The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Chicago White Sox in five games to earn an American League Division Series victory. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays took care of business against the New York Yankees by sweeping them in their ALDS matchup. Now, the Rays and the Guardians are set to go head-to-head in the American League Championship Series. Most of the MLB world is expecting Tampa Bay to get the job done, but Cleveland has been resilient all season.
Here are four bold predictions for the Rays and Guardians ALCS clash.
Only one game finishes with more than 10 total runs scored
The Guardians and Rays are fairly similar teams. Tampa Bay finished the regular season with the best record in the entire AL while Cleveland narrowly won a rather lackluster AL Central. Nevertheless, these teams feature similar approaches to the game.
They both pitch the ball well, do the little things to win games, and don't hit many home runs. In fact, Cleveland was 27th in home runs in all of MLB during the regular season while Tampa Bay was 22nd. The Rays' offense was certainly more consistent, as they were 12th in runs scored while the Guardians were 24th.
However, as mentioned, they do the little things well and find ways to get runners in scoring position. The Rays were tied for second in stolen bases during the season and the Guardians were seventh. And when it comes to pitching, the Rays were seventh in ERA and first in WHIP while the Guards were eighth in ERA and ninth in WHIP.
If the Guardians have one clear advantage, it is in the strikeout department. Cleveland finished third in MLB and first in the AL in strikeouts. The Rays were 19th in all of baseball in strikeouts.
Either way, given these teams' approaches to the game, it wouldn't be surprising to see pitching tell the story of the series. Sure, there may be one game where the offenses find a rhythm and score a lot of runs, but the prediction here is only one contest will produce a total of 10 runs scored between the teams.
Junior Caminero gets his revenge in one of the games
Caminero has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate with the Rays. The Guardians previously traded him to the Rays in a deal that was overlooked at the time. In 2021, the Rays acquired Caminero from Cleveland for right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers. The winner of that trade has been decided by now to say the least.
The prediction here is that Caminero is going to have at least one game where he leads the Rays to victory. Perhaps it will be an overall huge performance, or it could even be a walk-off hit. Regardless, Caminero is going to get his revenge at some point during the ALCS — and it could be in Games 1 or 2 at home. He is going to be ready to step up and make a significant impact against the franchise he used to play for.
Steven Kwan steps up as Guardians X-factor
Understandably, the conversation is going to focus on Jose Ramirez when it comes to Cleveland. Ramirez led the Guardians to their Game 5 victory over the White Sox and he's found his MVP form during the postseason. However, Ramirez will need other players in the lineup to step up, and Kwan is going to answer the call in the ALCS.
In a series where small ball and quality defense may determine the outcome, Kwan is the perfect candidate to make an impact. He's the kind of player who can bunt for a hit in one inning and then make a spectacular play in the outfield in the next inning. The Guards Ball slogan has become quite popular among Cleveland fans, and Kwan plays that kind of baseball.
Look for Kwan to be the X-factor in this series.
Article Continues BelowGuardians upset Rays in 7 games
The Rays have many advantages in this series. They haven't played since Wednesday and will be well-rested heading into the ALCS. The Guardians, meanwhile, just finished their series with the Rays on Saturday.
Tampa Bay also won 98 games during the regular season compared to Cleveland ‘s 85 victories. The Rays were unquestionably the better team this season, but that doesn't matter in the playoffs. Anything can happen in October.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams has been pitching like a Cy Young candidate. He is probably going to start Game 3 back in Cleveland. Closer Cade Smith is about as lights out as it gets. Parker Messick is both a Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Candidate. Foster Griffin is starting Game 1 for Cleveland, and he's one of the better No. 3 starters in the sport.
Cleveland's pitching is going to keep them in games, and the Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan-led lineup should be able to do just enough to help matters. The Rays are a great team and winning this series will be a challenge, but the prediction here is that the Guardians will win the ALCS in seven games.