The Cleveland Guardians didn't have a ton of expectations surrounding their team heading into the 2022 season. But here they are, leading the American League Central with a month and a half left in the regular season. While there is still a lot of baseball left to be played this season, it's clear the Guardians are in a good spot to run away with the division over the remainder of the season.

Cleveland holds a two game lead over the Minnesota Twins atop the AL Central currently, and the Chicago White Sox are just a game behind the Twins, so it may end up being a photo finish. This divisional race is particularly captivating because whichever two teams end up falling short in the division may end up missing the playoffs entirely.

The Guardians are in a good spot to ensure that they aren't one of the teams missing the postseason. But if they end up making the postseason, how far could they end up going? Let's take a look at whether the Guardians are a legit World Series contender, or a pretender that will get bounced early.

Cleveland Guardians: World Series contenders or World Series pretenders?

The Guardians have pieced things together all season long, and they are on the verge of somehow turning it into a playoff appearance. The White Sox and Twins were both expected to be better than the Guardians this season, but Cleveland always seems to find a way to put together a strong season, and 2022 has been no exception.

For the most part, Cleveland's lineup has generated runs the old-fashioned way. They only have three players on their roster who have hit double-digit home runs this season, but it hasn't really mattered. The Guardians goal is to get on-base and then drive those guys in.

Six members of the Guardians starting lineup have on-base percentages above .300, and they could have another guy join them soon, as Owen Miller has a .296 OBP. Cleveland also has helped themselves out by being one of the more aggressive teams on the bases this season. They have five players who have at least ten stolen bases on the season, which has played a big part in their run scoring ways as well.

Whether this lineup will hold up in the postseason remains to be seen. They have two guys in their starting lineup in Austin Hedges and Myles Straw who have been borderline unplayable all season long, and typically you can't afford to waste at-bats as consistently as they do in the postseason. But with Jose Ramirez leading the way, Cleveland's lineup is in a pretty decent spot for now.

Their pitching rotation, however, is a bit more up in the air. The Guardians starting rotation has a solid trio of Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, and Cal Quantrill leading the way, but their final two starters have struggled. Zach Plesac has a 2-11 record this season, and Aaron Civale has a 5.63 ERA. Both of these guys are going to have to be better moving forward.

The bullpen is in a much better spot, and it could be a big strength of the team moving forward. Emmanuel Clase is one of the best closers in the game, and his 1.22 ERA showcases how lights out he has been this season. James Karinchak has been nearly as good since he made his debut in July, and he has a 1.42 ERA on the season so far. That's about as dominant a backend of a bullpen can be.

There are other solid arms, such as Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges, Enyel De Los Santos, and Nick Sandlin who will help pick up the slack from guys like Plesac and Civale. Eli Morgan and Bryan Shaw make up the rest of the bullpen, although both have struggled at times this season. Overall, the bullpen is probably the Guardians biggest strength, and they will need to ride it throughout the remainder of the season.

Final decision: Contender

The Guardians still have a lot of work to do, but should they make the postseason, they figure to be one of the better teams in a weaker American League playoff bracket. They have been hot for most of August, and if they can continue that throughout the rest of the season, they could be one of the final teams left from the American League.

Typically the Guardians wouldn't be a contender, but given the New York Yankees recent struggles, there isn't really a surefire World Series contender in the AL aside from the Houston Astros. Someone is going to have to step up and go toe-to-toe with them, and the Guardians have looked like one of the teams most likely to do so as of late. If Cleveland can make the postseason, they could surprise a lot of folks with a deep postseason run.