3 players who helped the Cleveland Guardians clinch AL Central
By Darren Klein
The Cleveland Guardians did something that no one expected them to by clinching the American League Central on Sunday. The Guardians defied every obstacle to win this division.
Cleveland Guardians overcome the odds and get ready for October baseball
Before the season started, the Cleveland Guardians were projected to win 76 games and be a fourth-place team. They had +800 odds to win the division and were the youngest team in the league. They have the fourth-lowest payroll and reportedly almost traded their best player, Jose Ramirez. The young Guardians stuck together with 16 rookies making their debuts this year. With all of this, manager Terry Francona should be under serious consideration to win AL Manager of the Year.
The Guardians weren’t expected to finish ahead of the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, or Detroit Tigers. In fact, the White Sox were overwhelming favorites and the Twins added the top free agent in shortstop Carlos Correa. The Guardians made no major additions and even lost some talent. This led them to have the fourth-lowest payroll in MLB at $66 million. That’s what makes this story so incredible. They are led by their pitching staff, but the offense plays an old school style that doesn’t rely on power.
The main player in this equation is rookie outfielder Steven Kwan, who hit a grand slam in the division-clinching game. Kwan has a bWAR of 5.3 and has a batting average just under .300 (sitting at .298 heading into Tuesday’s action). He has stolen 19 bases and struck out just 54 times in 530 at-bats. In today’s game, that’s unheard of.
The majority of the Guardians lineup is very tough to strike out. They are led by Jose Ramirez, who would have a great case for MVP if Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohatani didn’t exist. Ramirez leads the team with 28 home runs and 117 RBI. He is their big power threat, but he also doesn’t strike out. He’s gone down on strikes just 77 times in 567 at-bats. That is so rare for a hitter of his caliber.
Cleveland’s biggest offensive surprise is second baseman Andres Gimenez. He has a bWAR of 7.0 and an OPS of .861. He also has the third-most defensive runs saved at second base, according to The Fielding Bible (12). He has done it all, even contributing 19 steals.
Looking ahead to the postseason, it’s likely that the Guardians will match up with the Seattle Mariners. This would be a fascinating series since the Mariners will have broken the longest current postseason drought. The Guardians pitching will be set up nicely for the Wild Card series. The top three will be Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, and Cal Quantrill. The Mariners would most likely counter with Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, and Logan Gilbert. These would be great pitching matchups across the board. Bieber has pitched 189 innings with 189 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.81. McKenzie has enjoyed a breakout season, pitching 180 innings with 180 strikeouts. Quantrill has been a steady third option with an ERA of 3.50.
Next. Guardians, Browns playing like it is 1995 again. dark
The Guardians will be a team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs. They’re playing with house money, and who knows how far that can take them.