The Cleveland Guardians pulled off one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Major League Baseball history Saturday night, clinching a postseason berth despite trailing the Detroit Tigers by 15 1/2 games earlier this season.
As the regular season concludes Sunday, Cleveland has the chance to make even more history. With a win or a Detroit loss, the Guardians will capture the American League Central title, completing the largest comeback from a division deficit in MLB history. If the Tigers win and Cleveland loses, the Guardians will still advance as the final AL wild-card team.
Cleveland has surged since the All-Star break, going an MLB-best 41-25 to erase what once looked like an insurmountable gap. The Guardians also became just the fourth team ever to reach the postseason in the same year they endured a 10-game losing streak.
They’ve done it while navigating major setbacks. The club lost relievers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz to gambling investigations and traded away ace Shane Bieber at the deadline. Yet behind perennial MVP candidate José Ramírez, Gold Glove outfielder Steven Kwan and second-year manager Stephen Vogt, Cleveland has found a way.
Vogt credited the team’s resiliency after Saturday’s clincher. “I am just so proud of these guys. I know we’re not done, we’re not satisfied, but just to stop and think about where we came from to get here — there’s no words,” Vogt said. “It’s a different guy every night. They support each other, they love each other.”
The Guardians might not boast the flashiest roster, but few clubs are hotter entering October, making them one of the most dangerous teams in the postseason field.