The sting of the Guardians' Wild Card exit to the Detroit Tigers is still fresh. While pitching staff held up their end of the bargain, their battered and broken offense wasn't able to do enough. In the end, the Guardians' bats went out with a whimper, as evidenced by them having a team batting average of .178.
That futile effort left the same question ringing in every fan's ear: What are we missing?
The answer is not a rebuild; instead, it's momentum and opportunity. The 2025 season did not end in defeat; it ended with a crystal-clear mandate for the front office and a historic surge of confidence that is already fueling the 2026 campaign.