Bold prediction highlights difficult path for Guardians in 2025

In a turn of events that very few, if any, saw coming last season, the AL Central made up half of the American League playoff field and three-quarters of the teams playing in the Division Series. The Cleveland Guardians were joined by the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals in making up the majority of the American League's playoff field. A rare and impressive feat for the American League Central, but expecting that again in 2025 may not be the best idea, at least according to one bold prediction for the Central next season.

MLB.com's Will Leitch predicted that the American League Central will only have one team make the postseason in 1 bold prediction for each division entering the 2025 season. While not quite as notable as some of the other predictions on this list, but it is still noteworthy considering how many teams from the divison made the playoffs last season.

A belief in the rest of the league to play better seems to be a driving factor in Leitch's prediction, as he does not believe the Wild Card spots will be in play for teams with records like Detroit's and Kansas City's last season, "Either way, those Wild Card spots for the non-division champions may not be so readily available this year. Eighty-six wins (last year’s total for both the Royals and Tigers) might not do it this time.".

Again, this is not the most bold prediction that could be made about the AL Central, as there is a good chance the AL West fields more than one playoff team while the AL East could very well see three teams from their divsion qualify for the postseason. Regardless of the makeup of the playoff bracket, once that time comes, this just shows how important winning the division is for the Cleveland Guardians in 2025.

The Wild Card berths usually serve as a safety blanket of sorts for teams to still make the playoffs despite not winning the division, but for a team like the Guardians, they should not even recognize their existence. Cleveland cannot afford to settle for a Wild Card spot, as the harsh reality is even that may be out of reach for any team that calls the AL Central home.

It really seems like it is division title or bust for the Cleveland Guardians in 2025, and any other AL Central team for that matter. Whichever team shows that they are capable of separating themselves from the rest of the pack remains to be seen, but there is one thing that everyone can agree upon before this season begins, and it is that the AL Central will not be won by the Chicago White Sox.