Burke, and never found the timely hit it needed.
Clevelands players pointed to the challenge of facing multiple starters in one game, even as they leaned on the comfort of having seen this Chicago pitching staff during the regular season. The bigger issue is less about recognition than execution, because the Guardians now need someone beyond the mound work to supply the defining October swing if they want this series to tilt back their way. [Read more 🡒]