Who would've thought?

I sure didn't see it coming. Neither, I suspect, did many Cleveland-area sports fans. 

It definitely feels a little weird typing the following: The Cleveland Guardians have taken Major League Baseball by storm.

Hyperbole? Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets probably think so. Those are franchises built to -- and are expected to -- win divisions, playoff games and World Series. 

When the Guardians clinched the American League Central Division Sunday in Arlington, Texas, baseball took notice. How in the world did this relatively unknown little team climb into the spotlight? Quietly. And by playing old-fashioned baseball.

Fans of the game these days fall in love with players who hit the baseball enormous distances with regularity. Stuff like launch angle, bat speed, exit velocity and distance are now ensconced in the game's glossary of terms. The Guardians don't do power. Only 122 bombs.

With power comes an innate ability to miss the baseball entirely with a fair degree of regularity. The Guardians don't do that, either. 

These guys grind out their at-bats. They wear down pitchers. They strike out less than any other MLB team. Their swing-and-miss percentage is also one of the lowest. Putting it simply, they are hard outs. It's a young team playing like grizzled veterans with a bat in their hands.

Speed and smart base running are seemingly not as important or romantic compared to the long ball. The Guardians believe otherwise. Manufacturing runs is one of their strongest attributes. They are fast, smart and aggressive on the base paths.

Stolen bases? Love 'em. Third in MLB with 112 of them. Five men with at least 17, three of them at 19.

Add all that to a solid starting pitching rotation, the sport's best bullpen and a defense that improved as the season progressed and you have a formula for success, all of which arrived with not many people paying attention. Quietly.

The youngest team in the majors did it the hard way, parading 16 players throughout the season who made their Major League debut. That's more than half the roster. Fans no doubt wondered how in the world can you win anything with neophytes? Who are these guys and what is the front office trying to do?

The season unfolded predictably with the Guardians playing just well enough to keep their heads above .500 water, winning a little here, losing a little there after winning just seven of their first 19 games. Manager Terry Francona noodled with the lineup in an effort to find the winning formula.

The turning point arrived shortly before the midway of the season. The light seemed to come on after a 2-8 run lowered the season record to 41-42 on July 10. Long story short, the Guardians are 45-25 since then heading into the final six games of the season this week. That includes an 18-3 record down the stretch with a seven-game winning streak..

How did that happen? Solid pitching and defense, timely hitting, lots and lots of running and challenging opponents to make plays. The Guardians became a fun team to watch. Home runs were a bonus. It is just good fundamental baseball. Throwback baseball. The only things missing are flannel uniforms and high stirrups.

Francona's best move? Moving Steven Kwan into the leadoff spot where he became a fire starter. Kwan brings a contagious, boundless energy to his job. He sets the tone with his approach. He also plays a terrific -- some say Gold Glove caliber -- left field. To me, he is the team's most valuable player. 

The infield of the peerless Jose Ramirez, Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor are steady, very productive and extremely reliable on a daily basis. Automatic write-ins in the daily lineup for Francona.

The outfield, which began the season rife with uncertainty and wild speculation on who would play on either side of center fielder Myles Straw, was settled with the arrival on May 26 of big Oscar Gonzalez, who began hitting immediately and hasn't stopped while adding power to his repertoire.

The catching corps represents a hole in the offensive lineup. But their importance lies in what they do behind the plate. Austin Hedges and Luke Maile are veterans at handling pitching staffs. Proof of their value lies in the steady improvement of the staff's earned-run average and WHIP.

The Guardians began this season with a new name, a new attitude, a new approach. Full confession: I was -- and still am -- against the name change. Way too politically correct for me. 

But I have found myself keeping track on a daily basis as they crushed Minnesota and Chicago down the stretch to win the division handily. Still don't like the name change, but I do like good baseball. And that's exactly what this team plays on a daily basis. It is a pleasure to watch.