Can the Guardians Compete With the Yankees?

Can the Cleveland Guardians compete with the New York Yankees as currently constructed?

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians made it all the way to the ALCS this past season, and only the New York Yankees stood in their way.

Countless Giancarlo Stanton home runs later, the Guardians were eliminated in five games, ending their World Series dream in 2024.

It was very clear that the Yankees were the better team this past year. They had better pitching. They had better hitting. Their bullpen wasn't as good during the regular season, but it certainly did a better job in the playoffs.

Both squads will look very different in 2025, especially in the case of New York, which lost Juan Soto but has added significant pieces like Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.

Cleveland parted ways with Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez and has brought in Luis Ortiz and Carlos Santana.

But even with Soto having departed for the Yankees crosstown rival Mets, are the Guardians good enough to compete with the Bronx Bombers as currently constructed?

The fact of the matter is that Cleveland has a ton of question marks heading into next season. Its starting rotation remains a mystery, we don't know how much offensive production the Guardians will get outside of Jose Ramirez, and expecting the bullpen to replicate its historic 2024 showing is probably asking a bit too much.

Yes, New York has some considerable concerns of its own, such as who will man third base and whether or not Stanton and Aaron Judge can both stay healthy over the course of a full campaign, especially with Soto no longer in the lineup.

But there is also very little doubt that the Yankees look better on paper than Cleveland, particularly because of their loaded pitching staff that is led by the two-headed monster of Gerrit Cole and Fried. Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt will likely round out the remainder of the rotation.

That's a scary thought for a Guardians squad that doesn't even know for sure who its ace will be, as that largely depends on whether or not Shane Bieber can recover from Tommy John surgery and actually stay on the field.

And for as much as the Yanks lost offensively in Soto, Cleveland is going to be relying heavily on a 38-year-old Santana—who turns 39 in April—to serve as the club's No. 2 power hitter behind Ramirez.

The good news is that the rest of the American League isn't very good. There has been a mass exodus of elite talent from the AL over the past several seasons, leaving a rather skimpy competition for a berth in the Fall Classic.

The Guardians will definitely face a stiff test from the Detroit Tigers, but like Cleveland, the Tigers have been relatively silent this winter aside from adding Gleyber Torres. Swinging a deal for Alex Bregman would obviously change things, but for now, Detroit still lacks top-level talent.

Outside of that, though, the rest of the league is pretty barren. Really, the only team the Guardians will have to truly worry about is the Yankees, who have managed to put together a solid offseason in spite of losing one of the best players in baseball.

The question Cleveland needs to ask itself is whether or not it can truly matchup with New York in a seven-game series. It couldn't last fall, and barring some drastic changes between now and the season opener, it's hard to see this current iteration of the Guardians doing so, either.