Guardians Earn Unfavorable Position In Recent MLB Power Rankings

MLB analysts view the Cleveland Guardians as the third best team in the American League Central.

Aug 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) reacts after striking out during the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are looking to repeat a 2024 season in which so much went wrong and so much went right all at the same time.

Still, the Guardians won 92 games and reached the ALCS with a depleted starting rotation and question marks in the rotation.

MLB.com's writer recently released their power rankings heading into the 2025 season, and the Guardians earned a rather unfavorable ranking on their list.

The group of analysts only has Cleveland ranked as their 16th-best team heading into the year.

This ranking makes them the eighth-best team in the American League and just the third-best team in the AL Central. The Kansas City Royals were ranked at 15, and the Detroit Tigers were the highest in the division at 14.

Will Leitch pointed out that "All of this team's success in 2024 came despite persistent issues in the starting rotation, one of which was Gavin Williams' regression following a highly promising rookie season. But the 25-year-old has dazzled this spring and looks to be on the path toward a significant rebound."

This position certainly isn't where the Guardians want to be, coming just three wins shy of a World Series appearance just a few months back.

While Cleveland hasn't done too much this offseason to greatly improve their roster from a year ago, neither have the Tigers or Royals.

While this is an uninspiring ranking for the Guardians, proving everyone wrong is what Cleveland does best, and they have another opportunity to do just that in 2025

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