The Cleveland Guardians needed members of their starting rotation to step up to ease the losses of Shane Bieber, Luis Ortiz, and Ben Lively this season, and Slade Cecconi has answered the call and been a pleasant surprise this year.
However, Cecconi has taken a step back of late following a strong start to the season as his ERA has ballooned from 3.44 to 4.50 since July 9th.
During a recent episode of The BIGPLAY Cleveland Show, Jensen Lewis pointed out that the league is starting to make adjustments, and the book is out on Cecconi.
What's wrong with Slade Cecconi?
"I think the league is also starting to make a few adjustments. The book is definitely getting out on him a little bit more."
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This happens with any young player, and once the league adjusts, it’s then up to the player to readjust.
This is where Cecconi is at the moment after getting lit up in back-to-back starts by a pair of bad teams in the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox.
His strikeout rate has dipped quite a bit since the All-Star Break, and it’s possible he is getting into uncharted territory in terms of his workload since he pitched just 77 innings last year.
Cleveland’s pitching staff has been through a lot this year, from injuries to trades to gambling-related suspensions, and Cecconi’s emergence as a reliable starter has been a big reason why the train hasn’t come off the tracks.
With Joey Cantillo and the debuting Parker Messick showing solid upside of late, Cecconi’s hold on his spot in the rotation might not be as secure as it once was.
For Cleveland to make up the rest of the ground in this playoff race, it needs everyone pulling in the same direction.
Getting Cecconi’s recent struggles figured out would be a big step in the right direction.
NEXT: Former Player Reveals Major Concern About Guardians' Offense
