After the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers both won in the Wild Card round, we have our American League division series matchups: the Tigers will face the Cleveland Guardians, and the Royals will face the New York Yankees.
The Guardians were AL Central champions and are the number two seed in the American League playoffs. The Yankees were AL East champions and the number one seed in the American League playoffs. The Yankees and Guardians are both favored to win their respective series. Still, one major factor heading into game one of each series is that the Yankees and Guardians have not played since Sunday and will have gone nearly a week without playing. There could be some rust in game one, and in a short best-of-five series, there is no room for a bad game. The Tigers and Royals, on the other hand, played on Tuesday and Wednesday, both sweeping their respective series, and they’re both on a roll.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 30: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals in action against the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Royals vs. Yankees
Both teams feature an AL MVP candidate. The Yankees have Aaron Judge, and the Royals have Bobby Witt Jr. One hitter typically can’t win a series on their own, but if they don’t perform well, it can certainly lead to their team losing. The Yankees are heavily favored to beat the Royals. Although the Royals did beat the Orioles, the Orioles really struggled in the second half of the season leading up to their playoff matchup, compared to the Royals, who played meaningful baseball down the stretch just in order to qualify for the postseason. The Royals aren’t as talented as the Yankees, but they do have momentum on their side.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 23: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees points to the dugout after hitting his third home run of the game against the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium on August 23, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The Yankees were one of the best teams in baseball early this season, and although they hit a speed bump midway through the season, they did correct things and eventually finished with the best record in the American league. They have an ace in Gerrit Cole, a potential ace in Carlos Rodan, and a breakout pitcher in Luis Gil. There are question marks about each guy, but if they pitch to their potential, the Royals are going to struggle to score runs. They only managed to score three runs in two games against Baltimore. The Yankees have two of the best hitters in major league baseball: Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. If those two are hitting well, the Yankees will be tough to keep off the scoreboard. They are the team to beat in the American League and are the heavy favorites to represent the American League in the World Series.
Tigers vs. Guardians
Although the Guardians, like the Yankees, are the favorite in their series, there is one major difference. The Guardians opponent is going to be more tough to beat. The Tigers were the best team in baseball over the final two months of the season, and in early August, they had less than a 5% chance to make the playoffs. They came out of nowhere to get in, and now they are playing with house money. They do have the AL Cy Young award favorite in Tarik Skubal, though, and they believe they can win anytime he takes the mound.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum on September 21, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)
The Tigers beat the Houston Astros in the first round of the playoffs. That is a huge deal when you consider that the Astros had been to the American League championship series for seven straight years and to four World Series during that time. With their hot streak and all the momentum the Tigers are bringing into this series, I don’t think it would be surprising to see them pull off another upset, this time against the Guardians. The Guardians have a pretty good lineup, led by superstar 3B Jose Ramirez. What the Guardians don’t have is reliable starting pitching, which is usually a necessity for postseason success. They do have a great bullpen, though, anchored by an elite closer in Emanuel Clase, so if they have a lead late in games, they are going to be very tough to beat.
CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 08: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a one-run triple off Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Progressive Field on May 08, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
Most people expect the Guardians and the Yankees to meet in the American League Championship Series. If that happens, of course, one of them will represent the American League in the World Series. The Guardians were in the World Series in 2016, losing in an epic game 7 to the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees haven’t been to a World Series since 2009 when they beat the Phillies in 6 games. The Yankees have had their issues in the playoffs since 2009, and it has been even worse since 2017. They haven’t been able to beat the Houston Astros; however, now that the Astros have been eliminated, the Yankees have the clearest path they’ve had since 2009 to get back to the World Series.
Both of these series begin on Saturday, October 5th. So buckle up because it’s going to be a wild ride!