5 predictions for the Cleveland Guardians in the second half of the season

The post-All-Star Break portion of the schedule is set to begin, and the Cleveland Guardians are looking to continue their successful first half of the season. There are plenty of ways that the next 67 games could go, and the following five statements are attempts to predict how things will play out for the Guardians.

1. Guardians re-establish their comfortable division lead early

With a record of 58-37, the Cleveland Guardians are currently leading the American League Central division. At one point, Cleveland's divisional lead was nearly double-digits, but that has since been trimmed to 4.5 as they reached the All-Star Break, and they will look to re-establish their previously large margin for error.

While it must be acknowledged that the Guardians do face some tough opponents out of the gate (San Diego, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are three of their next five series), Cleveland has proven they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the best teams in baseball this season. The Guardians should be able to be competitive against these opponents, and that will help build their lead in the AL Central back up to where it was previously.

It is not going to be easy, but a team that was clearly exhausted going into the break has now had to time rest and regroup while they get ready for the final couple of months of the regular season. Do not be surprised if the Guardians hit the ground running in the second half and quickly put to rest any doubts about the sustainability of their success.

3. Guardians acquire impactful starting pitcher before the deadline

There has been plenty of speculation regarding how the Cleveland Guardians will approach the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline, but one thing is very clear to anyone who has paid attention to this team. They need to acquire an impactful starting pitcher to their rotation.

Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively have carried Cleveland's rotation through the first half of the season, and the recent return of Gavin Williams should help in the stabilization department moving forward. While this trio should be relied upon moving forward, the organization knows they have to do something of note if they are going to see their first-half success continue. Injuries and a decrease in effectiveness are always something to be concerned with, and they cannot afford to not address the rotation and see either one of these events occur.

Expect the Guardians to be in the mix for any and all impactful starters that could be acquired at the deadline. Cleveland has plenty of players with no clear path to the majors who can be moved to acquire a proven commodity to solidify their rotation for the postseason. Even though trading for someone like Garrett Crochet or Max Scherzer is pretty much off the table, Cleveland could still be able to get an impactful arm at the deadline from that next tier of available pitchers, and that is what should be expected before trades are no longer possible.

4. Guardians win the American League Central

Given the preceding entries into this list of predictions, the Cleveland Guardians returning to their rightful place atop the American League Central seems like a given.

Cleveland has allowed the fewest runs in the division this season (369), which has been a major factor in holding the best run differential as well (+85). When taking into consideration the state of their starting rotation, this feat becomes more impressive. Cleveland's AL Central-leading run differential is the fourth-best in the sport currently, behind only the Philadelphia Phillies (+110), New York Yankees (+106), and Los Angeles Dodgers (+88). This is elite company to be in, and is indiciative of just how good the Guardians have been this season.

There is one more factor that should be acknowledged when mentioning the Guardians' chances of winning the central. Remaining home games. Cleveland has 40 home games remaining on their schedule compared to 27 road games. Meanwhile, Minnesota has 36, and Kansas City has 32 home dates left in the regular season. Taking into account each team's record at home, Cleveland (30-11) seems to be in a much better position to take advantage of their schedule than either Minnesota (27-18) or Kansas City (31-18).

5. Jose Ramirez finishes Top-3 in American League MVP voting

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez put together an impressive first half of the season and it should be expected that his high level of production continues over the rest of the regular season.

Ramirez slashed .271/.324/.518 with 23 home runs, 20 doubles, 77 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in 92 games for Cleveland and appears poised to have one of his best seasons as a pro. With needing just one home run and three runs batted in to match last year's total, it would not be a surprise to see him pass those numbers and possibly even match or set new career highs in both areas (39 home runs, 126 RBI).

In just about any other year, a season like Ramirez is having would put him in consideration for winning the Most Valuable Player Award. However, Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things again and looks like a lock to win the award. But that does not mean that Ramirez is going to be completely overlooked when it comes time to vote, and he should easily land in the Top 3 in AL MVP voting for the fourth time in his career.

Winning the award would be nice for Ramirez, but if he is able to continue his high level of production at the plate while being a driving force in a deep playoff run for the Guardians, it would be worth missing out on if they are the final team left standing when the season is over.