Should Detroit Tigers worry about Cleveland Guardians in AL Central?
On “Days of Roar,” Cleveland Guardians beat writer Paul Hoynes checks in about the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central race with two weeks remaining.
On Sept. 10, the Cleveland Guardians were 9.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, a race that most had already called in favor of Detroit. Suddenly, the Guardians have a magic number to win the division.
After a 5-1 win on Sept. 24 against Detroit with a stellar pitching performance from Tanner Bibee (6.0 innings, 1ER, 5Ks), the Guardians have passed the Tigers in the AL Central. Cleveland also controls the head-to-head tie breaker (8-4 against the Tigers in 2025).
The Guardians, sitting at 86-72, swept the Tigers on the road last week. Cleveland will finish its season with its homestand against the Tigers, followed by a three-game home series against the Texas Rangers starting Sept. 26.
Keep reading to find out what a magic number is and what the Cleveland Guardians’ magic number is to make the 2025 MLB postseason.
What is a magic number in Major League Baseball?
In MLB, the phrase “magic number” refers to a formula used to determine how close a team is to clinching either a playoff spot or a division title. It represents the combination of a team’s wins and its closest competitor’s losses needed to clinch.
Formula to determine magic number: (Total games played in a season) +1 – (Total wins for Team A – total losses for Team B).
What is the magic number for the Cleveland Guardians to win the AL Central in 2025?
The Cleveland Guardians’ magic number to clinch the AL Central is 3. The Guardians currently hold a one-game division lead over the Tigers, as well as the head-to-head record tiebreaker against the Detroit.
Three refers to the total of Guardians wins and Tigers losses that would solidify a Cleveland division title. Cleveland and Detroit play one more game on Sept. 25, and if the Guardians win, their magic number for the division would be reduced to 1. If Detroit beats Cleveland on Sept. 25, Cleveland’s magic number would remain at 3.
Note: This story was updated to reflect an inaccuracy.