Slade Cecconi is not making excuses. He is making observations, and there is a meaningful difference between the two.
After Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in the series finale, Cecconi sat down and gave an honest assessment of where he is as a pitcher right now. The results have not been what anyone wants. But the way he talked about his outing suggests a pitcher who understands exactly what is happening and believes the breakthrough is close.
“It’s a gut punch to see it and the way it did, because I did feel like I was on a roll and back to myself attacking the zone with my 3 fast balls and… sweeper was really there. Got some good strikes, good swings, some good pitches out of his own with it. Just couple curve balls today. Executed one below the zone well, dropped one in for a strike well. But the rest just weren’t quite clicking yet. And they will, they will. That’s the last piece of the puzzle, right there,” Cecconi said.
#Guardians Slade Cecconi on balancing today's tough result with encouraging progress from some of his pitches:
"It's a gut punch to see it and the way it did, because I did feel like I was on a roll and back to myself attacking the zone with my 3 fast balls and… sweeper was…— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 26, 2026
The problem with Sunday’s outing was not the stuff. It was the progression of the game. Cecconi worked four scoreless innings after falling behind 2-0 in the first, which is a real positive. But when the Blue Jays’ lineup turned over for the third time in the sixth inning, Toronto had his number by then.
The third time through the order is Cecconi’s Achilles heel right now, and it is not a subtle problem. It is a pattern showing up consistently in his 2026 numbers, and it is the primary reason he sits at 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA despite showing genuine quality in stretches of nearly every start he has made.
In his last two starts combined, Cecconi has given up 10 earned runs on 16 hits across 10.2 innings. Those are not numbers that inspire confidence.
The Guardians need results from him soon. At 15-14 and returning home to face Tampa Bay, there is no margin to keep absorbing rough outings from the back of the rotation while the rest of the staff carries the load.
Cecconi believes the results are coming. Cleveland is counting on him being right.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Series Finale To Toronto And A Familiar Issue Is To Blame
