Most MLB managers dream of having a solid rotation. All of them, however, want to have a steady group in which every starter stays healthy for the entire year. In the modern game, that’s incredibly rare.
The Cleveland Guardians, however, have been lucky enough to boast not only a solid group of starters but an extremely durable one, too. It has gone under the radar, but the extraordinary run of good health has made the team set a franchise record this year.
“Cleveland’s current rotation has already set a franchise record with the same five starters making 97 consecutive starts. Cleveland’s only other five-man rotation to come close was in 1999 when the same five starters made 79 straight starts,” Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes wrote.
Ever since the start of the season and up to the final game of the first half, it has been Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Joey Cantillo, and Slade Cecconi each taking the ball every five days. No one has missed a start because of the flu, a sprain, a strain, inflammation, or anything.
Even when Bibee complained of shoulder discomfort after his Opening Day outing, he was able to make his next start and held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run in four innings. All Guardians starters, with the exception of Cecconi, have already surpassed 100 innings in 2026, and the main piece of the Josh Naylor trade is at 99.
The Guardians don’t have much starting pitching depth beyond these five, though. Logan Allen is their only viable candidate to make starts at the MLB level with any semblance of consistency, which is why some fans and analysts are pushing for the team to acquire a rotation piece ahead of the deadline.
Yes, the Guardians’ quintet has been solid and durable, but the organization would be smart to prepare just in case they have to preserve their health down the stretch, or even worse, replace one of them if there’s an injury. No one wants to see Cleveland’s 2026 season derailed by an untimely strain.
The fact that all of them have been able to remain in one piece is nothing short of amazing, though. And it needs to be said. Kudos to them for putting so much emphasis on their pre-start prep and also to the training staff for pitching in.
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