What is the Guardians’ magic number to clinch playoff berth?

9/25 update: The Guardians beat the Rangers 10-4 on Sunday and that coupled with the White Sox loss to the Tigers allowed Cleveland to clinch the AL Central.

9/23 update: The Guardians' magic number to clinch the division is 5 as of today. They have a seven-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

The AL Central race has been tight pretty much all season long. No team has been able to get much separation and it will make for an exciting finish to the 2022 MLB season. The Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins all have a shot to take home the AL Central title. The Guardians have the fast track ahead in the division as we approach the final two weeks of the regular season. Let’s take a look at Cleveland’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth and the division.

Guardians magic number

Playoff berth: 7
AL Central division: 7

The Guardians likely won’t get into the postseason ahead of the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. There’s also a chance the Guardians drop into the AL Wild Card over the course of the next few weeks. As of Monday, Sept. 19, Cleveland has a 3.5 game lead on the ChiSox for first in the division. The Guardians have been on a tear and are 6-1 against the Twins in the past few weeks. That has put Minnesota in a tough spot to win the division and make the postseason. This week, the Guardians have one more series vs. Chicago that could determine the division winner.