While the Bronx Bombers dominate the headlines, a young, inexpensive — and totally unexpected — contender for the AL pennant is rising in the Midwest.
On Wednesday, the Guardians twice rallied from multi-run deficits to top the Twins 11-10 on the road, Cleveland’s 15th comeback victory and seventh straight series win. More importantly, the victory moved the upstarts into first place in the AL Central.
Working with the lowest average age in MLB and a $67.4 million payroll that ranks 28th, the Guardians’ ascent has been nothing short of remarkable.
- Cleveland batters are an average of 26.1 years old, with pitchers at 26.5.
- The Guardians are also younger than any Triple-A club.
- In April, they locked in 29-year-old Jose Ramirez (.302/.393/.630, 16 HRs, 62 RBI) with a seven-year, $141M extension through 2028 that makes up 33% of the payroll.
On May 28, the Guardians were in third place in the Central, 6.5 games back of Minnesota. Thanks to 18 wins in their last 23, they now lead the Twins by a game.
But despite the recent success, bookmakers still aren’t optimistic that Cleveland can snap the longest World Series title drought in baseball (73 YRS).
The Guardians currently have the 16th-best odds (+6000) to win the championship.
