Could Guardians' strong performance in clutch situations last season be a cause for concern?

There is no doubt that the Cleveland Guardians were a clutch team in 2024. When their backs were against the wall, they would find a way to come through more often than not, resulting in another tally in the win column. As exciting as this was, could it actually be a warning for how things might play out in 2025?

Cleveland won 10 of their 13 games that went into extra innings last season, as well as going 26-19 in one-run games. This was very impressive and a big part of the reason they were able to win the American League Central division and make an appearance in the ALCS. However, this is not something that usually carries over on a yearly basis, and that could pose a problem for the Guardians' hopes next season.

When evaluating which teams could experience some difficulties matching their success from last season, CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson identified five teams fitting this description, one of which was the Cleveland Guardians.

Appearing as part of Anderson's Ranking 2024 MLB playoff teams most likely to miss the postseason in 2025, including mainstay Astros, he would specifically make mention of the Guardians' performance in extra inning and one-run games as part of the reason why they were ranked third on this list. "But history suggests you cannot -- and, really, that you should not -- assume the Guardians will claim one-run games at a 94-win pace, or that they'll win extra-inning games at a 125-win pace." wrote Anderson, as he made a pretty strong case for why Cleveland could fall short of making the postseason.

The rate at which the Guardians won games in these scenarios last year is not something that should be expected in 2025. There is a very good chance that their winning percentages in one-run games and those that go to extras is much closer to .500 in 2025, and that could make a world of difference for a team that has a rather small margin for error.

It should be mentioned that two other teams from the AL Central also appear on this list, both higher than Cleveland. The Kansas City Royals checked in at second while the Detroit Tigers took the top spot on this list, so clearly, there is not a lot of confidence in three of last year's American League playoff teams. Perhaps this is a way to display a level of belief in the Minnesota Twins to possibly win the division without saying it directly, but there is one thing that is certain. The American League Central can be won by any team that plays in the division not named the Chicago White Sox.