The Cleveland Guardians are sitting with a mild lead atop the AL Central largely thanks to the performance of the starting rotation. The lineup has shown glimpses of improvement compared to last year thanks to the performance of some incredible young talents like Chase DeLauter, Angel Martinez, and Travis Bazzana, but the rotation continues to be the backbone of this team year after year.
This year’s rotation might even have a higher ceiling due to the improvements made by Gavin Williams and Parker Messick, who are both firmly in the mix to make their first All-Star teams with Messick placing himself in the Rookie of the Year conversation. With the two of them atop the rotation, the Guardians should be in good hands for many years to come, and it doesn’t hurt that it sounds like they get along quite well.
During a recent interview, Messick raved about the big righty. He gave some thoughtful insight about what impresses him about Williams and joked about how tough he is during the games of catch they often play.
“I’d pay $100 to throw his fastball and his curveball. When he’s reaching out and he’s letting it go, it catches up to you faster than you anticipate,” said Messick.
Williams is 5-3 with a 3.74 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 55.1 innings while Messick is 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA. While Williams has gotten beaten up a little bit in three of his last four starts, he is getting better and better at routinely going deeper into games.
He has all the makings of being an ace, with his control and his consistency being the only real things holding him back from being that guy. The K/BB ratio is much-improved from last season, and if he can keep improving in that aspect, he absolutely could be an ace.
Cleveland has been fortunate enough to use only five starters so far this season. These two rising stars, along with Joey Cantillo, have this rotation in a great place for the future, and it’s nice to hear how close the three young pitchers are.
NEXT: Angel Martinez Is Doing Something In 2026 That Nobody Saw Coming
