Can the Cleveland Guardians carry their regular-season momentum into the playoffs?

We’ve seen it time and time again: sometimes, the team with the most talented or star-studded roster doesn’t make it the farthest in the MLB Playoffs.

Sometimes, the postseason is all about the team that gets hot at the right time and carries that wave of momentum.

Looking at the entire field, not just in the American League, there isn’t a team in MLB that is coming into the playoffs with more momentum than the Guardians.

Guardians’ September Record, Best In MLB

For the Guardians to reach the playoffs, let alone win the division, they had to play near-perfect baseball in September, and that’s exactly what they did. 

Cleveland finished September with a record of 20-7, which was the best out of any team in MLB.

This stretch of nearly flawless baseball helped the Guardians pull off a historic comeback, having been down 11.0 games in the division earlier this month alone. Cleveland comes back and secures home-field advantage as the best team in the American League.

The Guardians' pitching truly carried the team, recording a combined reliever and starter ERA of 2.66 over that stretch.

Cleveland’s bats weren’t great, posting an OPS of .708 in the final month of the season, but the pitching set the tone and provided the team with an impressive spark. 

Cleveland’s Strong Record vs. Detroit

The Tigers were one of the MLB’s best teams nearly all season, that is, when they weren’t playing the Guardians. 

Cleveland finished the season with eight wins over their American League Central foe, five of those wins coming in the last two weeks alone. 

On Monday, Stephen Vogt says there isn’t any advantage to seeing a team this many times in a short stint. 

“I don't know if it's a pro or a con, just it is. Of course, it happened this way. We know them well, they know us well,” said Cleveland’s skipper. “It's three straight weeks of an early-week series, and it's going to be fun.”

That said, the Guardians should inherently have some confidence built up, considering how well they’ve played against Detroit recently. 

Brayan Rocchio’s Emotional Walk-Off

The Guardians could have coasted their way into the postseason after clinching a spot on Saturday night. 

Instead, Cleveland fought hard on Sunday for a win, even after the Tigers lost in the middle of the Guardians game, guaranteeing Cleveland the top spot in the division. 

The outcome of this was one of the most emotional endings to any game during the regular season: Brayan Rocchio's walk-off, three-run home run in extra innings.

The Guardians ended their regular season, just two days ago, by mobbing and celebrating an incredible comeback win, when it really didn’t mean anything in terms of playoff standings.

This team clearly has momentum on its side heading into the Wild Card series. Now, the only question is, can they tap into that spark for a deep run into October?