MLB.com, the league’s official site, performed a cool exercise to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
They had beat writers from each team select a breakout candidate for that club in the upcoming campaign.
In the specific case of the Cleveland Guardians, it’s definitely hard to pinpoint just one player because it’s a young, talented roster filled with breakout candidates.
But Mandy Bell, who covers the team for the league’s site, identified a very solid young hurler with elbow issues that limited him for much of 2024: Gavin Williams.
“Williams was supposed to take a step forward in 2024. Instead, an elbow injury sidelined him until July and he was left playing catch-up for the rest of the year. In flashes, we saw just how elite Williams can be, but he lacked consistency. His rookie season in ’23 was stellar. Now, it’s time to prove he can be the every-fifth-day workhorse this organization projects him to be. And with thin rotation depth, the Guardians will need Williams to step up now more than ever,” she wrote.
Williams had an impressive 2023 with a 3.29 ERA in 82 innings as a rookie.
Last year, however, that troublesome elbow injury limited him to a 4.86 ERA in 76 frames.
His raw tools and minor league performance say that he is much closer to his 2023 version than what he showed this past season.
It’s, therefore, reasonably likely that he will bounce back big time in 2025 since he is at full health.
The Guardians certainly need him because they will already be without Shane Bieber for the first couple of months.
Having Williams close to his best version will certainly help the rotation stay afloat.
NEXT: Guardians Wish 'Happiest And Healthiest' 2025 For Everybody
