Guardians clinch third straight AL Central title, manager credits roster depth

Cleveland clinched its third straight AL Central crown on Saturday, defeating Kansas City 11-5 while Colorado beat the White Sox 9-6. Manager Stephen Vogt said the season’s defining factor was the depth of the roster, noting that many players who were not on the field for the final game contributed throughout the year.

Vogt explained that injuries to key hitters José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martínez in June forced the club to rely on younger and less experienced players. "We were without three of our best hitters for over a month and the boys held it together," he said.

The return of the injured players, combined with trade-deadline acquisitions Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe, boosted the offense from a league-low 3.95 runs per game before August 3 to 4.66 runs afterward, ranking third in the American League.

After hovering at .500 in early September, the Guardians won nine of their last ten games, posting a 24-10 record since August 20, the best stretch in baseball at that point. "What this team just did over these last 21 games… they deserve all the credit," Vogt said.

The division title gives Cleveland the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming postseason. Vogt said the team will use the extra rest to refresh the bullpen before the best-of-five Division Series, which will begin at Progressive Field.

"We’re on fumes, but the extra week will let our bullpen reset and come in fresh for the series," Vogt added.