The Cleveland Guardians are in the middle of an intense fight for a place in the MLB playoffs. They are vying with multiple teams to remain in possession of one of the Wild Card spots and are 73-72 after Monday’s loss in Baltimore, so they have a lot of work to do to gain separation.
In such a tight race, every win counts. Every run, every out, and every batted ball is important. A team like the Guardians, known for playing on the margins, needs to make sure they have capable personnel in charge of making every start and pitching every inning.
Joey Cantillo used to guarantee Cleveland a solid start every time he went up on the mound. He posted a very good 3.21 ERA last year, so expectations were big heading into 2026.
After walking five hitters and hitting two on Monday’s loss, Cantillo’s ERA now stands at 4.00 in 144 frames this season. Maybe hitters have figured him out, or perhaps he is tired after reaching a career-high in innings, but he hasn’t been reliable for a while now.
In fact, he has been quite bad since July 19, and his rotation spot could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t turn his season around.
“Cleveland Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo since 7/19/26: – 43.0 IP, 48 H, 24 ER, 28 BB, 49 SO, 5.02 ERA,” Guardians Prospective said.
Cleveland #Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo since 7/19/26:
– 43.0(IP) 48H 24ER 28BB 49SO 5.02 ERA
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 7, 2026
Cantillo is prone to losing the plate from time to time, and the walks and hit-by-pitches often come back to haunt him. They resulted in four runs on Monday, in just 2.1 innings.
The Guardians just can’t trust him at the moment, and a move to the bullpen could actually help keep him fresh for the stretch run and, potentially, the postseason. Cleveland currently has several candidates to replace him in the rotation, ranging from Slade Cecconi and the rehabbing Ben Lively to even Logan Allen.
Knowing the Guardians, they are going to try to straighten out Cantillo, and who are we to question their ability to do so? They have a long track record of developing pitchers and helping them get back on track.
He is running out of time, though.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Opener In Baltimore As Joey Cantillo Struggles With Control
