We are approaching the one-month mark of the 2026 MLB season, and even though samples are still not that big, we can start making some assumptions based on performances to this point.
The Cleveland Guardians might not be elite, but they are a solid ballclub with a very good pitching staff and an improving offense with more resources than recent seasons. Their bullpen is a work in progress, but there are reasons to be optimistic.
Chase DeLauter was the star of the early days of the season, and Gavin Williams appears to be blossoming into a real ace. Parker Messick, however, has been the real story of the first month of the year for Cleveland.
The rookie left-hander boasts a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 innings, one of the best marks in baseball. Run prevention has been incredible, but he has also shown some encouraging traits: increased fastball velocity, an ability to work deep into games and maintain his velo in the late innings, and incredible mound presence and poise are just some of them.
Bleacher Report recently ranked the top ten hitters and pitchers of the season so far, and Messick appears eighth among hurlers. That’s a fair placement for him, given his immense improvements.
“Rookie southpaw Parker Messick made big waves on Thursday by carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Orioles. The funny thing about that is his ERA ended up more than doubling from 0.51 at the start of the day to 1.05 at the end of that inning when he allowed the first two batters to reach base, followed by Cade Smith allowing them both to score. Up until that point, though, he had gone more than 25 innings with just one run allowed on a Matt Shaw solo shot, going at least six scoreless on the road against both the Dodgers and Braves,” Kerry Miller wrote, going through the events that took place last Thursday.
People were already familiar with Messick’s growth as a pitcher after his first couple of starts, but he became the focus of national attention on Thursday with his unsuccessful bid for the no-hitter against the O’s. That’s when fans realized we might be witnessing the birth of a new ace.
Miller even said that he feels Messick might be a tad low in the rankings. That’s how good he has been to this point. He’s one of the main reasons the Guardians lead the AL Central with a 13-10 record.
Cleveland is 4-0 in games started by Messick as of Monday afternoon. Every time he takes the ball, he gives his team a chance to win.
NEXT: Key Guardians Unit Has A Chance To Break Historic Slump
