The Cleveland Guardians have had a quiet offseason so far and aren’t showing any signs of making any big splashes before the season starts, so any path to improvement will have to come from within. With a number of prospects slated to crack the Opening Day roster, guys like Chase DeLauter, George Valera, and C.J. Kayfus will have plenty of chances to help boost what was at times the worst lineup in baseball in 2025.
There is a ton of pressure on the offense to turn things around, but there is certainly room for the pitching staff to go up a level as well. Cleveland’s staff wasn’t quite as good last season as it was in 2024, but stats show how one young pitcher did break out last season and could make his way up to the big leagues in 2026 if he continues his progression.
Guardians Prospective posted on X to shed some light on Yorman Gomez, who led the organization across all minor league levels in strikeouts and wins while posting a 2.96 ERA. Gomez split the season between A+ and AA ball and was recently added to the 40-man roster, so there’s absolutely a world where he could surface on the Guardians roster in 2026.
“Cleveland Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Yorman Gomez already on the mound putting in work on the backfields of Goodyear today. Gomez had a breakout year in 2025 leading to him being added to the 40-man roster after the season. His organizational rankings amongst all pitchers with at least (85+ IP) on the 2025 season. 1) SO 139, 1) FIP 2.76, 1) Wins 12, 2) SwStr% 14.5%, 3) ERA 2.96, 3) SO% 27.6%, 3) SO/9 10.28, 3) HR/9 0.30, 4) IP 121.2, 4) SO/BB% 18.1%, 4) AVG .205, 4) WHIP 1.16, 6) SO/BB 2.90,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians 23yr old RHP prospect Yorman Gomez already on the mound putting in work on the backfields of Goodyear today.
Gomez had a breakout year in 2025 leading to him being added to the 40-man roster after the season.
His organizational rankings amongst all… pic.twitter.com/RgzWwSQDVp
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 5, 2026
Gomez has pitched over 100 innings in three consecutive seasons, so his durability shouldn’t be an issue. He also isn’t ranked among Cleveland’s top 30 prospects in MLB.com’s prospect rankings, so his ascension is certainly a surprise.
There is still uncertainty in the bullpen due to Emmanuel Clase’s gambling issues potentially ending his career, and Cade Smith taking over the closer role has thinned out the rest of the bullpen. There is a major need for somebody to step up, especially if Tim Herrin can’t regain his 2024 form after a dismal ’25 campaign.
It will be interesting to see how this bullpen unfolds. There are a lot of moving parts, and Gomez’s rise up the pecking order could quickly put him right in the mix.
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