If there was any remaining doubt about where the Cleveland starting rotation stands among the best in baseball, the numbers released this week should put that conversation to rest permanently.
Guardians Prospective posted a breakdown of where Cleveland’s starters rank across the major leagues on the season, and the results paint a picture of a pitching staff that is not just good by early-season standards. It is historic.
“Cleveland Guardians starting rotation MLB rankings on the season: 1st in SO with 81, 2nd in ERA at 2.67, 3rd in AVG at .184, 3rd in SO% at 30.0%, 4th in IP at 67.1, 4th in SO/9 at 10.83,” Guardians Prospective posted.
Cleveland #Guardians starting rotation MLB rankings on the season.
1) SO 81
2) ERA 2.67
3) AVG .184
3) SO% 30.0%
4) IP 67.1
4) SO/9 10.83#GuardsBall— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 9, 2026
Leading all of baseball in strikeouts while ranking second in ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .184 average is very impressive. The rotation has been the backbone of everything Cleveland has accomplished through the first 13 games of the season, and the rankings confirm what anyone watching closely has already been able to see.
Cleveland has played games in 33 and 44 degree weather, against lineups that include World Series champions, division contenders, and battle-tested veterans.
Joey Cantillo struck out nine against Kansas City in Wednesday’s series clincher. Parker Messick has allowed just one run across 11 innings in two starts. Gavin Williams became the first Cleveland starter to allow two hits or fewer in each of his first three outings of the season. Slade Cecconi delivered six shutout innings in game one of the Easter doubleheader. Tanner Bibee was excellent against Kansas City before the pitch count brought an early exit.
Five starters. Five different nights of quality pitching. One collective statement about what this rotation is capable of doing over a full season.
ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft predicted this week that Messick, Cecconi, and Cantillo could become just the second trio in baseball history to each reach 150 strikeouts in the same season, with the 1998 Braves being the only team to accomplish that feat. Through the first two weeks, nothing about the rotation’s performance suggests that projection is unreasonable.
NEXT: Guardians Player Is Having A Remarkable Turnaround
