Monday wasn’t a particularly good day for Cleveland Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo. He saw his ERA rise to 4.00 after allowing four runs in just 2.1 innings in the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
The main problem was control. He lost the zone and issued five walks, also hitting two batters in the process. Starts like these not only put the offense in a huge hole, but also overtax the bullpen with innings, affecting the team in what one would call a ‘domino effect’.
Right now, with Parker Messick and Gavin Williams pitching like aces and Tanner Bibee and Foster Griffin putting up steady numbers, Cantillo is the weak link in the Guardians’ rotation. Some would say that his rotation spot might be in danger, and for the first time in months, Cleveland has some potential alternatives.
The southpaw, however, isn’t freaking out. He is calm and collected, confident that he can get out of his funk.
“No, I’m very confident. I think there’s certain moments out there where maybe your confidence is being challenged, and that’s when you need to win those moments. You got to execute on the things you want to do, and I think from an execution standpoint, I’m not executing. But I know what I can do in this game. I think it’s very clear what I can do in this game, and I will,” Cantillo said, per Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland.
(Via #Guardians audio) Joey Cantillo to reporters in Baltimore on if his issues today are confidence based:
“No, I'm very confident. I think there's certain moments out there where maybe your your confidence is being challenged, and that's when you need to win those moments.…
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) September 7, 2026
Cantillo concedes that he is not going through his best stretch as a starter. In fact, the numbers are loud and clear: he has a 5.02 ERA in his last 43 innings dating back to July 19.
However, he also trusts his talent. As he says, he knows what he can do in this game. Last year, for instance, he posted a 3.21 ERA.
Cantillo has the stuff to bounce back, but he needs to sharpen his command if he wants to succeed. Cleveland needs to trust him when they send him to the mound, but right now, that trust isn’t there.
He will likely get more chances to show his worth and give his team five or six quality innings, but the situation has gotten to a point in which he needs to take advantage of those opportunities. And he needs to do it now.
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