Guardians' chances against Yankees in ALCS are better than they might seem

With the ALDS in the books and a hard-fought series behind them, the Cleveland Guardians are set to take on the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. While some are quick to discount Cleveland's chances, that may not be the best decision for anyone looking to project how things may play out.

First off, if there is a team that has been able to overcome adversity and the laundry list of obstacles put in front of them this season, it is not the Yankees. The Guardians have gotten to this point despite having only one member of their starting rotation pitch the entire season (Tanner Bibee). Cleveland has been without the services of Shane Bieber, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, and Triston McKenzie for significant portions of this season, and even though this would stop most teams in their tracks, the Guardians have perservered.

The next thing to consider is the state of the Yankees. In years past, New York was once the team expected to dispose of opponents with relatively little effort exuded along the way. That is not this Yankees team. Obviously, there are still stars in this lineup, expected American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but once you get past the few surface stars, this is not the Yankees of yesteryear. This is a team as vulnerable as anyone, and if they are caught by the right team at the right time, their playoff hopes could come to an abrupt end.

Will this series be easy for the Guardians? Clearly not, and expecting things to be a walk in the park would be an inaccurate assessment of how things will play out. Both teams know how close they are to reaching the World Series and bringing their respective championship droughts to an end. Granted, Cleveland's is the longest in the sport, and New York's is yet to reach the two-decade mark, but both teams are very much aware of what is at stake here, and they will approach this series with a level of urgency that has not been seen at some time. Considering the approaches of both teams up to this point in the playoffs, do not expect Clevland to go quietly. In fact, they may shock the world and advance when very few, if any, expect them to do so.