Cleveland Guardians Should Be Wary of This AL Central Rival In MLB Playoffs

This AL Central team could pose problems for the Cleveland Guardians and everyone else in the MLB playoffs.

Sep 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Jason Foley (68) celebrates with catcher Jake Rogers (34) after defeating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have clinched a playoff spot and are well on their way to winning an AL Central title, but there is a team within the Guardians' division that they should fear in the postseason.

No, it's not the Kansas City Royals.

No, it's not the Minnesota Twins.

It's the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers have come out of nowhere to soar into playoff contention, drawing even with the Twins for the final American League Wild Card spot heading into Friday's action.

On Aug. 10, Detroit was 55-63 and was a week-and-a-half removed from trading starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. Since then, the Tigers have gone 25-10 to surge into the postseason picture.

Most recently, Detroit swept the Royals in a three-game set.

So, what exactly makes the Tigers scary? Well, the fact that they have the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award in Tarik Skubal at the top of their starting rotation is one factor.

Skubal leads the American League in wins (17), ERA (2.48) and strikeouts (221). He is a dominant force, and if we have learned anything from MLB playoff history, it's that a truly elite ace can take a team very far.

Detroit actually ranks third in the majors in ERA in general, and its bullpen is almost Guardians-lite. The Tigers rank fifth in bullpen ERA, thanks mostly in part to fantastic campaigns from Tyler Holton, Will Vest and closer Jason Foley.

Now, it should be noted that Detroit's starting pitching definitely took a hit with the trade of Flaherty, but the tandem of Skubal and the recently returned Reese Olson is nearly as frightening.

And while the Tigers' offense is not exactly top notch, ranking 22nd in OPS, it has improved considerably down the stretch with outfielders Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter leading the charge.

Plus, there is nothing more dangerous than a red-hot team going into the playoffs. We have seen this type of thing before. An unsuspecting team catches fire in the second half of the season, carries the momentum into the playoffs and ends up legitimately competing for a championship.

Cleveland and Detroit played each other very evenly during the regular season, with the Guardians winning the series, 7-6.

However, this version of the Tigers is very different from the one Cleveland saw in May.

The New York Yankees may be the Guardians' top competition in the American League, but Cleveland should not discount Detroit.