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On Wednesday, all Cleveland Guardians fans could do was hang their heads after their team's loss 102-loss Kansas City Royals completed their sweep at the hands of a divisional foe. With the loss, the clock ticked one second closer to midnight for the Guardians' playoff chances.
The humiliating sweep at the hands of one of MLB's worst team comes after the Guardians outscored the Texas Rangers 23-6 over three games to sweep one of the AL's best sides. Understandably, fans of the Guardians are scratching their heads.
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"We are sad. #ForTheLand" - Cleveland Guardians
With a record of 72-81, the Guardians now sit nine games back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. Moreover, manager Terry Francona's side has 12.5 games between them and the final AL Wild Card spot.
All eyes were on the Twins as they geared up for their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. If Minnesota were to win, the Cleveland Guardians would be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
Unfortunately, Guardians fans were powerless as the Twins cruised to a 5-3 win over the Reds, effectively shutting the book on the Guardians' playoff hopes. 2023 will represent the second season in the last eight years that Cleveland has missed the playoffs.
Technically speaking, Guardians fans should be glad that they came so close to postseason contention. By all metrics, the team's hitting has been incredibly sub-par in 2023. They rank 29th in RBIs, 30th in home runs, first in strikeouts, and 15th in team batting average. With numbers like these, it's hard to view the Guardians as a postseason-worthy club.
Despite the dismal batting stats, Cleveland Guardians fans have seen flashes of brilliance. First baseman Josh Naylor has posted a career season, hitting .311/.351/.501 with 17 home runs and 93 RBIs. Additionally, third baseman Jose Ramirez continues to produce, and has been good for 24 home runs and 159 hits this year, leading his team in both categories.
""That's a rally-killer right there!" Josh Naylor records an unassisted double play! #ForTheLand" - Bally Sports Cleveland
Cleveland Guardians still have some growing to do
As exciting as some parts of the Guardians' game is, the team has a significant distance to travel before they can call themselves real contenders. The fact is, the team plays in baseball's least-competitive division. If they cannot find a way to succeed in the AL Central, then any hopes of contending in the MLB playoffs should be parked until further notice.
