The Cleveland Guardians are not only one of the best teams in baseball but also have a celebrity superfan in rapper Machine Gun Kelly. The Shaker Heights, Ohio native threw out the first pitch before Tuesday's game and had a message for the team, posted to Cleveland's official X account.
“I've got a Cleveland hat on my head but the only thing on my mind is the World Series. Let's go Guardians! Number one in the league. If you need a sub pitcher, I just showed you my skills. I can do, um, absolutely nothing on the mound but I'm a fan in the stands. Let's f***in' go Cleveland” he said as he was walking through the tunnel.
Kelly jumped on the mound to hurl the first pitch but took an unconventional route from there, hurling the ball into the crowd instead of over home plate. In fairness, he did warn against calling him up for a spot start down the stretch.
The first pitch, if you could call it that, came before the Guardians played against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. They entered the game tied for the best record in baseball with the Orioles and Dodgers at 70-49. They missed the playoffs after a disappointing campaign in 2023. A good stretch will get them back to the postseason, where the Guardians could do some serious damage.
Guardians' chances in the playoffs
Fangraphs gives the Guardians a 94.3% chance of making the playoffs entering Tuesday's action. Their commanding division lead and continued excellence make them a near guarantee to return to the playoffs. They also have the best chance, 56%, of clinching the first-round bye.
While the bye through the Wild Card Round did not work out well last year, the Guardians would benefit tremendously from it. Their weakest link is starting pitching. If they need to play a three-game Wild Card series before getting to the Division Series, that would not be a recipe for success for the Guardians.
Last year, the Orioles, Braves, and Dodgers all lost in the Division Series despite earning the bye. The Astros were the only team to take advantage, beating the Twins in four games. The underdogs came in with confidence and rolled through the division winners a year ago. The Guardians would not benefit from that, however.
The key for teams who have to win so many games just to clinch the pennant is starting pitching. Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery combined to push the Rangers to a title last year. The Guardians will not have Shane Bieber due to Tommy John surgery and have Tanner Bibee dealing with a shoulder issue. Outside of Bibee, they do not have a starter with an ERA+ over 100.
If they make Machine Gun Kelly's aspirations come true, the Cleveland Guardians must close out their division and clinch a bye to the Division Series. With their offense led by Jose Ramirez, the Guardians can do some damage in the playoffs just like they did in 2016, the last time they won the American League pennant.
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