The Cleveland Guardians reached the ALCS last season thanks to their defense and their bullpen.
Their starting rotation, while promising, left plenty to be desired.
Of course, some of that had to do with Gavin Williams’ somewhat worrisome regression.
With that in mind, MLB analyst Mandy Bell claimed that even though he’s a lock to be in the rotation to start the season, he might be hard-pressed to get back to the level he showcased during his rookie campaign:
“Williams will assuredly be in the rotation on Opening Day. The question is whether he’ll be able to find the consistency that he was lacking last year. Instead of taking a leap forward in his development, he was sidelined for the first half of the season and fought through rust when he returned,” Bell said.
Williams was nothing short of spectacular in his first season in the league, and he looked like a legitimate star in the making.
Unfortunately, he sustained an elbow injury during Spring Training.
He had to be on the shelf for the start of the season, and he failed to regain his confidence and rhythm once he was finally able to make his return.
Then again, the talent is most definitely there, and he’s certainly worth another shot.
Williams is a top breakout candidate for the upcoming campaign, especially because, despite his struggles, he improved his strikeout rate and fastball velocity.
The Guardians have another bounce-back candidate in their rotation, Triston McKenzie.
Hopefully, he will also be able to get back on track after some major struggles with his command.
With Williams and McKenzie getting closer to what they were in the past and Shane Bieber returning at some point in the season, this once-shaky rotation could be very dangerous this season.
NEXT: Insider Names Critical Aspect Of Guardians' Success This Season
