“Ready for Anything:” How Guards Prepare for ALDS Game 1

First, the Cleveland Guardians patiently waited for their opponent as they played simulated games all week at Progressive Field. Once they found out they would be facing the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS, they immediately began preparing to face their division rival in the playoffs.

The Tigers’ bullpen presents unique challenges, with what the team calls “pitching chaos.” Essentially, this just means the Tigers are playing a bullpen game and don’t know which pitcher they’ll throw on the mound next.

So how do the Guardians prepare and plan for a match like this? Stephen Vogt said they will prepare for the Tigers like any other series during the regular season, while remaining vigilant for in-game adjustments.

“Once that final was over in Houston, we were able to focus (on the Tigers),” explained the Cleveland manager. “Our group, our coaching staff and the front office analysts have done a phenomenal job preparing for our games throughout the season. The cadence doesn’t change. Everything remains the same, as we have throughout the throughout the year. We know the Tigers are doing really well, so it’s going to be a really fun series to watch.”

“I think it’s just the normal preparation that we always do. We’re always ready for anything that might happen to us. Obviously, we know the Tigers’ bullpen strategies that they’ve deployed. We will be ready for this kind of situation of whatever is thrown, and yes, be prepared for anything,” Vogt said.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Since April, the team has preached very intentional preparation and treated each series like a playoff. It’s that plan that got them here and helped them win 92 games, and it’s that same strategy that will also help them advance into October.