Cleveland Guardians Reveal Final ALCS Playoff Roster

The Cleveland Guardians have revealed their roster for the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

Oct 10, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) reacts with third base Jose Ramirez (11) reacts after asking in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers and will be facing the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Well, with the battle getting start to begin on Monday night, the Guardians have revealed their final roster for the series.

Cleveland Guardians ALCS Roster

Catchers:
Bo Naylor
Austin Hedges

Infielders:
Josh Naylor
Andres Gimenez
Brayan Rocchio
Jose Ramirez
Daniel Schneemann
David Fry
Kyle Manzardo

Outfielders:
Will Brennan
Steven Kwan
Jhonkensy Noel
Lane Thomas

Pitchers:
Tanner Bibee
Matthew Boyd
Alex Cobb
Gavin Williams
Joey Cantillo
Emmanuel Clase
Hunter Gaddis
Cade Smith
Eli Morgan
Andrew Walters
Tim Herrin
Erik Sabrowski
Pedro Avila

Not surprisingly, the Guardians' ALCS roster is nearly identical to the group they trotted out during the ALDS. The one change is that the Guardians have removed outfielder Angel Martinez (who had previously replaced the injured Tyler Freeman) and have added relief pitcher Pedro Avila the roster.

The ALCS is a different animal considering it's a seven-game series rather than five, so pitching becomes paramount. Hence, Avila's addition does not come as much of a surprise.

Meanwhile, the starting rotation was an issue for the Guardians all season long, but the pitching staff was actually fairly stout against the Tigers. Of course, the Yankees—who ranked third in OPS during the regular season—are not the Tigers.

This will mark the fourth time Cleveland has seen New York in the playoffs since 2017, with the Yankees taking each of the first three meetings. The Guardians are hoping to reverse their fortunes this time around.

Alex Cobb will get the ball in Game 1, which will kick off at 7:38 pm on TBS. Cleveland acquired Cobb at the trade deadline. He only made three regular-season starts due to various injuries, but he returned to start Game 3 of the ALDS and lasted just three innings, giving up a couple of runs in a 3-0 loss.

We'll see if Cobb can bounce back with a strong outing against New York and if the Guardians can finally erase their previous playoff demons versus the Yankees.