Guardians Finish Third AL Central For First Time In Eight Years

The Cleveland Guardians fall to the Detroit Tigers.

The Cleveland Guardians had a lot of expectations put on them at the beginning of the season. Many fans were anticipating them to take a step forward from their ALDS appearance in 2022 and solidify themselves as one of baseball's best teams.

Instead, the Guardians found themselves battling against the Detroit Tigers for second place in the division during their final series of the year.

Both teams entered Saturday's contest with identical records, 76-84. However, the Tigers had already clinched the season series over the Guardians including the tiebreaker so Cleveland would've had to sweep the series to finish the season second in the AL Central.

That didn't happen as the Tigers won on Saturday 0-8 clinching the penultimate spot in baseball's weakest division. This is the first time the Guardians are outside the top two seeds since the 2015 Indians finished behind the Minnesota Twins and the 95-win Kansas City Royals.

It's fitting that this is how Cleveland's season comes to an end. The team has underperformed all season but their biggest disappointment is how the team has played against their own division.

The Guardians now have a 27-28 record against what's widely considered the worst division in baseball with one more game to play on Sunday. They have a 4-8 against the Detroit Tigers alone.

Sep 30, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona (77) take the ball to relieve relief pitcher James Karinchak (99) in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / © Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland is heading into an offseason full of unknowns. Who will manage the team on Opening Day in 2024? What moves will the front office make to improve the offense?

One thing we do know is that the Guardians will need to play better against their own division if they hope to be back in the postseason next year.