The Cleveland Guardians have lost five consecutive games. After starting last week’s series against the Minnesota Twins with two wins, they looked primed for a nice run. Instead, they dropped the last two against their division rivals and were swept in Tampa by the Rays.
Sunday’s loss was particularly hard to stomach. Starting pitcher Parker Messick gave them an incredible outing in which he surrendered just one run in 7.2 innings of work and still wound up getting the loss because the offense couldn’t do anything.
Messick conceded just six hits, but didn’t walk anyone and struck out six. He was so good that his already elite 2.68 ERA dropped to 2.59. The Guardians’ offense made sure he went home empty-handed, though.
Messick earned praise from his manager, Stephen Vogt. He said that he was ‘as impressive as they have seen him all year’.
“Parker was unbelievable, efficient. You know, they really didn’t get anything going outside the one inning. They manufactured a run really well. Tip your cap to them. It’s what you have to do against pitchers like that. So he was outstanding today. That was as impressive as we’ve seen Parker all year,” Vogt said.
(Via #Guardians Audio) Stephen Vogt to reporters in Tampa on Parker Messick's outing:
"Parker was unbelievable, efficient. You know, they really didn't get anything going outside the one inning. They manufactured a run really well. Tip your cap to them. It's what you have to do…— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 26, 2026
Vogt is spot-on when he says Messick was efficient. He needed just 94 pitches to complete 7.2 innings.
In fact, Messick has been one of the hardest-working starters in baseball. As of Monday morning, he ranks eighth in baseball in innings pitched with 125.1. One has to wonder if the Guardians will eventually do a better job of being mindful of his workload, but right now, they need each and every one of those innings.
At this rate, with such a low ERA over a significant sample, it’s safe to say that the All-Star lefty is not just one of the most improved players in the league, but also one of the finest pitchers in the game at the moment.
Messick won’t wow you with velocity, but he has one of the best fastballs in MLB when accounting for ride, command, extension, and deception. That, combined with his elite changeup, excellent complementary pitches, and bulldog mentality, makes him one of the most pleasantly surprising stories of the year for the Guardians.
NEXT: Guardians Make Discouraging Move In Latest Power Rankings
