The battle between the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox is likely to come down to Sunday's final games of the season. The Guardians (82-75) have a one-game lead in the American League Central division over the White Sox (81-76) and both teams have five games remaining in the season.
If the White Sox can make up the one-game difference and the two teams finish the regular season tied for first place in the division, the South Siders would earn the title. The White Sox won the season series between the two teams and that would serve as the tiebreaker.
Both teams are finishing the season on a positive note. The Guardians have won 8 of their last 10 games under two-time Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt. The White Sox have played hard for manager Will Venable and have won 6 of their last 10 games. The Guardians have two game left with the Red Sox in Boston before they close the regular season with a three-game series in Kansas City.
The White Sox have two games remaining on the road against the Royals before they finish the season at home with 3 games against the Colorado Rockies.
Jose Ramirez will lead the Guardians to a 4-1 finish
The Guardians will look to their best player to finish on a positive note in the regular season and then the playoffs. Many observers have cited Ramirez as the most underrated superstar in baseball, and they make a great case.
Ramirez does not have the production numbers he regularly puts on the board this season because he endured a broken hamate bone earlier in the year. However, he is the best player on the field most nights — and everybody knows it. Ramirez senses an opportunity now that the season has reached its final days that his Guardians will once again have an opportunity to make a major run in the postseason.
This is a franchise that has not won a World Series title since 1948, and it has certainly come close. The then-Cleveland Indians had a lead in the 9th inning of the seventh game of the 1997 World Series, but the Florida Marlins tied that game and won in the 11th inning for one of the sport's most heartbreaking defeats.
Ramirez has just 12 home runs and 51 runs batted in this season in 121 games, but he has 9 hits in his last 22 at bats. He brings all the confidence needed to help the Guardians hold on to their one-game lead and win the AL Central.
He gets help from Stephen Kwan, Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana. Kwan has been incredibly hot in the second half of the season and he is slashing .280/.378/.345 overall with 78 runs scored. DeLauter has 15 home runs and 65 RBI, while Bazzana has added 15 home runs and 57 RBI and the Australia native has given the Guardians a spark with his ability to hit in the clutch and his overall hustle.
Vogt knows that it his pitching staff that has allowed the Guardians to track down the White Sox and move into first place.
Parker Messick and Gavin Williams are the two top starters and they have combined to win 26 games. Messick has a 2.55 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 183.1 innings while Williamas has a 3.63 ERA with 244 strikeouts in 181.o innings.
Cade Smith is a remarkable closer with 40 saves and a 1.99 ERA in 72.1 innings.
Article Continues BelowWhite Sox will make playoffs as Wild Card team
There may be no more resilient team in Major League Baseball than the White Sox. After three consecutive seasons with 100 losses or more — including a record 121 defeats in 2024 — the White Sox have been at or near the top of the AL Central all season.
Venable has done a remarkable job of putting together a productive lineup that has consistently gotten the job done. Unlike the Guardians, the White Sox have been slugging the ball all season. They have a trio of power hitters in Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery who have each exceeded 30 home runs and have combined for 97 long balls.
They also have gotten clutch hits from Chase Meidroth, Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters.
The ability to score late in games has been particularly vital because the pitching staff has been vulnerable. Sean Burke and Davis Martin have been fairly effective, but neither one is dominant.
Burke has a 10-7 record with a 3.40 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 167.0 innings. Martin is 10-9 with a 3.84 ERA. He is not a strikeout pitcher, but he can induce soft contact in key situations.
The White Sox will close the year by winning four of their last five games. That will not be good enough to make up the one-game deficit in the standings.
Cleveland will go into the playoffs as the AL Central champions and the No. 2 overall seed, while the White Sox will make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and play the West Division champion Texas Rangers or Houston Astros. Those two teams are tied for the division lead with 78-79 records.