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Few teams surprised the experts as much as the Cleveland Guardians have this season. Mentioned as a contender for the AL Central but not the favorite entering the season, almost no one predicted the Guardians to clinch a playoff berth and a division title before a week was left in the regular season.
As the final week before the 2024 MLB playoffs begins, the Guardians have done just that as they secured their fifth AL Central crown in nine years this past Saturday. Cleveland hopes it's not the last celebration they have for the 2024 season.
Although Cleveland has frequented the playoffs over the past decade, the Guards have only one postseason series win since claiming the American League pennant in 2016. They have not reached the ALCS since.
While a playoff berth and the division are all wrapped up, the Guardians still have something to play for in the regular season. MLB teams will never admit this, but there are internal conversations about which matchups they'd prefer in the postseason. Cleveland could be looking to avoid certain teams if it can and has an opportunity to increase its chances of advancing with a strong close to the regular season.
Claiming AL's No. 1 seed still on Cleveland's radar
No playoff seeds in the American League have been clinched yet, though there is only a two-team race for the No. 1 seed entering the regular season's final week.
The Guardians occupy the second seed as Monday's action begins, 2 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for the top seed. New York has multiple advantages over Cleveland, including the season tiebreaker and a game in hand this week.
It's a possibility, but the odds are slim that the Guardians can catch the Yanks to claim home-field advantage through the ALCS. Earning the No. 2 seed and a bye to the ALDS is still great news for Cleveland, but the path to the Championship Series looks a bit easier at the moment for the No. 1 seed in the AL.
The No. 1 seed could potentially matchup against the reeling Baltimore Orioles who've dropped five consecutive series. Meanwhile, the No. 2 seed awaits the winner of the three-seed versus six-seed Wild Card Series. As it stands, playoff mainstays the Houston Astros hold the third seed and will likely stay there, while a trio of AL Central teams – the Royals, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins – are separated by one game as they battle for two playoff spots.
The Guardians should do everything they can to jump the Yankees and earn the No. 1 seed. It could come with multiple advantages and Cleveland needs every one it can get as the Guards could potentially be underdogs against several playoff opponents.
Guardians could be seeing demons in ALCS
One opponent the Guardians will definitely be underdogs against if they meet in the MLB playoffs is the Yankees. Cleveland and New York have frequently met in the postseason and could be in line to square off again this October. That would be bad news for the Guardians.
The Yankees eliminated the Guardians three of the last four times Cleveland made the playoffs. The Guards had a 2-1 series lead in the 2022 ALDS, only for the Yanks to win consecutive games and end Cleveland's season.
Before that came a two-game sweep in the 2020 Wild Card Series and another crushing Game 5 loss in the 2017 ALDS.
However, it's not just the playoffs. The Yankees won four of six over the Guardians this year with three wins coming in dominating fashion. New York outscored Cleveland 37-22 in the six meetings.
The last year the Guardians won the season series over the Yankees was 2019. Cleveland is 10-22 against New York since, including in the MLB playoffs.
The only way the Guardians and Yankees play this postseason is in the ALCS. It could mark the end of a redemption story for Cleveland or more of the same if the two duke it out again in October.
