The Cleveland Guardians rallied behind their young players to close out the 2025 season on a high note and make the playoffs as divisional champions. People gushed about George Valera and C.J. Kayfus – and rightfully so – and then got to take a quick glimpse at Chase DeLauter’s talents.
Nevertheless, as impressive as their young sluggers were, they also had a breathtaking hurler turn plenty of heads in his first taste of MLB action.
That’s why MLB analyst Tim Stebbins believes that Parker Messick is about to break out next season:
“The Guardians promoted Messick from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 20, and he quickly showed he had the right demeanor and stuff to succeed in the big leagues. As manager Stephen Vogt put it before Messick’s second career start, ‘He’s coming at you and is not afraid of the strike zone.’ Messick recorded a 2.72 ERA with 38 strikeouts and six walks in 39 2/3 innings over seven starts down the stretch, and held opponents to a miniscule 29.8% hard-hit rate. If his first MLB stint is a harbinger for what’s to come, Messick may be set for a big 2026,” Stebbins wrote.
The southpaw should be a strong candidate to make the rotation right out of the gate. Of course, given his lack of experience, it also wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him being the odd man out.
Still, even if that’s the case, he will be just one phone call away at Triple-A Columbus, and he should be the first call for this organization. He proved to be more than ready, and given his talent and poise, he should be given a longer leash in what hopefully will be his first full season in the majors.
Stephen Vogt has a good problem on his hands right now. Not all teams can brag about having such a deep rotation and more playable pitchers than they can get on the mound.
Notably, it might sound like a reach, but given the way he fared last season in the minors and the majors, Pessick might be the best starting pitcher on the team.
He just needs a chance to prove it.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Pedro Avila's Likely Role With Guardians
