Why The Yankees Are The Guardians' Biggest Threat In The AL

Are the Yankees the biggest obstacle that the Guardians will face in their quest to make it to the World Series?

Apr 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) is forced out at second base by New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) in the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians boast the best record in the American League, and if you've been watching them lately, you know they are really good. But are they really better than the New York Yankees?

Up until recently, the Yankees had been the kings of the AL throughout most of 2024. However, a recent slide has allowed the Guardians to surge past New York in the standings.

On paper, the Yankees are absolutely loaded and are full of the big names that Cleveland lacks. But it's not always about flashiness. The Guardians have been proving that.

With that being said, let's break down why the Yanks are a threat and how scared Cleveland should really be of them in a potential playoff series.

What's good about the Yankees?

Well, they have arguably the best starting rotation in all of baseball, and they just got Gerrit Cole back from injury. He hasn't looked too great in his first two starts, but it's Cole. Chances are, he will be fine.

Luis Gil has been a revelation for New York (even though he was rocked in his most recent outing), Nestor Cortes has been solid, Marcus Stroman has been a terrific free-agent signing and Carlos Rodon has looked dominant for stretches (although he has been very shaky recently).

Plus, the Yankees have probably the most lethal trio of hitters in the league in the form of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, the latter of whom just hit the injured list with a hamstring issue.

What are the Yankees' weaknesses?

I mentioned the triumvirate of Judge, Soto and Stanton. The problem for the Yankees is that once you get past those three, their lineup becomes very ordinary.

Anthony Volpe (.726 OPS) and Alex Verdugo (.704 OPS) have surely both had their moments this season, but they aren't what one would call fearsome. Gleyber Torres (.215/.294/.333) has been mostly awful, and Anthony Rizzo just hit the 60-day IL (not that he was doing a whole lot with his .630 OPS, anyway).

On top of that, DJ LeMahieu has looked absolutely lost since returning from his foot injury, and he really hasn't been all that good the last several years (he's 35 years old and appears to be in steep decline).

Lineup depth is certainly an issue here, and you have to think that Bronx Bombers will do something (maybe they pursue Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon?) between now and the July 30 MLB deadline to address it.

Also, not that it is a "weakness," per se, but New York's bullpen—which got off to a brilliant start this year—is suddenly a question mark thanks to Clay Holmes looking a lot more mortal and supplementary arms like Ian Hamilton (now on the 15-day IL) and Victor Gonzalez regressing.

How scary are the Yankees, really?

Let's forget about the fact that we are talking about the Yankees for a second. That means no mystique and no irrational hating. Let's just view them as a faceless opponent.

The fact of the matter is that this team is really good.

Yes, New York has been slipping lately, but every team goes through a swoon at some point over the course of a 162-game campaign.

The biggest concern for the Yankees is their health.

We have to see if Cole is able to make it through the rest of the year, and Stanton's injury is big. All season long, everyone has been raving about Judge and Soto (rightfully so), but they generally have neglected to mention Stanton, who has mashed 18 home runs and has been one of the team's most clutch hitters (.946 OPS with RISP).

The Yankees are hoping Stanton will only miss four weeks, but hamstrings can be tricky, and even if it is just four weeks, that's a huge hole in the lineup for a month.

If Stanton can return and stay healthy and Cole finds his footing, New York will likely be the Guardians' biggest threat in the American League. Again, keep in mind that the Yanks will almost certainly make a couple of big moves before the deadline which could significantly alter the AL landscape.

Of course, you can argue the same thing about Cleveland. Imagine if the Guardians are able to pick up a frontline starting pitcher while also adding another bat before July 30?

We may very well see a Yankees-Guardians ALCS in October.