Cleveland Guardians Receive Brutal MLB Playoff Prediction

Some are not very high on the Cleveland Guardians' chances of making a deep playoff run.

Sep 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) makes an error on a hit by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Barring an incomprehensible collapse, the Cleveland Guardians will be in the MLB playoffs.

But just how far will the Guardians go in October?

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller does not think Cleveland will have a very deep run, projecting the Guardians to lose to the Houston Astros in four games in the ALDS.

Miller has Cleveland securing a first-round bye, but feels that the Guardians will be vanquished by Justin Verlander and the Astros.

"If anything close to vintage Verlander shows up, Houston should prevail against a Guardians team that has been leaking oil since early August, struggling to score while trying to overcome a starting rotation where Matthew Boyd—who entered 2024 with a 4.94 career ERA—is suddenly their best option," Miller wrote.

Cleveland is certainly not in the best shape at the moment.

Yes, the Guardians should win the AL Central, but their starting pitching has been abysmal all season long, and their offense has fallen off a cliff the last couple of months.

Realistically speaking, Cleveland has been a pedestrian ballclub for well over three months, having gone just 50-47 since a 36-17 start. Additionally, the Guardians are just 35-38 since peaking at 51-26 in June.

Cleveland's bullpen has remained tremendous, but its relief pitching will only take the squad so far in the postseason.

The Guardians failed to properly address their starting rotation at the trade deadline, and while Lane Thomas has certainly turned things around of late, they still didn't do enough to improve their lineup.

We'll see if Cleveland can overcome all of its shortcomings in the playoffs, but there is no doubt that it will be difficult.