Analyst Offers Urgent Question For Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are facing a major concern in the MLB playoffs.

Sep 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) reacts after giving up a run in the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians enjoyed a very impressive regular season, winning 92 games and capturing the AL Central division title.

But will the formula they utilized during the 162-game campaign be enough during the MLB playoffs?

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer isn't so sure.

While Rymer loves the fact that the Guardians were able to rely on such a dominant bullpen in 2024, he questions or not Cleveland's dynamic relievers will be enough to overcome its shaky starting rotation in the ALDS and beyond.

"In the abstract, though, only one of the greatest bullpens in history could have bailed out a rotation this feckless," Rymer wrote. "And that's what the Guardians got in 2024, as no other team even came close to their bullpen's 2.57 ERA. The question now, of course, is whether this formula will hold up in October."

Outside of Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively, the Guardians' rotation has been a mess all year.

It all started when Shane Bieber went down for the season with Tommy John surgery. Then, Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen were sent down due to their struggles. Cleveland did make major midseason additions in Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb, and while Boyd has been impressive, Cobb made just three starts due to a couple of different injuries.

Starting pitching becomes even more paramount in the playoffs, and that could end up severely hurting the Guardians when they face the streaking Detroit Tigers in the ALDS.

We'll see if Cleveland's bullpen can carry the squad to its first World Series title since 1948.