The Cleveland Guardians are set to begin their first postseason series of the year against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The Guardians won the AL Central, which guaranteed them a trip to the ALDS.
Now, it’s time for the Guardians to step up to the plate and deliver. The bye gave this team plenty of time to align their rotation to set them up for success. Unsurprisingly, the Guardians will hand the ball to Parker Messick for Game 1 of this series.
He recently talked about what it means to get the nod in the series opener.
“I remember last year sitting there watching the games, I was itching to get in. So this year definitely going to be pretty fun for me to have a say in it, and I’m just excited to get going. It’s been a long time coming,” Messick said.
"I remember last year sitting there watching the games. I was itching to get in. So this year, definitely going to be pretty fun for me to have a say in it"
Inside the #Guardians Clubhouse with Cleveland's Game 1 Starter: Parker Messick#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/V88mT8jkbQ
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) October 1, 2026
Messick is scheduled to make his first postseason appearance of his career on Saturday afternoon. He didn’t get a chance to pitch in the playoffs last year, but now he’ll get to be the first Guardians pitcher to throw a pitch in the 2026 playoffs.
This season, Messick registered a 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 193/49 K/BB ratio across 32 starts. The 25-year-old made his first career All-Star Game this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Messick get some CY Young votes after the season he posted in 2026.
Messick has only been in the league for two years, but he has already made a handful of appearances against the White Sox. The southpaw owns a 3-1 record with a 2.56 ERA and 33 strikeouts in five appearances against the South Siders. His latest appearance was in mid-September when he gave up one earned run across six innings of work in a win.
This team has something special in Messick, and hopefully, his success will continue in the postseason. Messick has been solid all year long and excellent against the White Sox.
No one on this staff is more deserving to start Game 1 than Messick.
NEXT: Analyst Makes Case For One Guardians Pitcher To Start Game 3
