Guardians Put Tigers on Wrong End of Brutal MLB History Even if They Make Playoffs
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The Detroit Tigers are in the midst of a meltdown that has never been seen in the history of the MLB.
They have unraveled at the worst possible time, going from arguably the best team in baseball to one that is performing as the worst. It was only two weeks ago that they had a 9.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, but that has disappeared.
In a matter of weeks, the Guardians have caught fire and erased that lead. They have taken full advantage of the Tigers' meltdown, seeing an opportunity and making the most of it. As a result, they have already made some incredible history.
Detroit Tigers Have Made History No Team Wants To Hold
As shared by Sarah Langs on X, even if Detroit makes the postseason, they are already attached to some unwanted history. There has never been a larger deficit overcome to tie or take a division or league lead than what the Tigers blew this year.
They held a 15.5-game lead over Cleveland at one point, but that has been totally erased. The Guardians now hold a one-game lead in the AL Central entering the final game of their three-game series on Thursday night.
Largest deficits overcome to tie or take lead in division (1969-on) or league (1900-‘68):
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 24, 2025
2025 Guardians: 15.5 GB
1914 Braves: 15.0*
1978 Yankees: 14.0*
1928 A’s: 13.5
2012 A’s: 13.0*
1995 Mariners: 13.0*
1993 Red Sox: 13.0
1951 Giants: 13.0*
*won div/lg
h/t @EliasSports
The Tigers are counting on rookie Troy Melton to be able to stop the bleeding. Their ace, Tarik Skubal, was unable to do it on Tuesday. His own costly error played a big role in the team dropping the series opener. On Wednesday night, Detroit was defeated 5-1 to fall behind in the standings.
Not owning the tiebreaker, winning on Thursday is imperative for Detroit if they want any chance at winning the division. If they fall two games behind, it is essentially a three-game deficit with three to play because a tie would do the Tigers no good.
Everything that could have gone wrong for Detroit in the second half of the season has. It took a perfect storm of misfortune for their lead in the AL Central to disappear, and that is unfortunately what has occurred.
Credit certainly needs to be given to the Guardians as well. There were points this season when they were struggling on the field, but when it mattered most, they got things on track. Regardless of how things shake out in the end, that clubhouse is going to feel good about not throwing the towel in and making a run at a division title no one thought possible.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.