Incredibly, depending on each division, MLB can grant a team with a 62-69 record in late August a real chance of making the postseason.
Yes, that’s exactly the case of the Cleveland Guardians.
A team that sold some assets before the deadline and that has a mediocre 4-6 record in its last 10 games, Cleveland remains in play for a potential playoff appearance because they are six games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central lead.
Six games seems like a lot with just over a month left to play, but the Guards received an unintentional nod from the schedule makers, as sports anchor Nick Camino explains.
“With 31 games to go, the #Guardians sit 6 games out of first place in the AL Central. Tomorrow: Cleveland opens up a 3-game series in Minnesota against the first place Twins,” he tweeted.
With 31 games to go, the #Guardians sit 6 games out of first place in the AL Central.
Tomorrow: Cleveland opens up a 3-game series in Minnesota against the first place Twins. https://t.co/AObktvfpWm
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) August 27, 2023
On Monday, the Guardians will start an important three-game set in Minnesota.
They will send their trio of excellent rookie starters to the mound: Xzavion Curry on Monday, Gavin Williams on Tuesday, and Tanner Bibee on Wednesday.
That’s not all.
After the Twins series, Cleveland will open a six-game homestand with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays and three more against you know who: the Twins again.
All things considered, you could say that the Guardians still have a lot of control over their own destiny in what is left of the 2023 campaign, despite their bad record.
If they win five or six against the Twins in the next week-and-a-half, the AL Central landscape has the potential to change considerably.
NEXT: Guardians Cut Ties With Recently Acquired Starter