Guardians Pitching Staff Receives Surprise Ranking For MLB Playoffs

Do the Cleveland Guardians truly have the best pitching staff in the postseason?

Jun 1, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Hunter Gaddis (33) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of narrative leading up to Game 1 of the ALDS. One of the season's biggest storylines was their pitching staff, which will be a point of emphasis for the postseason.

Matt Snyder of CBS Sports ranked each team's pitching staff (both starting rotation and bullpen) heading into the playoffs, and the Guardians had the top staff of all postseason teams.

Here's a little bit of what he had to say about Cleveland's pitching staff:

"The best bullpen in baseball resides here and there isn't a close second ... Generally speaking, a strong bullpen and weak rotation doesn't sound like a great combination for a deep playoff run, but the Guardians might have enough great relievers to make it work without wearing them down. They pulled it off in the regular season. In fact, the entire staff had a 2.19 ERA in the season's final month. That'll do."

Aug 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

This ranking comes as a little bit of a surprise, considering the state of Cleveland's current starting rotation. Tanner Bibee will likely take the mound in Game 1 of the ALDS, but it's a massive question mark after that.

Snyders' main reason for ranking the group this high has to do with the Guardians' elite bullpen, which one former GM called the best he's ever seen.

Cleveland's bullpen ERA was 2.57 during the regular season, easily the best in MLB. However, their starter ERA was 4.40, and their WHIP was 1.32, both bottom ten in baseball. There's a stark difference in the depth of each group, and this ranking clearly shows a lot of faith in the relievers' ability to get the job done.