The Cleveland Guardians have the door open right in front of them to the 2026 MLB playoffs.
They just have to walk through it, which is proving slightly more difficult than would be ideal.
Take Wednesday night, when they lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox. They only allowed singles to Boston the whole night — but all the Guardians could manage was singles, too. The Red Sox scored their lone run by about a foot as Jarren Duran beat a throw home from Steven Kwan, barely.
That delayed the chance for Cleveland to clinch a playoff spot until Thursday, at least.
It’s all very close, but it hasn’t quite happened yet.
Can Guardians Make Playoffs Today?
Yes, the Guardians can make the playoffs on Thursday, Sept. 24.
They actually have multiple paths for it to happen, as well.
Action for Cleveland will begin at 6:45 p.m. at Fenway Park as they take on the Boston Red Sox.
Even if it doesn’t happen Thursday, the Guardians will then have three games remaining against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They’ll have more chances to get it done in those games, too.
Guardians Magic Number
The Guardians currently have a playoff magic number of 1.
That means that if the Guardians win any one of their final four games, they’ll be into the postseason.
Their magic number also is related to the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. If either of them loses another game, it would also clinch a playoff spot for Cleveland.
Guardians Clinching Scenarios
There’s actually one path to the Guardians clinching before they even play on Thursday.
The Rangers take on the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon in a game that should be done before the Guardians’ first pitch on Thursday night. If the Mets beat the Rangers, it means the Rangers cannot match Cleveland’s record, and it would assure the Guardians no worse than an AL Wild Card spot.
If the Rangers win over the Mets, then the Guardians can get in by beating the Red Sox on Thursday night.
They can also clinch on Thursday if the Athletics beat the Astros in a game being played in Sacramento.
And all it’ll take is one of those teams losing, or the Guardians winning, by the end of action on Sunday to ensure Cleveland gets in.
The AL Central Division title, and the first-round bye that will come with it, won’t be as simple. The Guardians hold a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox, and each team has four games left to play.
The White Sox hold the tiebreaker on Cleveland, though, so the Guardians need to hold at least even with the White Sox in the final four games. If Chicago (one against Royals, three against Rockies) has a better record than the Guardians in the final four games, then the White Sox would claim the AL Central title.
How Guardians Can Make Playoffs Today: Clinching Scenarios, Magic Number