ALDS Predictions for 2024: Get Ready for Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees ALCS

If someone had told you in spring training that three of the final four teams in the American League playoffs would all be from the same division, which division would you have guessed?

The AL East probably would have been the most popular choice. The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles were primed for a great season; A team among the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays could have found a way to sneak into October.

Or maybe your mind would have traveled to the other side of the country and thought about AL West. After all, the Texas Rangers were the reigning World Series champions, the Houston Astros were strong, and the Seattle Mariners had an excellent starting rotation.

Would anyone have guessed the AL Central?

Sure, the Cleveland Guardians, that was doable.

But the Kansas City Royals? The Detroit Tigers?

Leave it to the Wild Cards to create a wild postseason in the AL. The Royals and their rising superstar Bobby Witt Jr. will try to play spoilsport against the heavily favored New York Yankees. In the other ALDS match, the Detroit Tigers face a familiar opponent: the division champion Guardians.

Which teams will advance to the ALCS? As the last month has shown, anything can happen.

Series #1: Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees

It's safe to say that many casual baseball fans will be rooting for Kansas City, a heavy underdog that few expected to make an upset this season. Just last year, the Royals posted a 56-106 record, placing them last in the division. Because of their unlikely success, the Royals have something going for them: They have no pressure to win this series. Nobody thought they would be here. You can play loosely and freely.

However, the Yankees are favored for good reason. They compiled a record of 94-68, defending the Orioles for the division title, and scored the third-most runs (815) of any baseball team. In comparison, the Royals ranked 13th in the major leagues with 735 runs scored.

A big reason for the Yankees' success on offense is Aaron Judge. The 9-foot-4, 576-pound (approximately) slugger hit .322 this season with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and a whopping .701 slugging percentage (real numbers this time, not approximations!). Teammate Juan Soto looked like an underachiever in comparison, despite posting a .288 batting average with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs.

Yes, the Royals have a little magic on their side. And Vinnie Pasquantino. But that's where their story ends, and there's no shame in falling behind against the Big Apple's big boys.

Prediction: Yankees in 4th

Series #2: Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians

Remember those old parody videos that were meant to sarcastically promote tourism in Cleveland? They always ended with the punch line: “We’re not Detroit!”

By the way, these videos are still funny. It's definitely worth going down a YouTube rabbit hole to find.

Whatever the case, the punchline no longer lands the way it might have in the past. That's especially true in baseball, where the Tigers are a year ahead of schedule and may have more positive momentum than any team still in the playoffs.

As of Sept. 6, the Tigers were 71-71, and the postseason seemed more of a 2025 goal. But Detroit won 15 of the next 18 games, clinching a ticket to the playoffs, and then AJ “Clinch” took his team to Houston and promptly knocked out the Astros on their home field in the wild-card round.

The Guardians are good and it's fair to point out that they won the AL Central by 6 1/2 games over Detroit and Kansas City. Jose Ramirez is a great hitter after a 39-homer campaign, Josh Naylor added 31 bombs, and Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively had solid seasons on the mound.

However, the Tigers' recent resurgence is too strong to overlook.

Sorry, Cleveland, but you're not Detroit.

Prediction: Tigers in 5th