As of the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers both have a record of 85-72 on the season.

But because the Guardians have won the season series against the Tigers, they’re technically in first place. And that means magic.

A magic number, that is.

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Because the two teams have identical records, there is little wiggle room in the loss column with five games left in the MLB season for the Guardians.

What is the Cleveland Guardians magic number?

The magic number for the Guardians to win the American League Central division and secure a playoff spot is five as of the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 24.

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Of course the math gets easier if the Guardians beat the Tigers the next two games.

What are the odds the Guardians make the playoffs? 

According to Fangraphs, the Guardians have a 56.2% chance of winning the American League Central division. They have a 23.6% chance of clinching a wild-card berth. They have a 79.8% chance of making the playoffs and a 1.8% chance of winning a World Series. 

How is a magic number determined in Major League Baseball playoff standings?

In Major League Baseball, a team’s magic number marks how close it is to securing a playoff berth or division title. The figure combines the team’s remaining wins with losses by its closest competitor to show the earliest point a spot can be clinched.

Cleveland Guardians schedule for the rest of the 2025 MLB season  Wednesday, Sept. 24: vs. Detroit Tigers, 6:40 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 25: vs. Detroit Tigers, 6:40 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26: vs. Texas Rangers, 7:10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27: vs. Texas Rangers, 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28: vs. Texas Rangers, 3:10 p.m.