Oct 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates a double in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers during game five of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Guardians Included In One Of MLB's 'Most Bitter' Rivalries

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 5:25 PM ET

Rivalries are what make sports great!

Rivalries can bring out the best in a team, whether the players show extra emotion on the field or the fans dive deeper into a matchup from afar.

The Cleveland Guardians have several rivals across baseball, considering how long they've been in MLB. However, Will Leitch of MLB.com believes one stands from the rest heading into 2025.

The MLB.com writer recently put together a list of each division's most bitter rivalries entering the season. For the AL Central, Leitch chose the Guardians against the Detroit Tigers as his marquee matchup.

"The Guardians won the division title in 2024 - their second of the last three years - while the Tigers still are looking for their first since 2014. But these teams felt like essentially a dead-even matchup when they met in a thrilling, five-game ALDS last October. The Guardians won that by finally being able to get to Tarik Skubal, thanks to a grand slam from Lane Thomas that sent them into the ALCS," wrote Leitch.

Cleveland and Detroit's ALDS matchup was one of the best series across the MLB Playoffs last year. There was emotion, tight games, come-from-behind victories, and pretty much anything you could have asked for in a Fall matchup.

That said, nothing boiled over to the point where players got into on-field confrontations with one another or took things too far.

However, anything could happen during the upcoming season when both teams will be fighting for the division crown.

As Leitch points out, "That's the sort of tight series that will resonate every time the Guardians and Tigers play each other this year."

The AL Central could be a tight race once again this year, making every matchup between the Guardians and Tigers meaningful. Even their first series in May could have playoff implications, and both teams know that.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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