In 2022, Cleveland Guardians’ young starter Triston McKenzie was on top of the world.
He posted a 2.96 ERA over 191.1 innings and delivered 11 additional frames in the postseason with a 3.27 ERA.
In 2023, however, he was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear.
He decided against surgery and is, sadly, still paying the consequences.
After allowing four more runs on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, McKenzie’s season ERA is up to an unfathomable 11.12, and his WHIP is an even worse 2.47.
Granted, it’s just 5.2 innings, but McKenzie’s control and command have been erratic ever since he was diagnosed with the ailment a few years ago.
After that magical 2022, he posted a 5.06 ERA in 2023 and a 5.11 mark last year, alternating time between MLB and Triple-A.
This sequence shows he is not in the right place to be pitching for a team with postseason aspirations, both physically and mentally:
Guardians @ Orioles 4/16
Triston McKenzie
Plays catch with the spectators, ball 2
Juuuuust a bit low, ball 3
Finds the middle ground, O'Hearn finds the flag court pic.twitter.com/pXqQeYawgV— Radacted (@onehit42) April 17, 2025
McKenzie has worked hard to regain his best form, even increasing his velocity a couple of miles per hour (in comparison to last year) due to his dedication in the offseason.
But his command and control are completely gone, especially with his breaking ball.
Wednesday’s game also proves that the control of his fastball also comes and goes.
It was both tough and sad to see.
Pitching with a UCL tear can affect command and velocity.
In McKenzie’s case, it’s clear that the former is not just there anymore, no matter how hard he throws.
At this point, he needs to have the surgery for the sake of his career.
He would miss about a year and a half but could come back much stronger in 2026 or 2027.
NEXT: Gavin Williams Gets Honest About His Expectations This Season
