Cleveland Guardians clinch third straight AL Central division title
Cleveland secured the American League Central crown for a third consecutive year after beating Kansas City while division rival Chicago fell to Colorado.
What we know
- The Cleveland Guardians clinched their third straight AL Central title on Saturday night, MLB said in posts on X. [1] [2]
- The Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 while the Chicago White Sox lost 9-6 to the Colorado Rockies, according to ESPN. [5] [6]
- The Guardians became the first team since divisional play began in 1969 to win consecutive division titles after trailing by at least six games through 125 games in both seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau as cited by ESPN. [5]
- The White Sox secured the final American League wild-card spot and are set to play on the road against the AL West winner in a three-game series starting Tuesday, according to The Associated Press via ESPN. [6]
- Not yet confirmed: The AL West race between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros was not yet decided as of the reports, so the White Sox's Wild Card Series opponent was unconfirmed.
The Cleveland Guardians clinched the American League Central division title for the third consecutive year, MLB announced in posts on X on Saturday night. [1][2]
Cleveland beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5, and the result was clinched when the Chicago White Sox, the Guardians' closest competitor, lost 9-6 to the Colorado Rockies, according to ESPN. [5][6]
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the win, "We'll get some rest. This team was on fumes," according to ESPN. Guardians president Chris Antonetti called it "an incredible accomplishment," ESPN reported. [5]
ESPN reported that Cleveland trailed the White Sox by six games in mid-August before winning 25 of its next 36 games, including 15 of its final 21, to overtake Chicago. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, cited by ESPN, the Guardians are the first team since divisional play began in 1969 to win back-to-back division titles after being at least six games back through 125 games in both seasons. [5]
Vogt told ESPN that "what this team did over the last 21 games was really special." Pitcher Tanner Bibee, who won Saturday's game, told ESPN the club could have "folded" but instead "knew it was going to flip." [5]
The White Sox, who led or were tied for first in the division from July 4 until Sept. 16, will instead enter the postseason as the American League's final wild card, according to The Associated Press via ESPN. In the loss to Colorado, Rockies slugger Hunter Goodman hit his 40th and 41st home runs of the season, and Andrew Benintendi hit a three-run homer for Chicago in the ninth inning. [6]
According to ESPN, the Guardians will close their regular season Sunday and then open an AL Division Series at home the following Saturday, while the White Sox are scheduled to begin a three-game Wild Card Series on the road Tuesday against the winner of the AL West, a race between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros that ESPN said remained undecided heading into the season's final day. [5][6]
RECEIPTS · 6 SOURCES
- 1POST ON X · @MLB (MLB)The @CleGuardians are AL Central champions 😤 With their victory tonight coupled with the Rockies win over the White Sox, the Guardians have Open source ↗ Archived copy
- 2POST ON X · @MLB (MLB)Your 2026 American League Central champions, the Cleveland Guardians! https://t.co/G17hvSOrHqOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 3POST ON X · @MLB (MLB)Cleveland, you will have a #Postseason to remember! https://t.co/WvntSlTOOEOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 4POST ON X · @MLB (MLB)Brayan Rocchio and Patrick Bailey each record multi-homer games as the @CleGuardians win 9 of their last 10! (MLB x @AbbVie) https://t.co/JQOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 5REPORT · ESPNGuardians clinch AL Central title, No. 2 seed in playoffsOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 6REPORT · The Associated Press via ESPNWhite Sox lose 9-6 to Rockies, end chances of winning AL CentralOpen source ↗ Archived copy