The Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox kick off the American League Division Series on Saturday at 1 pm ET. Left-hander Parker Messick will take the hill for Cleveland, and Hagen Smith will toe the rubber for the Pale Hose in the opener.
The best-of-five affair is pretty much evenly matched. However, these two Guardians players will be crucial, and if they play well, the team has a strong chance of advancing.
Jose Ramirez
The superstar and future Hall of Fame candidate has been one of the most consistent players of his time and has dominated the last decade. The 2026 campaign, however, has been rough for him.
He posted a well-below-average 92 wRC+, hit .235, and was limited to 12 home runs, his lowest total since 2016. A broken hamate bone in June not only forced him to go to the injured list in mid-June, but it also limited his offensive output and power after he returned in July.
The question remains: how healthy is Ramirez? He finished the month with a well-below-average 39 wRC+ and was at a 66 mark in the second half. The evidence doesn’t point toward a breakthrough, but baseball is a mysterious game.
Perhaps the extended break from the moment the Guardians’ regular season ended last Sunday to Saturday helped him feel better. All we know is that, if Cleveland wants to have an edge over the White Sox, they need their superstar clicking.
Gavin Williams
Everybody is talking about how convenient it is for Cleveland to have Parker Messick and Gavin Williams potentially start four of the five hypothetical AL Division Series games between them. And make no mistake, it is!
However, Williams’ run-prevention skills aren’t as good as Messick’s. He can be more overpowering on the right day, and his upside is higher, but Messick is much less prone to complete meltdowns.
Williams allowed four earned runs or more in three of his last 10 starts. The last time Messick surrendered four earned runs in a start was in June.
If Williams can bring his A-game, Cleveland is highly unlikely to lose the series. He will always strike out a bunch of people, but that doesn’t make him immune to leaving hittable balls in the zone or ‘losing it’ for an inning or two.
The upside is there for Williams to go on an epic postseason run and allow three earned runs in six or seven starts combined. He is also more volatile, though.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Why Guardians Have The Edge Against White Sox
