The 2026 ALDS concluded on October 10 with a dominant pitching performance by the Guardians, and Cleveland won Game 5 of its series to face the Rays in the ALCS. During the past week, we learned a lot about the four teams from this past year’s ALDS.
Pitching wins out for Cleveland
In five games, the Guardians accumulated 75 total strikeouts. Granted, some of that was on the White Sox, and I’ll get to that in a minute. But the Guardians’ identity for much of the past decade, a sound pitching staff, pushed the club to another ALCS berth.
Out of all the big hits from Jo Adell, Patrick Bailey, and even Jose Ramirez after a down 2026, Gavin Williams was the true MVP of this series. The Guardians ace notched 24 total strikeouts in the ALDS, and Gavin Williams had the highest Whiff% (46.5%) out of any pitcher in the Division Series.
Among pitchers who induced at least 15 swings in the Division Series, five of the top 10 in Whiff% were Guardians. Williams was joined on that leaderboard by Tim Herrin, Parker Messick, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Shawn Armstrong.
No, it wasn’t the cleanest of series. And in many ways, the Guardians narrowly avoided a disaster. That, though, does not matter.
How can the White Sox move forward?
In a win-or-go-home scenario in Cleveland, the White Sox struck out 21 times in Game 5. Overall, Chicago struck out 96 times in seven postseason games.
While the likes of Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery, two of the most notable in said category, were among the hitters with the 10 highest Whiff%, the leader in that category was Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi was routinely pickpocketed up and away with the fastball, and his struggles resulted in a whopping 68.2% Whiff%.
This was, obviously, a positive year for the White Sox. Chicago went from the lowest of lows to a playoff series win in the matter of two years. Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, and even rookies like Sam Antonacci and Hagen Smith all proved to be building blocks for the future. However, what happens leading into 2027 will be very important.
The question that Chris Getz and company will have to answer is whether this offense can do it again in 2027. Also, whether or not there’s too much swing-and-miss in the lineup.
After all, it can be hard to push runners along if too many plate appearances result in a strikeout.
Another ALDS exit for the Yankees
For the second straight year, the Yankees were bounced by an AL East team in the ALDS. This time, it was the Rays.
There were some positives from this year’s playoff run, namely the continued offensive breakout of George Lombard Jr. Lombard Jr. had six hits between the Wild Card and Division Series, and not much of his contact in the ALDS was cheap. Ben Rice had two more home runs in the ALDS.
But for another season, infield defense became another talking point. The Yankees made four errors in Game 2, which largely doomed the club in Tropicana Field. For Game 3, Jazz Chisholm Jr., a pending free agent, didn’t even start, as Anthony Volpe slotted in at second base.
The little things will, yet again, be a big focus heading into next season.
The Rays keep moving forward
Consider this: last winter, the Rays traded away Tristan Peters (who spent most of 2025 in the Minors), Shane Baz, Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery, and Jake Mangum. Ryan Pepiot and Edwin Uceta, two of Tampa Bay’s best pitchers from last year, were hurt and unavailable for all of 2026.
Yet, the Rays are four games away from a second pennant during this decade.
Much of that is due to finding players who can fit & succeed in the system. Plus, understanding their strengths. Nick Martinez and Freddy Peralta, both of whom have made pitch usage adjustments since going to Tampa Bay, are examples of that.
Tampa Bay also has a knack for making good use of players considered either AAAA or role assets. Victor Mesa Jr. was DFA’d by the Marlins in February, acquired by the Rays, and wound up being a major asset for the club down the stretch. The same sentiment applied to Ryan Vilade, acquired from the Reds in a cash deal in November 2025.
But like the other teams in the Championship Series, stars help. Drew Rasmussen was a star in Game 1 versus the Yankees. Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz each had three hits in the ALDS. Former All-Star Jonathan Aranda hit a home run in that series, too.
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