3 Things That Need to Happen for Cleveland Guardians to Improve Playoff Chances

If Cleveland wants to continue playing baseball into October and pursue a championship, they need to make sure these things happen sooner rather than later.

Aug 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramírez (11) walks to the dugout during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians still have a lot of work to do if they hope to reach the MLB playoffs come this October.

After making multiple trades at the deadline last week, it was clear that Cleveland isn’t planning on just hoping they make the playoffs; they want to win their division and head back to the playoffs for certain.

In an American League that is relatively wide open this season, the Guardians have to find ways to improve on the fly to get back over .500 to keep chasing the division leading Chicago White Sox. In order to do that, there are a few things they can improve on quickly to make that a reality.

Here’s what the Guardians need to happen in order to improve their playoff chances with about two months of the regular season left to play.

Pitching needs to prove they are a strong point of this team

Aug 2, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams (32) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A lot of games have been getting out of hand recently in the early stages of their games, and that falls on the pitchers for allowing the opposing team to put runs on the board as often as they have.

Even after the acquisition of All-Star pitcher Foster Griffin last week, his debut didn’t go as smoothly as projected. Griffin pitched through four innings in their 13-6 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday, giving up seven hits and five runs, as well as two home runs to really stretch their lead.

While he did tally six strikeouts in his first appearance as a Guardian, it’s not the best look for the All-Star pitcher. Cleveland’s other All-Star pitcher Parker Messick has been the best of their rotation, and the others could use some better outings as well with their combined average ERA of 3.00 and higher.

Between Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, and Joey Cantillo, each of them needs to be better at controlling their pitches and doing what they can to get to the bullpen with minimal damage done.

Winning series’ will help their win total mirror current playoff teams

Aug 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) walks to the dugout after he was ejected in the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last series win for the Guardians was a little over a week ago against the Cincinnati Reds, and before that it was at the beginning of July against Miami. For a team looking to make it back to the playoffs, series wins are as important as anything.

Considering the team has been skating around .500 the entire season, and even a few games over, losing two out of three games each series won’t get them very much further. The Guardians also have the easiest remaining schedule in terms of opponents win percentage, so now is the time to capitalize on their good fortune.

Cleveland currently sits tied for second place in the division with the Minnesota Twins and are three games back from the White Sox. Detroit is nipping at their heels as well, so wins are going to have to come more often the rest of the way if the Guardians want to surpass Chicago for the division lead.

As mentioned before, the American League isn’t quite as loaded as the National League is in terms of records. The Guardians could look to mirror their second half success from last season; except this time, they won’t have to come back down 15.5 games.

Getting Jose Ramirez and others back into their usual producing roles on offense

Aug 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramírez (11) reacts after avoiding an inside pitch during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest struggles for the Guardians this year has been their lack of offense, as they rank near the bottom in almost every major offensive category.

Their two-star players, Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, have dealt with a mix of injuries and inconsistencies that have hindered the team’s production, and they could use it now more than ever. All the while, Cleveland's young stars have made up for the team's struggles with their own breakout seasons.

The Guardians did go and bring in some much-needed firepower at the trade deadline with their acquisitions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe, who have already produced plenty in their short time here.

Even the call up of Angel Genao proved to be worthwhile after his historic performance, but more is needed out of their top stars.