FanGraphs currently gives Cleveland Guardians 27% chance to make playoffs

Even with the youngest roster in baseball, the Cleveland Guardians have begun to find themselves in the postseason discussion.

Thanks to José Ramírez’s three RBIs Tuesday night, the Cleveland Guardians started their nine-game road trip with a 4-3 win against the Colorado Rockies, improving their record to 30-27.

And now that it’s mid-June, we can collectively look a little further down the road and fantasize about a little thing called the playoffs, which, according to FanGraphs, the Guardians currently have a 27.6% chance of making.

Can the Guardians Really Make the Playoffs?

The mere fact that we’re talking about the Guardians having a chance at the playoffs is a huge step for the youngest team in baseball, and likely demonstrates the team’s contention window is beginning to creak open just a tad earlier than expected. After all, going into a season with a plan of “playing the young guys” isn’t often a recipe for much success.

But here Cleveland sits, with just six wins against teams over .500 but taking care of business against the lowlier teams in baseball. But that’s not giving enough credit to the Guardians, who really are playing very well, with All-Star cases that can be made throughout the lineup and pitching staff. Oh, and Ramírez is having an all-time-best start to the season, firmly in the discussion for the AL MVP once again.

So to answer the question, the Guardians could absolutely make the playoffs in 2022, especially as that extra wild card spot is now up for grabs. Not to mention the AL Central is looking pretty rough these days aside from the Guardians and somewhat surprising Minnesota Twins.

As long as the Guardians keep winning, that percentage from FanGraphs is going to tick higher.