The Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians will not be their first playoff duel, having met in the 2013 suicide game, the second year of existence of the Wild Card round.
In 2022, these two teams also met in the regular season, with Cleveland winning the series 4 games to 2. We can expect it to be very tight and to see low-scoring games like this campaign as well. , especially by adding the temperature factor.
Rays season
The Rays’ season was not easy, among other things because of the many injuries they faced. And the more the campaign progressed in time, the more we felt that the weight of the absent weighed heavily in the balance.
Some elements have returned to the game, but the higher than normal workload imposed on the collective has probably taken its toll, as the Rays finished the regular season with a record of four wins against twelve losses in their last sixteen games.
Guardians Season
As for the Guardians, a nice surprise took shape during the 2022 season, finishing with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses, their best result since their record of 93-69 in 2019.
The latter enter the playoffs as champions of the Central Division of the American League and above all, with the momentum. Indeed, Cleveland ended the season on an extraordinary streak, racking up 24 wins in their last 30 games.
Compare pitching staff
It is clearly at the mound that the series will be played.
We can expect a duel involving Shane McClanahan and Shane Bieber in the first game. Then will follow a clash between Tyler Glasnow and Triston McKenzie in the second meeting. If we were to go to the limit, Cal Quantrill will surely face one of the following three protagonists: either Jeffrey Springs, Corey Kluber or Drew Rasmussen (or all of these answers).
We can give the Rays bullpen as a whole an advantage, even if they are far from having an Emmanuel Clase in their ranks.
Compare Attacks
Star third baseman Jose Ramirez is definitely the offensive leader for the Guardians, with his .275 batting average and 124 RBIs. We should also not overlook the Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario who did well in 2022.
The Rays, meanwhile, are having all sorts of trouble on offense, to the point where only one hitter (Yandy Díaz) is posting an OPS over .800. It is true that, as mentioned above, injuries have not helped, but it remains an anemic offense.
imponderables
The Guardians have one advantage that could turn this series around: they’re one of the best defensive teams in MLB. Plus, Cleveland’s game is all about the fundamentals of getting to the trails and then making runs, which is important in the playoffs.
Among the managers, we must give the advantage to the Guardians, since the old wolf Terry Francona is not at his first rodeo. Kevin Cash, despite all his talent, has accustomed us to some questionable decisions that have stuck with him ever since.
In closing, if I add home field advantage, I have to side with the Guardians in a series that will most likely go to the limit.
