MLB playoffs: Ranking the top 5 most important players for Guardians in ALDS vs. Tigers

CLEVELAND — It could be easily argued that of the remaining eight teams still vying for the World Series, the three biggest surprises are the three AL Central teams that advanced to the ALDS .

But it was the Guardians who won the division, which became much more competitive than originally anticipated this spring.

In manager Stephen Vogt's first year , Cleveland far-exceeded any reasonable expectations, which is especially true after the early season loss of ace Shane Bieber to Tommy John surgery .

Now their attention turns to the playoffs, and a best-of-five series against the Detroit Tigers .

Here are the top five most important players to the Guardians entering the ALDS.

5. Steven Kwan

Steven Kwan has been called the "engine" of the Guardians lineup, and they'll need him running on all cylinders in October.

Kwan was one of the best hitters in baseball in the first half of the 2024 season, batting .352 with a .920 OPS. He even flirted with a .400 season for a while .

But the second half wasn't as kind to Kwan, who hit just .206 with a .618 OPS after the break. His on-base percentage dropped from .407 in the first half to just .316 in the second.

Kwan missed time in September with a lower back injury. He has returned to the lineup, but the Guardians would benefit from him returning to his first-half levels of production, or something close to it, as he sits atop the lineup.

4. Cade Smith

Emmanuel Clase gets all the attention in this Guardians bullpen — and it's well deserved — but Cade Smith was perhaps the unheralded hero among Cleveland's relievers .

Smith's presence in the bullpen is a vital one. For one, there's an argument that he was even more valuable to the Guardians than Clase in the regular season. And while Clase has the ninth inning (and perhaps one or two outs in the eighth as well), Smith allows Vogt to know he can bring in someone to escape a jam in a high-leverage, high-importance situation.

Smith, along with Tim Herrin and Hunter Gaddis, enable the Guardians to attack key situations with a proactive approach rather than having to leave the starting pitcher in a few batters too long. Clase is arguably the best pitcher in baseball inning-by-inning, but Smith allows the bullpen to operate as it has all year.

3. Tanner Bibee

The Guardians will undoubtedly lean on their bullpen as much as possible in October, but they can't pitch literally every inning. They'll need some solid starts, and that all begins with Tanner Bibee, who is slated to start Game 1 Saturday afternoon.

After the loss of Bieber and then Triston McKenzie's demotion to Triple-A, it fell on Bibee's shoulders to lead the starting rotation . It'll also be Bibee who carries the most weight when it comes to taking the mound in the playoffs.

It's a tremendous opportunity for Bibee. It's also a massive responsibility considering the Guardians' playoff hopes.

2. Emmanuel Clase

He was the best reliever in baseball in 2024 . The Guardians likely need him to be the best reliever in the postseason as well. If Clase falters, the Guardians' foundation could crumble.

1. Jose Ramirez

As Jose Ramirez goes , so go the Guardians.

Jose Ramirez put up a 39-homer, 39-double, 41-steals season, the likes of which had only been done once before in baseball history (Alfonso Soriano, 2006).

The Guardians lineup started to come together at the end of the season. Lane Thomas and Kyle Manzardo both began to heat up at the right time. Kwan at least returned to the lineup from the injured list. Naylor's power was evident.

But Ramirez is arguably as valuable as any player in baseball to his lineup. He continues to be underrated from a national perspective. He has a chance to end that narrative this October.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: MLB playoffs: Ranking the top 5 most important players for Guardians in ALDS vs. Tigers