Oddsmakers project the Cleveland Guardians as an average baseball team in 2026

Las Vegas sees regression from the Cleveland Guardians in 2026. Here's everything you need to know about their win total.

Oct 1, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter (34), catcher Bo Naylor (23) and outfielder George Valera (35) celebrate after winning game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Baseball season is approaching ever closer, and more and more projections for the upcoming season are getting released.

FanDuel Sportsbook released their MLB Win Totals this week, and those projections have the Guardians as an average baseball team.

The win total at regulated books sits at 80.5, which is just exactly a .500 record.

The Guardians, coming off back-to-back AL Central titles, far exceeded this number the last two seasons. Last year, they won 88 games, and in 2024, they won 92 games. The team is projected to be largely the same this year as last year. There will obviously be some new faces, but the foundational pieces are the same. 

Guardians win total 80.5 games: can they win more?

Players like CJ Kayfus, George Valera, and Chase DeLauter are all young faces that will be a staple in the lineup. You also have Travis Bazzana in the Minors, getting prepared and ready to rock for his MLB debut, potentially coming at some point this season.

Steven Kwan trade rumors will be swirling all Winter and into the Spring, leading up to the trade deadline. Whether or not he gets moves remains to be seen, but projections now are placing Kwan in the Guardians lineup as their everyday leadoff hitter.

Then, of course, you have Jose Ramirez and your pitching staff. These are the rocks for the Guardians. A solid rotation and bullpen, with young faces waiting in the minors, will be what gets this team wins yet again in 2026. 

Could the AL Central regress?

Projections see some regression for these pieces, though. The back-to-back AL Central Champions are projected with the third-highest win total in the division. The Tigers lead the way with 86.5, followed by the Royals at 81.5. The Guardians are third at 80.5, and the Twins (71.5) and White Sox (65.5) are the bottom two teams. 

The odd thing about this is that the Guardians are projected to finish second in the Central, ahead of the Royals, based on the odds given at the books, but their win total is one lower than the Royals'. Vegas is clearly of the belief that the two teams are extremely similar. Both teams have rotations that can carry the team and offenses that can be stagnant at times.

The Guardians are also ahead of the Royals when it comes to odds to win the AL Pennant, making the win total discrepancy even more confusing.

The odds are making a couple of things clear. The Guardians are considered an average baseball team, and the Guardians will only make the playoffs if they can win the AL Central for a third straight season.

That is not acceptable when you have one of the game’s best managers and a perennial MVP candidate in Jose Ramirez. You want your young talent to develop and have a chance, but there are plenty of viable, proven free agents and trade candidates on the market that can improve the team today. 

Manager Stephen Vogt and the front office are bullish on the young players making a large impact in 2026, but the people who make the projections have a different view of the 2026 Guardians.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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