The Cleveland Guardians just swept their division rival, the Chicago White Sox, and further proved why they are the top team in the AL Central.
The Cleveland Guardians just swept their division rival, the Chicago White Sox, and further proved why they are the top team in the AL Central. To rub more salt on the wound, they created a ‘not safe for work’ video, with someone in the background screaming “[expletive] the White Sox.”
The video was streamed on closer Emmanuel Clase’s instagram.
The Guardians are the only team in the division above .500, and they hold a decent lead in first. The White Sox are 10 games behind, so they wouldn’t have passed Cleveland by winning the series. However, a sweep from Cleveland proves they deserve to be in that top spot.
The Guardians are officially going to the playoffs for the 16th time in franchise history and the first under their new team name.
Cleveland Guardians are headed to the playoffs
Cleveland hasn’t frequented the playoffs, but in recent years they’ve had a decent amount of playoff appearances compared to other stretches. Since their last World Series appearance in 2016, they’ve made three playoff appearances. They didn’t win any series in their prior appearances after 2016.
Given their track record and their comparison to other playoff teams this season, they’re unlikely to make it to the World Series and if they do, they’re unlikely to win. According to FanGraphs, they only have a 2.2 percent chance of winning. But this Cleveland team has been doubted before.
However, making it more often than not over the past six seasons is telling of their overall team development. Between their two most recent World Series appearances in 1997 and 2016, they only made the playoffs five times.
They’re certainly not among the worst teams in the league anymore and their hitting and pitching stats are both above league average. They are, however, competing against more developed teams that they’re unlikely to beat out.
Regardless of whether they make it far or not, making it to the playoffs with ease is a big feat and may be a telling sign of their future development. The Guardians are among the youngest teams in MLB.