The Cleveland Guardians didn’t have the final stretch they hoped for.
They couldn’t keep their foot on the gas in the playoffs after being the hottest team in all of baseball in the final month of the season.
Nevertheless, the fans have nothing to be sad about.
If anything, they have plenty of reasons to feel excited about the future.
One of those reasons is Joey Cantillo.
As Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report pointed out, the southpaw youngster was one of the best rookies in the league this season.
In his latest column, he ranked him at No. 22 in that regard:
“The Guardians acquired Cantillo as part of the massive six-player package they received from San Diego in exchange for Mike Clevinger at the 2020 trade deadline, and he finished the season strong after moving into the rotation at the beginning of July. Over his final seven starts, he logged a 1.59 ERA in 39.2 innings, allowing two or fewer earned runs in each of those outings,” Reuter wrote.
Cantillo was solid for most of the season.
The Guardians still demoted him to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers to make sure he continued to get consistent playing time when they didn’t seem to need him.
Then, they called him back up to join a six-man rotation that needed to hold its ground during a span of 24 games in as many days.
Judging by the stats and the eye test, he did more than fine, and he should definitely be a strong candidate to crack the rotation from the very start of next season.
Along with fellow rookie Parker Messick, Joey Cantillo gave Stephen Vogt’s team a breath of fresh air and a much-needed, reliable arm in the most crucial stretch of the campaign.
Now, they need to keep developing him and trusting him, as he has the potential to be a very good player for years to come.
NEXT: Guardians Named Among MLB Teams That 'Excel' In Key Offensive Area
