Young arms, late-inning relief anchor Cleveland heading into Wild Card showdown with Detroit
CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians weren’t supposed to be here. They trailed by more than 15 games in the division race, their offense ranked near the bottom of the majors, and their bullpen lost its All-Star closer.
Then September came, and Cleveland flipped the script. The Guardians surged past Detroit to win the AL Central and will host the Tigers in the Wild Card Series.
Ramírez leads the bats
Cleveland’s offense runs through José Ramírez. The switch-hitting third baseman finished the season with 30 home runs, 44 stolen bases, a .360 on-base percentage, a .503 slugging percentage and a 137 OPS+. He carried the lineup with power in the middle of the order while creating runs on the bases.
Every big moment seemed to come from him — a clutch hit, a stolen base, a rally sparked. Kyle Manzardo provided support, but Ramírez was the constant presence Cleveland leaned on all season.
Arms and bullpen depth
The Guardians leaned heavily on their young rotation down the stretch. Gavin Williams emerged as a reliable arm, striking out hitters at an elite rate and proving he can handle pressure starts.
The bullpen has been the backbone. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis stepped into late-inning roles after Emmanuel Clase’s absence and kept the club afloat. Smith’s fastball-slider mix has translated in the closer’s role, while Gaddis has thrived as a versatile setup man capable of covering multiple innings. With Jakob Junis and others bridging the gap, Cleveland has built one of the more dependable relief units in the league.
What’s at stake
The Guardians enter October with momentum and little to lose. They weren’t expected to win the division, and their lineup still ranks near the bottom in several categories. But they have Ramírez in MVP form, a rotation with upside, and a bullpen that can shorten games.
If Ramírez keeps producing and Smith and Gaddis keep slamming the door, Cleveland has a chance to turn its improbable comeback into something more.
Up next: Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series between the Guardians and Tigers is Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 1:08 p.m. ET on ESPN. The pitching matchup features Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (12–5, 3.06 ERA) against Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (13–6, 2.21 ERA).
