He thought about the specter of losing playing time. He considered whether he’d be demoted to Triple A, trapped with his thoughts during that lonely two-hour drive south to Columbus, puzzling over how things went sideways. He pondered whether the Guardians might simply cut bait, designating him for assignment or trading him — anything to offload one of the club’s largest salaries and greatest disappointments.

Kwan admits he got caught in the spiral. If this happened, what would that look like? If this happened, how would that reshape his future? It haunted him, and he kept it mostly to himself. It was critical to him not to drag negative energy into Cleveland’s clubhouse.

As Kwan recently sifted through his journal, he noticed it wasn’t that long ago — late June, in fact — when he was scribbling those disheartened thoughts on paper. A mere two months ago, he was enduring the most difficult stretch of his career, in the batter’s box and in his mind.

His solution was to detach. Whatever happened, he had no choice but to roll with it. Just “rely on that 162,” he said. One helpful aspect of a long season is that it grants the opportunity for a course correction.

Now, he’s surging. Since July 1, only National League MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong has outperformed him in terms of fWAR. For two months, Kwan has racked up hits, drawn a ton of walks and played his customary elite outfield defense.

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The explanation was he will only stay for the Blue Jays series since they need another starter for the doubleheader against the Tigers. Basically a roster fodder.

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Blue Jays (68-70) @ Guardians (69-68)

First Pitch: 6:40 PM at Progressive Field

Official 2026 Season Game Notes

Broadcast Info

Probable Starters

Matchups

Links

Gameday Experience Wiki | Sub Discord | Sub Rules | Message the Mods

Hey ya’ll,

I have 2 tickets I’m giving away for September 5th game vs the Detroit tigers in section 130. I can’t attend the game, nor am I able to sell the tickets on the app, but I can forward/transfer them. Just make a comment and I’ll pick someone randomly and DM you. Nothing more necessary but if you want to donate $20 or something to your local animal shelter in lieu of that’d be cool, not required though.

Thanks

My plans have changed and I can't use my upper deck ticket for this game. Willing to give it to a deserving fan. DM me. Maybe just Venmo me some beer money if you feel like it.

Playoff Tracker 2026 – 8/31

Current Standings:

• Record: 69-68 (This past week: 4-2)
• AL Central: 3.5 GB (2^nd place)
• Wildcard: 0 GB (1 game lead)

Who do the Guards play this week?

• Toronto Blue Jays (Home)
• Detroit Tigers (Home, plus a doubleheader)

If I told you that the Guardians had just gone 9-3 over their last 4 series, you would’ve imagined that Cleveland just solidified themselves as contenders. Instead, we’re nearly in the exact same spot we were in last week, primarily because so many teams were able to keep up the same pace. There are two key opportunities as we finish this long home stretch, however: beat the Blue Jays and you’ll gain in the wildcard, beat the Tigers and you may be able to put them out of punching distance for anything. With a doubleheader coming Friday, this means we have 7 games in 6 days at home…and then we play the team right behind us in the wildcard race on the road on Monday. Clench.

AL Central Contenders:

Chicago White Sox (1^st Place, 3.5 game lead) (This past week: 4-2)

• Houston Astros (Away – 4 games)
• Minnesota Twins (Home)

September 14^th is starting to loom large. Chicago paced us perfectly and managed to punch down on the Twins a bit. The Guards obviously need to do their job, but we’re nearing the point they’ll need at least a little help if they want their final series with the White Sox to have implications for the division. That could potentially come in the form of this 4 game set with the Astros. Houston (we’ll get to them) is still locked in the race for the AL West, and this is maybe their best chance to pull away from that pack. And then, same as last week…

Minnesota Twins (3^rd Place, 7.5 GB, 4 GB WC) (This past week: 2-4)

• Detroit Tigers (Home)
• Chicago White Sox (Away)

A very bad week for the Twins as they got taken to task by the Athletics before blowing a chance to make up ground at home against the Sox. This week they do get to face Detroit (we’ll also get to them) before having to travel to the South Side for a series with the White Sox. They’re still within distance of us in both races so it’s hard to say them beating the Sox would help us yet, but…maybe we get help from another team in the Central?

Detroit Tigers (4^th place, 9 GB, 5.5 GB WC) (This past week: 2-4)

• Minnesota Twins (Away)
• Cleveland Guardians (Away – 4 games)

I mean, they played the Dodgers and Rays, two of the best teams in baseball, it wasn’t going to be an easy week, but the Tigers are starting to fully give up the ghost. 3-12 in their last 5 series. While it would be great if they could claw a chunk out of the Twins this week, the biggest thing of interest for the Guards is if they can just win that series. The doubleheader (in which the Guards have been notoriously not great this year) is probably the biggest concern for the moment. This week and next are basically Detroit’s last stand if they want to make a playoff push. But unfortunately, we now must add to this group…

Kansas City Royals (5^th Place, 11 GB, 7.5 GB WC) (This past week: 2-4)

• Miami Marlins (Home)
• Toronto Blue Jays (Away)

Oh cool, another team to add to the pile. Kansas City had been dead, utterly cooked, until, you know, going 13-3 in their last 5 series and turning into the hottest team in the sport. Normally, this wouldn’t be a concern – hell, their schedule is almost entirely against teams currently contending for playoff spots – but considering the Guardians have been given fits by this team, and their last two series of the season are against the White Sox and Guards at home, the momentum is getting legitimately scary. If they take 5 or 6 wins this week, we’re on red alert for a miracle run here, even if three W’s against the Blue Jays would help us a bit.

Wildcard Contenders:

New York Yankees (9 game lead, 1^st WC spot) (This past week: 4-3)

• Los Angeles Angels (Away)
• San Diego Padres (Away)

Boston Red Sox (5 game lead, 2^nd WC spot) (This past week: 3-4)

• Seattle Mariners (Home)
• Baltimore Orioles (Away – 4 games)

Thanks to both Boston and New York waffling their first series’ away, we did grab a game and a half on the Red Sox and a whole .5 games on the Yankees. For New York, it’s kind of moot, unless this California road trip turns into a disaster – they’re likely locked into a wildcard spot. For Boston, slightly different story. Do you want the Guardians to avoid being in the 3^rd slot? Then we need the Mariners and Orioles to knock them down a peg. Don’t want to see two wildcard contenders stick around in the hunt? Then Boston needs to take down Seattle and the suddenly insanely pesky…

Baltimore Orioles (1 GB) (This past week: 5-1)

• Colorado Rockies (Away)
• Boston Red Sox (Home – 4 games)

The Orioles will not die. They are now just 1 game behind us, with a gimme series in Colorado starting the week, before rolling into Boston for a 4-game set. They have also seen their bats wake up. I’ll part with all the ambiguity above – if the Rockies roll over the next 3 games, we kind of need Boston to at least split the series. Baltimore is starting to heat up – and while they do still have a few tough games coming up, one of those is against us, at home, next Monday. This is the primary team we need to distance from right now, save for…

Toronto Blue Jays (1.5 GB) (This past week: 4-2)

• Cleveland Guardians (Away)
• Kansas City Royals (Away)

While the Jays did us a massive bonus by sweeping Seattle this weekend, that doesn’t help much when they’re still knocking on the door and in town this week. If there’s one silver lining, it’s that the Jays are starting an oddly hellish 9-day consecutive road trip, spanning Cleveland, Kansas City, and the A’s. 3 time zones, no rest days, and they run into the Royals buzzsaw in the middle of it. Other than Baltimore, this is most important team to watch this week as we directly play them and they are so close to us – 2 out of 3 at minimum is the goal, and you want to hope they might hold back a little heading into the road weariness. Either way – too close for comfort. Guards need to show up.

Houston Astros (0 GB, lead AL West) (This past week: 4-2)

• Chicago White Sox (Home – 4 games)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (Home)

Texas Rangers (2 GB WC, 2 GB AL West) (This past week: 2-4)

• Athletics (Home)
• Tampa Bay Rays (Home – 4 games)

Seattle Mariners (5 GB, 5 GB AL West) (This past week: 2-4)

• Boston Red Sox (Away)
• Athletics (Home – 4 games)

Houston is pacing us, which is fine so long as the rest of the West starts falling off the wagon. That sort of happened this week with Texas and the Mariners faltering. The problem? The Astros have a murderer’s row the next 3 weeks – after this challenging home stand where they could be super cool and chill and beat up on the White Sox, next week they get the Phillies and Rays on the road, then welcome the red-hot Royals and the contending Braves for their final homestand. They’re not the team to count on here. Conversely, both the Rangers and Mariners are in the same boat – a set against an AL East contender, plus a home series with the Athletics. And both are circling September 8^th as they play each other in Seattle, which, if Seattle can pace this week, might be their last chance to make a run at either the wildcard or the West if things go awry. We legit need to monitor this division until the seeding is set, unfortunately.

Rooting Interests for this Week:

1. AL Playoff Teams not named Chicago – Houston gets the White Sox to start a rough stretch, Boston can give us distance on two wildcard teams, and Tampa Bay can help us push back on the Rangers.
2. Kansas City Royals…kind of? – Kansas City draws the Blue Jays right after us. If we do our job, they could sweep the leg. But then we need them to cool off before they start thinking wildcard.
3. Minnesota Twins…again, kind of? – Obviously, it’s extremely selective because they are very much still alive in the playoff hunt. But if you want to get any games back on the White Sox this week, you’re going to need the Twins to shock them in the South Side.
4. Miami Marlins – Cool off the damn Royals please.
5. The A’s – Sacramento/Oakland/Vegas has draws against the wildcard contenders across the map. Any free wins they get is a plus for us as they’re a bit too far out of the hunt to dig their way back into it.
6. And of course, the Cleveland goddamned Guardians.

I think it's interesting that Will Dion is starting tonight for the Nationals against Miami. I always thought that kid had potential.

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We’re travelling from Toronto to Cleveland to see the Jays and I’d love to give the kids a chance at getting some Blue Jays autographs while we’re there.
For anyone who has been to Progressive Field before — where’s the best place to go to catch the visiting team for autographs? Is there a particular area where the Jays players enter or leave the ballpark, or a gate where fans can wait for them?

I know in Toronto there are certain spots where you can catch the visiting team, so I’m wondering if Cleveland has something similar.

Any tips on where to go, what time to get there, or the best way to do it would be greatly appreciated! We’re coming all the way from Toronto, so I’d love to make the most of the experience. 💙⚾️

Assuming no team claim Roberts and he clears waivers and he chooses to become free agent. Do you think we should consider him as a CF right handed bat? I am intrigued with his recent surge, though I skeptical, he doesn't run as he used to and we have 3 everyday OF. But he is an upgrade over Petey.

This ended up being really long, I apologize, but I found some very interesting things that I put it here.

The raw ERA numbers show Tanner putting in a solid 2nd or 3rd starter season this year, with a 3.88 ERA. That's third among Guardians year-long starters behind Messick and Cantillo, and ahead of Gavin Williams 3.98 ERA.

However, and we're starting slowly here, Tanner's ERA alone doesn't show the whole story. He's been incredibly dependable, with his 28 starts tied for the MLB lead (with our own Joey Cantillo and two others). His 162.1 Innings Pitched are 3rd in the AL and 6th in all of baseball.

Looking beyond that, he is 2nd in the AL and 5th in baseball with 17 Quality Starts.

I know some of you dislike Quality Starts as a stat!

That being said, MLB teams win roughly 66-69% of games where their starter throws a Quality Start, so any metric that gives you as good of a chance to win as whoever the best team in baseball is in any given year is a pretty good metric as far as actually winning baseball games as a team, the most important statistic.

So, all that being said, I know you're thinking "why does Tanner Bibee have a 5-14 record if he's apparently so good?"

For a couple of reasons. I'm gonna start with a general overview and then get into raw statistics as to how awful our offense has been in games Tanner started, and the fact that our offense, while not good, has actually been pretty damn respectable when he hasn't started.

First off, I mentioned an MLB team will win 66-69% of games when their pitcher has a Quality Start. When Tanner has had a Quality Start, we have won 41% of our games (7-10).

But it gets worse than that. In Tanner's 28 starts, we've scored a total of 87 runs. That's 3.10 runs per game

For a look at how bad that is, here are the 10 worst offenses in Major League Baseball this season by runs scored per game

10.) KC 4.27

9.) SD 4.24

8.) CIN 4.13

7.) NYM 4.10

6.) SFG 4.09

5.) LAA: 4.08

4.) TEX: 4.03

3.) TOR: 3.95

2.) SEA: 3.90

Wait a second...Isn't that only 9 teams?

Where the hell is the 10th team?

Gotta be down here somewhere...

Haven't found them yet...

Oh, shit. Here they are:

1.) CLE (when Tanner Pitches) 3.10

For the record, Cleveland's 4.25 Runs Per Game when Tanner does not pitch is bad, but not terrible. We're ahead of 8 other teams (not including ourselves) so we're a respectable if not good hitting team otherwise.

But I want to talk about that other number. That 3.10 runs per game when Tanner pitches.

If you're like me, and you aren't that good at math, you first just noticed that the .70 runs per game difference between Cleveland when Tanner pitches and the Seattle Mariners is about the same at the difference between Seattle and the ninth-best scoring team, the rival Minnesota Twins (4.59 runs per game).

But it gets worse than that.

3.90 is about 26% more than 3.10

The fourth-best scoring team, the LA Dodgers, average 4.91 runs per game, which is about 26% more than 3.90.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GUARDIANS OFFENSE WHEN TANNER PITCHES AND THE WORST OFFENSE IS EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORST OFFENSE AND THE FOURTH-BEST OFFENSE

We're a good team. We've got some guys who can hit. But for some reason, everyone other than Tanner literally becomes a Triple-A team when Tanner Pitches