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After the Tigers not only upset and end the dynasty of the Houston Astros but swept them, they face a new test in the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are coming off of a week to relax and plan ahead for who they might be playing. In this case, Cleveland might be excited for their “easier” test, but as we have seen, the Tigers could be a real threat. The two AL Central teams face off for the 14th time in 2024. So far, the game split has gone 7-6 in favor of the Guardians, the most recent being a 5-0 shutout. The Guardians look to continue this moment and hope the break did not give them cold feet.
The Tigers looked strong in the pitching department over their two games against Houston; Skubal will be in play early and later on if it reaches there. They usually keep their starters in for six, and this will open up an opportunity for the Triple Crown winner to get some late series opportunities.
The second match up was a complete bullpen day with seven different pitchers touching the mound, and rookie Jackson Jobe was the only one of them to surrender a run, of which he surrendered two. Nevertheless, the bats came through and put up some late runs to seal the deal. The Tigers have looked good over the past two games and hope to carry the momentum into this match up.
On the other hand, the Guardians had a strong 2024, with the highest win total since 2019 for the team, tying their 2022 record in wins. Their formidable bullpen has been the dominant factor for them. They keep the other team off the board once runs are on the board. They do this behind the power and leader of this bullpen, Emmanual Clase and his heat-seeking cutter that averages 99.5 MPH and tops out at a whopping 103 MPH.
We see guys like Mason Miller or Ben Joyce throw harder, yet to have that pitch be a fastball that cuts is game-breaking. This cutter, slider and heater mix is a nightmare for hitters as Clase posted a 2nd-ranked 47 saves with a 0.61 ERA over 74.1 innings. The man let up 5 runs in 51 appearances on the mound, utterly unhittable. He might be the best pitcher in the American League; if not, the guy on the opposing mound is wearing the number 29.
However, for Clase to be a factor, the Guardians’ bats need timely hitting against a Tigers’ pitching core that is getting hot at the right time. The Tigers’ bats have also impressed me with an even production of runs batted in by Colt Kieth, Trey Sweeney, Matt Vierling, and Riley Greene. This divisional matchup might bring a test the Guardians can not handle, and the Tigers could ride the momentum of beating Houston into a series against a team that could come out of the break lackadaisical.
My prediction for this series is that the Guardians will take it in five games. This comes down to pitching depth, where the Tigers struggle. In two games, the Tigers could rely on multiple arms and their number one guy, Tarik Skubal; they will only be able to hide behind him for a short time, especially against one of the top-hitting baseball teams in the MLB. Though I did not think the Tigers could beat the Astros, I will repeat it: anything can happen in October baseball.
My Prediction: Guardians in 5
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The AL Central continues to shine in this match up after being labeled as one of the worst divisions in baseball just a year ago. With all three Centrals playoff teams making it to the ALDS, the Kansas City Royals have a more unfamiliar foe ahead of them in the New York Yankees.
The regular season matchup was not a friendly one for the Royals, surrendering five of the sevens games they saw each other. The Yankees, coming off of a fantastic regular season, posting the highest win total in the American League, got to watch the first round from the comfort of home, where they hope to translate the success against Kansas City from the season into this postseason matchup.
Kansas City handled Baltimore and kept their offense at bay for one run over the two games they played. I might have gotten the Astros’ prediction wrong, but the Royals still stood the test of the Orioles’ powerful bats, limiting their home runs with the only one being a Cedric Mullins bomb in game 2. That could not stop Bobby Witt, who batted in two of the Royals three runs in over the two games.
Witt rides a .333 average in the playoffs and remains the brightest spot on an impressive young roster. Cole Ragans earned every letter in the words “go to guy” as he pitched six innings with four hits and eight strikeouts, which led to a combined shutout with some help from the bullpen. This Royals rotation is still very deep and will give New York a test in every game.
The New York Yankees have a three-headed monster after the deadline acquisition of Jazz Chisholm. Pairing Jazz’s power, speed and fielding with the raw power of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge has proved to be monumental in finding another gear for this team to operate in. Jazz has put up a .825 on-base plus slugging percentage and eleven homers since dawning pinstripes and has proved to be a massive piece in this run. However, this team relies on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Both come into the playoffs on hot streaks and put up insane regular-season stats, respectively. The Yankees pitching core can prove to be the difference with a mix of experience and young talent.
Overall, this will be my favorite match up between the two series taking place. The big names alone carry this one; this time, instead of a shortstop battle, it is MVP vs MVP in Aaron Judge vs Bobby Witt. The dark horse of this series will be the Royals pitching, specifically their ability to limit home runs. The team already had the best rank in opponent’s home runs per game. That plus Aaron Judge’s tendency to struggle in Kansas City’s ballpark with a career .724 ops in the location. I think the Royals will impress in this series.
My prediction comes from my inability to trust the bye week before a series. New York is coming in flat-footed against a team ready to make a name for itself. The Yankees bats have not seen a game in about half a week and look to face one of the strongest rotations in baseball. They must play a few games on the road in a real Major League ballpark. I feel the Royals have something to show, not only the Yankees but also baseball fans everywhere. That said, the Royals take this in four games.
My Prediction: Royals in 4
Make sure you stay locked on Area 51 as we continue on into the MLB Postseason.