There are so many reasons the Cleveland Guardians have been able to use the same five starting pitchers for all but one game this season. Preparation and maintaining their conditioning are likely most important among those factors.
But the relationship between the pitchers and the coaching staff may be just as crucial. Manager Stephen Vogt and pitching coach Carl Willis creating an environment for them to thrive has been one of the hallmarks of Cleveland’s recent success.
Willis recently revealed the key to managing pitchers, saying that constant communication between everyone is what makes the system work.
“We talk in-game, during games, pregame about workloads, about not only today, but what’s still ahead of us. Out of respect to what’s in front of us and keeping what right now we feel are our best five available to go out and give us an opportunity to win each and every day, that has to be the priority,” Willis said. “The work and the communication the players provide us, the [pitching] staff and the medical staff, that’s the key.”
Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillio have each made at least 20 starts this season, as the Guardians recently surpassed the 100-game mark for the 2026 campaign. Logan Allen, who was part of Cleveland’s six-man rotation in the second half of last season, was recently summoned to make a spot start in a doubleheader that was necessary after a postponement due to poor air quality.
The bullpen is led by closer Cade Smith, who leads the majors with 29 saves in his 45 appearances. Despite dealing with the wear and tear that comes with any MLB season, Cleveland has six other pitchers with at least 38 appearances, with Matt Festa recording 44 and Tim Herrin at 42.
Entering play Saturday, among starting staffs, the Guardians rank second in the majors in innings pitched, behind the Seattle Mariners. Cleveland is seventh in ERA, eighth in WHIP, and is tied for 10th in batting average against. It has allowed the team to remain in contention in the tight AL Central while the offense has failed to produce and dealt with injuries.
Out of the bullpen, the Guardians’ 105 appearances are tied for most in the majors, though their innings pitched rank just 27th. They are sixth in ERA, tied for 12th in batting average against and 16th in WHIP.
Cleveland is likely to look for some reinforcements to their staff at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, but for now, the Guardians know they can rely on their pitchers, thanks to a strong foundation.
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