Guardians' First-Place Push Sets Up Massive September Finish

The Cleveland Guardians are just one week out from the start of the 2026 MLB playoffs and they’re heavily in the mix for not only a wild card appearance, but possibly a division title.

Business needs to be taken care of through the end of the regular season first, with Cleveland set to play two more series through the final week of September. One series will be against the already contending Boston Red Sox, and the other against the bottom-feeding Kansas City Royals.

Every game matters at this stage, as the Chicago White Sox are knocking on the door only a game behind the Guardians in the division. Cleveland needs to keep their winning streak rolling as they hit the road, with their first matchup in Boston at the always daunting Fenway Park.

Here’s a look at Cleveland’s final two series of the regular season as they make their final push for the playoffs.

Three game series against the Boston Red Sox

Starting on Tuesday, September 22nd, Cleveland will travel to Boston for their first of three games at Fenway Park against the AL East’s third place Red Sox. Guardians’ All-Star pitcher Parker Messick will tow the rubber for Cleveland as he looks to outduel Payton Tolle.

The Guardians have a consistent rotation of starting pitchers, besides Bibee who’s been struggling as of late, but it can be enough to take the series against the Red Sox. Bibee won’t appear in any of their games in Boston, which is a positive note.

Boston comes into this series after losing their previous two, so they’ll be looking to end their season on a high note before the playoffs. These two teams could meet at some point if Cleveland can win the division, making this an even more important series.

The toughest aspect of this series will be facing Boston’s high-powered offense and All-Star caliber pitching rotation, who can take it to any team on any given night. Cleveland will need high production out of their starters, including veterans Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Jo Adell followed by their young stars.

This is a winnable series, but the Guardians must not let Fenway Park and their fans ruffle any feathers. They need to start off strong and allow for their bullpen to get them through to the later innings so closer Cade Smith can seal the deal on some hopeful wins.

Three game series against the Kansas City Royals

Starting on Friday, September 25th, the Guardians will travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals, who currently sit at the bottom of the AL Central. Don’t let their record fool you though, as the Royals are working to play spoiler down the stretch and crush Cleveland’s playoff dreams.

Not to mention, the Royals will be eager to play against Tanner Bibee in their first game of the three-game series, while the Guardians face off against the always difficult Noah Cameron. However, the Royals are on a four-game losing streak, surrendering seven of their last eight games.

Cleveland should have no problem taking care of Kansas City to close out the season, but they can’t get too far ahead of themselves. Considering the White Sox face off against the league's worst team, Colorado Rockies, during this time, these are must win games.

Kansas City will also roll out Michael Wacha and Daniel Lynch, who are their best pitchers as well to try to spoil Cleveland’s series finale. This will be a great test for Cleveland’s offense, as they’ll have the chance to really heat up before either a wild card date or divisional series round.

It can’t be stressed enough how important these final two series are for Cleveland as they look to stay in front of the White Sox in their race for the division. Win, and you're in, it’s as simple as that.