NEW YORK — Is the American League Central any good?
The American League Central is good.
Yes, you read that right. Contrary to the expectations of many in the baseball world, the group has been one of the best and most consistent divisions in the sport. It is currently the only division in the American League that would have three teams make the postseason if it started today.
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was one of the few people who saw this coming.
“I think the teams in our division are a lot better than what the media has covered,” Vogt said on May 6. “Everyone has gotten better and I think for us, I try not to look at the standings. I try not to look and see, but you realize there are four teams that are doing really, really well, and I’m not surprised. This is a good division. It’s a tough division and everyone is playing well right now.”
At the time, the rookie manager’s outlook on the split seemed premature. But with just five weeks left in the season, he couldn’t have been more right. His Guardians have a 73-53 record entering Thursday’s game, and the Royals and Twins are both 71-56.
What did Vogt see that the others didn’t? Why was he so sure?
“I didn’t know a lot about it, but then I did my homework once I got the job. They play good baseball in the Central. Everybody,” Vogt told Yahoo Sports. “It’s critical. It’s not about sitting back and waiting for the three-run homer. You make things happen, you know?”
“The Twins have been good for years and the Royals are on the rise, and they made some good key additions… So it’s just a good baseball division and they play good, clean baseball. You never know what’s going to happen in games like that. So it’s all going to come down to the wire. We know that because these are really good teams that are going to be battling.”
The Guardians have led the division for most of the year, and while they still hold a 2.5-game lead, they’ve had a lull since the All-Star break. Their offense, which had them ahead in the first half, ranks in the bottom half of the league over that span. And while the bullpen has continued to thrive, their starters have an ERA close to 5.
And while the Guardians haven’t been awful by any stretch, the Royals have, on the contrary, started to hit their stride at the right time, with Kansas City sitting at 19-11 since the break. Minnesota has remained relatively stable, with a 16-14 record in that span.
We’ve already seen teams like the Mariners go into a tailspin when teams behind them in the standings get on a roll. But in the midst of their rough patch, Cleveland isn’t going to hit the panic button. The Guardians have made a habit of making the postseason in recent years and this year, despite mounting pressure from KC and Minnesota, the expectations are the same.
“Today is the only day that matters,” catcher Austin Hedges told Yahoo Sports. “We have to go out and win today. It’s a distraction when you feel like you’re playing really good baseball and then you have a couple of other teams that are right there with you. But at the same time, we would love to win the division, but our goal is not to win the division.
“Last year I was on a World Series team (in Texas) that didn’t win the division. You could even say that getting a bye to the first round isn’t an advantage, because you’re about to play a team that just won a playoff series. And there’s nothing better than winning a playoff series and then playing another team that was just practicing for a week. That’s a tough thing to do.”
There doesn’t seem to be any panic in the Guardians’ locker room, even with two teams on their heels in the AL Central. And Cleveland has a chance to take care of business, too, with seven more games against Kansas City and four against Minnesota in September.
The American League Central hasn’t had a race this close at the top since 2014. With five weeks left in the season, all three teams appear primed for a photo finish.