Cleveland Guardians Picked Over Yankees As Best Team In AL

The Yankees may have the big names, but it's the Guardians who have the better record in late June.

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Josh Naylor (22) celebrates his two-run home run with left fielder Steven Kwan (38) in the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports | David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The American League features three juggernauts in the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and none other than the Cleveland Guardians.

Thanks to the Guardians' six-game winning streak and the Yankees' recent slide, Cleveland now owns the best record in the AL. But is it sustainable?

During Tuesday's episode of MLB Network's "Off Base," the panel debated whether or not the Guardians were the best team in the American League.

While Ariel Epstein still believes it's the Yankees, both Xavier Scruggs and Russell Dorsey like Cleveland as the AL's top ballclub.

“Right now they are the best team in the American League.”

The #MLBNOffBase panel talks about the Cleveland Guardians and where they stand in the American League.@ArielEpstein | @Xavier_Scruggs | @Russ_Dorsey1 | @LGRed pic.twitter.com/Oo4lEsEZMT

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 25, 2024

Dorsey notes that the Guardians have a top-five offense in all of baseball while also boasting a top-five team ERA over the last 30 days.

He also mentions Cleveland's versatility and specifies how the club is also getting production from names like Andres Gimenez and David Fry, the latter of whom was a relative unknown going into 2024 and now boasts a .950 OPS.

Dorsey also brings up another interesting point: the Guardians isn't that flashy. While New York has big names like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole, Cleveland has sort of emerged from the shadows after winning just 76 games a year ago.

There are definitely some concerns for the Guardians. Their starting rotation has a lot of holes, their lineup is a bit iffy past their top few hitters and it remains to be seen if Steven Kwan's torrid first three months are sustainable as the season progresses.

However, Cleveland lays claim to the best bullpen in baseball, and there is still plenty of team between now and the July 30 MLB trade deadline for the Guardians to make some upgrades to the rest of the roster.

Is Cleveland the American League's best team? We won't truly find out until October, but as of right now, the Guardians have the best record in the AL, and they deserve to be recognized for it.