The Guardians Need The Top Seed In The American League

The Cleveland Guardians should not ease up in their pursuit of the top spot in the American League

Sep 24, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) and relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) celebrate a win over the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have already secured a first-round bye in this year’s postseason, but they shouldn’t take their foot off the gas. A top seed in the American League could be the difference maker in the Guardians’ playoff run.

The Guardians already clinched a top-two seed with a 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. With four games left on the schedule, they only trail the New York Yankees by 1.5 games heading into Wednesday night. 

The new playoff format allows the top pair of teams to advance directly to the Division Series and avoid playing in the Wild Card round. However, there’s one key difference between being the top seed and the second seed—home-field advantage.

The top seed in either league guarantees themselves a home-field advantage until the World Series. This is where the Guardians could use the extra boost. 

Cleveland has been far better playing at Progressive Field this season compared to opposing ballparks. The Guardians enter Wednesday holding records of 49-28 at home and 42-39 on the road.

Yes, most teams tend to be better in their home park, but this has especially been the case for Cleveland. The Guardians’ 49 wins at home is the most of any team in the American League. In fact, only the Dodgers and Phillies have won more games at home than Cleveland has this year. Plus, their remaining four games will be played in the friendly confines of Progressive Field. 

In theory, the home-field advantage only applies when a series goes the distance, but there’s more to it than that. Starting a series at home and having a good opportunity to take a commanding lead makes a difference. Teams carry themselves with a different level of confidence heading into a travel day up 2-0 in a series compared to down 0-2 or tied at 1-1. Any sense of calmness in the playoffs helps a young Guardians roster.

It’s not just the record that improves at home. The Guardians' batting average improves by 15 points while playing in Progressive Field, and the team has hit 10 more home runs at home this year. 

It won’t be an easy road to get ahead of the Yankees. Cleveland has one game remaining against the Reds before closing its season against the AL West Champion, the Houston Astros. Meanwhile, New York has two to go with the Baltimore Orioles before wrapping their season against the Pittsburgh Pirates.