The Cleveland Guardians have been able to put together a strong, underrated rotation for the 2026 campaign. It doesn’t have much in the way of depth beyond the top five, but Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, and Parker Messick form a solid group with some upside and room to improve.
The baseball world has been paying close attention to Messick in recent weeks, basically because he won a rotation spot over Logan Allen and showed just how good he can be when he posted a 2.72 ERA in limited action last year.
However, people appear to be sleeping on Cantillo, and he has as much upside as anyone in the staff besides maybe Williams. The left-hander also showed a glimpse of his talent last year, with a 3.21 ERA in 95.1 frames.
You can say that was Cantillo’s breakout campaign, but we’ll stop you right there. He is capable of more, and MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins thinks so, too.
“Bold Prediction: Joey Cantillo will be an All-Star,” Stebbins wrote. “Williams made a big jump last year, and Cantillo could follow suit this season. The lefty had a bumpy 2025 in which he was jockeyed between the Majors and Minors, and the bullpen and starting rotation. He was elite in September as part of the Guardians’ six-man rotation (1.55 ERA in 29 innings over five starts). Cantillo entered this spring with a refreshed demeanor and a refined arsenal, and could take a significant leap this summer.”
With more clarity regarding his role on the staff and the confidence boost of learning that he can actually dominate opposing lineups, Cantillo could be primed to take another step forward this year.
He will be a starter this season for the Guardians, but that wasn’t always the case in 2025. He pitched 34 games, starting 13 of them. Despite the constant change of roles and surroundings, Cantillo was excellent in both roles, posting a 2.96 ERA as a member of the rotation and a 3.81 mark as a bullpen piece.
It’s not crazy to say that Cantillo, a guy with a smooth delivery and a devilish changeup that earned a 49.4 percent whiff rate in 2025, might take another step forward in his development and become an All-Star.
The shape of his changeup gives him an edge against righty hitters, but if he can find a consistent, reliable weapon to neutralize lefties, the sky is the limit for the 26-year-old. Maybe having more fun on the mound can help him relax more and reach a whole new level.
NEXT: Analyst Makes Big Playoff Prediction About Guardians In 2026
