Parker Messick had some high expectations heading into this season for the Cleveland Guardians after he had such a strong showing down the stretch last year. He was a huge reason why Cleveland swooped in and stole the AL Central crown from the Detroit Tigers in September, but few expected him to be as great as he has been through the first few weeks of 2026.
Messick is 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA through five starts and was three outs shy of a no-hitter last week. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball thus far and gotten nothing but rave reviews from all parties, including a former Guardians pitcher who knows a thing or two about pitching for this team.
Cody Allen has had high praise for the young lefty. He raved about Messick’s poise and presence, noting how important those characteristics are in a great young pitcher.
“We can sit here and talk about some of the best pitchers that I got to watch in my career, and all of them have unbelievable mound presence. They are absolutely bulldogs. They have poise. [Parker Messick’s] got those things. For as young as he is, he doesn’t get rattled,” Allen said.
How good can Parker Messick be? #GuardsBall
"For as young as he is, he doesn't get rattled."
– Cody Allen pic.twitter.com/6EWXWxla5s
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) April 22, 2026
If Messick continues to pitch like one of the elites, it changes the trajectory of this entire team. Gavin Williams continues to improve as well while Joey Cantillo is taking some impressive steps forward of his own. Together, the Guardians have one of the league’s most exciting young rotations and should be proud of the work their developmental system did in getting them to this point.
The rotation as a whole has begun rounding into form and being the anchor this team needs, and most importantly, they are getting deeper into games to help a bullpen that has struggled mightily thus far. Hopefully, the offense can catch up soon, because the inconsistency in all facets has been the main thing holding this team back.
Cleveland hasn’t won or lost more than two games in a row yet. That speaks to the inconsistency, but we’ll see if the Guardians can go on a run soon with Messick at the forefront of it.
NEXT: Young Guardians Pitcher Is Lighting Up Radar Guns Again
