Guardians Send Warning To MLB With Series Win Over Yankees

A few months ago, the Cleveland Guardians lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Even though the series only lasted five games, each matchup was close, with individual plays determining the outcome.

However, the offseason that followed for the Guardians and Yankees were drastically different.

New York lost the best hitter in baseball but supplemented that with more starting pitching and lineup upgrades.

On the other hand, the Guardians traded away one of their best hitters and the best defensive player in the sport and didn't make any blockbuster moves to make up for that.

Once the offseason transactions had settled, the Yankees were widely viewed as contenders in the American League, while the Guardians dropped in many power rankings heading into the season, with some analysts believing they'd miss the playoffs.

Sometimes, it's best to let the play on the field do the talking, and Cleveland did just that, winning two of three games in their recent series against New York.

This series victory is a message to all of MLB that the Guardians still deserve to be considered a legit threat in the AL.

Apr 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates after hitting a double during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Guardians' series win over the Yankees was a true team effort with the rotation, lineup, bullpen, and defense all stepping up to do their part. Team wins such as this are something only the best teams in baseball are capable of.

Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee put together their best starts of the year in gritty performances on the mound.

Cleveland's offense also showed that it's still more than capable of manufacturing runs in various ways.

Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo hit back-to-back home runs in the series opener and then created base path chaos to secure the victory in game two.

Yes, it's only one series, and the Guardians didn't face New York's ace Max Fried. But Cleveland still showed they can hang around with a team viewed as a World Series contender.

Heading into Thursday's slate of games, the Guardians are 0.5 games back of the Yankees and Detroit Tigers for the best record in the AL.

The Guardians may not have the star power that the Yankees do, but that doesn't mean they're not a talented team, and they showed all of baseball that earlier this week.

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