Parker Messick has been solid in the 2026 postseason for the Cleveland Guardians, posting a 3.09 ERA and striking out 14 in 11.2 innings so far. Gavin Williams, however, has blossomed into the most feared starting pitcher not just on the team, but probably among teams still in contention for the World Series title.
Williams has always had big strikeout stuff, but he has put it all together this year and taken a step forward to enter the upper echelon of MLB pitchers. His 3.76 regular-season ERA was good, but his 248 strikeouts, a number that led the American League, were even better.
Well, the big righty is taking it up a notch in October. His team needed a bona fide shutdown guy, and Williams is delivering big-time.
On Thursday, Williams shut down the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series, allowing just two runs over five frames while fanning nine hitters. Top batters such as Junior Caminero had no chance against his incredible stuff.
“Facing Williams, though, Caminero and the Rays barely stood a chance. The breakout star of the 2026 postseason is on another planet right now. He struck out nine Rays batters over his five innings, giving Williams a whopping 33 Ks over 16 2/3 innings. His postseason strikeout percentage (45.9%) is the highest in MLB history among pitchers who have thrown 10 or more innings, ahead of Corey Knebel (44.6%),” Keegan Matheson wrote.
You can expect a 45.9 percent strikeout rate from a shutdown reliever over a small sample. It’s simply too high to be associated with a starting pitcher, let alone one doing it when it matters most: in October. That’s how dominant Williams has looked.
First, he toyed with the Chicago White Sox for two starts and a relief appearance in the AL Division Series. Now, he is doing it to the Rays, the best team in the junior circuit according to regular-season standings.
Williams now boasts a 2.16 ERA in the 2026 postseason. So, it’s not just the strikeouts: he is single-handedly putting the Guardians in a position to win every one of his starts.
It’s a luxury to have such a dominant starter in October, when the lights shine brightest.
NEXT: Analyst Gives Credit To Guardians' Organization For Incredible Postseason Run
