In the last couple of years, young left-hander Joey Cantillo has been considered one of the best prospects in the Cleveland Guardians’ system.
Tall, with excellent extension, and swing-and-miss stuff, the left-hander was mostly set back by his iffy control and inconsistent command.
It’s not at all unusual for a pitching prospect to struggle with those aspects, so the Guardians stuck with him.
They did have him change roles, though: instead of a starting pitcher, they made him a multi-inning reliever.
Not only did he respond well to the new role, but he has thrived.
“Long been a fan of Joey Cantillo. Was not sure the bullpen role was going to play that well for him. But he’s been brilliant today and the last few times out now. He’s found more on his fastball, commanding it and he’s found the right mix in with his changeup and curve now,” Guardians analyst Justin Lada posted on X.
Long been a fan of Joey Cantillo. Was not sure the bullpen role was going to play that well for him. But he's been brilliant today and the last few times out now. He's found more on his fastball, commanding it and he's found the right mix in with his changeup and curve now.
— Justin L. (jlbaseball on bluesky) (@JL_Baseball) April 13, 2025
On Sunday, the southpaw tossed two scoreless innings to keep the Guardians in the game, even though they eventually lost.
He was perfect in those two frames, surrendering no hits or walks while striking out four.
Rob Friedman, also known as the ‘Pitching Ninja’ on X, posted a clip of Cantillo’s stuff.
Joey Cantillo's 4Ks. pic.twitter.com/L8UOkBIxCR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 13, 2025
You can see how his heater, curveball, and changeup all looked fantastic, even better than last year.
He now has a brilliant 0.96 ERA for the season, walking just four and striking out 12 in his 9.1 innings of work.
We don’t know if the move to the bullpen is permanent for Cantillo, especially knowing how starting pitching depth can dissipate quicker than the blink of an eye.
For now, at least, it makes sense to leave him in a relief role.
He has been fantastic there.
NEXT: Guardians Complete Successful Homestand Despite Loss
