The Cleveland Guardians’ season didn’t end the way they intended, but it was far from a wasted campaign.
It showed that they could compete against anyone when they were at their best, and it helped them rally around one another amid some of the toughest times in recent years.
More than that, it also paved the way for some young players to prove their worth.
One of those was Parker Messick, a pitcher who was one of their most crucial reinforcements down the stretch.
That’s why, despite a small sample size, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently named the left-hander as one of the best MLB players under 25.
“SP Parker Messick,” Reuter wrote. “A second-round pick in 2022 who profiled as the prototypical high-floor college lefty, Messick dominated minor league hitters with a 3.33 ERA and 420 strikeouts in 354 innings before making his MLB debut on Aug. 20. In seven starts down the stretch, he logged a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings, playing a major role in Cleveland’s mad dash to the playoffs.”
Messick didn’t look fazed by the bright lights of the majors or the demands of a pennant race.
Manager Stephen Vogt chose to use a six-man rotation for a stretch when the Guardians would play 24 games in as many days, and with a margin of error that was close to zero.
Messick was up to the challenge, and he did more than enough to be a strong candidate to be in the starting rotation next season and for years to come.
The Guardians also have an elite coaching staff, so he’s likely to get even better.
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