“It never gets old, does it? Cleveland, you will have another October to remember!” The voice of longtime Cleveland radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton rang out across radios throughout Northeast Ohio following the Cleveland Guardians’1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The win clinched Cleveland’s eighth playoff appearance in 11 seasons and their third straight year of October baseball. 

 A total of seven runs were scored in the series, starting with five on Tuesday (a 3-2 Guardians win) and then back to back 1-0 shutouts on Wednesday and Thursday for the Red Sox and the Guardians respectively. Left fielder Angel Martinez provided Cleveland’s single run Wednesday, a line shot off of Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez and only the tenth home run given up by Suarez on the year. Martinez has had an exceptional month of September, batting .254 with an on-base plus slugging of 0.756. Meanwhile, Cleveland pitching shut out the Red Sox, holding them to just two hits on the night.

Martinez is just one of many success stories of young players this season for Cleveland.  Right fielder Chase DeLauter has also had a terrific rookie campaign. Starting off with four home runs in three games during the season opener in Seattle back in March, DeLauter’s .287 batting average ranks fifth in the American League (AL). Of the three all-stars Cleveland sent to the Philadelphia Phillies in July, two were rookies: second baseman Travis Bazzana and starting pitcher Parker Messick. Messick has been exceptional this season. Continuing a long-running tradition of elite Cleveland pitching, Messick’s 2.56 earned run average is third in the AL.

During the Thursday game in Boston, pitcher Joey Cantillo pitched five strong innings, giving him 15 scoreless innings in his last three starts. Notably, this occurred after Cantillo, who began the year as a starting pitcher, and then was moved to pitch his games out of the bullpen. If Cantillo can continue to have strong appearances out of the bullpen, he could serve as an excellent pitcher come the playoffs. 

Cleveland’s pitching staff has continued to be terrific all year, and much of that comes down to its tendency to keep its pitchers healthy. Cleveland has used six pitching starters this year with the only major change to the rotation occurring when Foster Griffin was acquired at the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals, moving Slade Cecconi to the bullpen. This makes Daniel Espino, who started in place of Cantillo, became one of the pitchers to make a start for Cleveland this season, while the team’s core rotation has remained among the most stable in baseball. 

 The Guardians followed up the series win over the Red Sox by traveling to Kansas City to play against the Royals, the final series of the regular season. Friday’s game would be messy, as the Guardians and Royals were tied at seven runs apiece before Cleveland scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning on one hit, a double by Martinez. An 11-5 win over the Royals on Saturday, combined with a loss dealt to the Chicago White Sox by the Colorado Rockies clinched the division for Cleveland. 

The two games in Kansas City highlighted the strength of Cleveland’s bullpen, as the Royals’ bullpen imploded both Friday and Saturday night. Cleveland’s bullpen, in contrast, has been lights out all year long. Pitchers Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski provide strong high leverage options, while closer Cade Smith is tied for first in the major leagues with 41 saves. 

In order to succeed in the American League Division Series (ALDS), Cleveland will either have to contend with the Houston Astros or the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have been Cleveland’s biggest rivals all year, and the Astros, despite being from the scuffling American League West, are not trivial opponents. In order to win the ALDS, Cleveland will have to rely on its starting pitching and its bullpen to keep their opponents contained to a couple of runs while its young players drive the offensive train. In addition, Cleveland will have home-field advantage, and they’ve played October baseball three years in a row. Veterans left fielder Steven Kwan, catcher Austin Hedges and third baseman Jose Ramirez have been here before, and if they can swing the bat well, Cleveland may well be able to challenge the American League East for the chance to play in the World Series. If Cleveland can keep the games within striking distance and take down their opponents, Guards Ball might just end up in the Fall Classic.