AL Central Champion Guardians ranked too low in recent Power Ranking

The Cleveland Guardians have a playoff berth in hand and have won the American League Central division for the second time in the past three seasons. Apparently, that does not mean all that much when it comes to how they are ranked in a recent MLB Power Ranking.

Despite having a winning record this past week (4-3) and being within two games of securing a first-round bye in the American League Playoffs, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer has the Guardians just outside the Top 5 in his MLB Power Rankings 2024: Orioles Falling, Mets and Padres Rising Entering Final Week. Now, credit where credit is due, Rymer did move Cleveland up from eight in this ranking, but sixth seems a bit low for a team with the Guardians' accomplishments.

It appears that there is some critism of the expected variety when it comes to how the Guardians played in the month of September. Rymer notes that Cleveland's offense is scoring 3.5 runs per game and that is an area of concern for the postseason.

Cleveland's offense will nonetheless be a question mark in the playoffs. Even amid a 13-8 showing in September, it has only scored 3.5 runs per game.

Two things. First off, shouldn't this be about where they are right now and not how things might play out in October? And secondly, Rymer is curiously omitting that while Cleveland was scoring 3.5 runs per game in September, their pitching staff allowed just 2.8, resulting in their winning record, clinched playoff berth, division title, and chance to bypass the Wild Card round.

It honestly seems like there is some sort of agenda being used here to discredit what the Guardians have been able to achieve this season. Are the Guardians a perfectly constructed team? No, but no team is, at least this season anyway. There is no super team that is head and shoulders above anyone else. Each team has their own flaws and reasons as to why they could fail in October. But for now, keeping Cleveland outside of the Top 5 teams in favor of teams in larger markets with more stars is flat-out foolish.