The Cleveland Guardians have navigated this offseason in a way that suggests that the front office is counting on a handful of young players to take a meaningful step forward. It has been a quiet free agency period, but there are a lot of intriguing talents ready to make their mark after debuting late last season.
One area of the team that could use a bit of clarity is the starting rotation, as there are six starters competing for five spots. One young starter who showed glimpses of greatness late last season is firmly in that mix and is continuing to generate plenty of hype in Spring Training.
Chris Towers of CBS Sports recently wrote an article highlighting a few sleepers he likes for fantasy in 2026. Guardians starter Parker Messick has caught his attention.
“For all the hype around this crop of exciting pitchers who debuted in the second half of 2026, it seems like everyone is just forgetting about Messick. Messick doesn’t have even average velocity on his fastball, but the pitch has always punched above its weight, including with a 29% whiff rate last season, thanks to a low release point, excellent command, and the way it plays off his terrific changeup. Messick has never garnered a ton of hype as a prospect, but he has been very effective in the upper minors, routinely running 30% strikeout rates, which is one reason to think there might be some juice left to squeeze out of his average K rate from last season,” Towers wrote.
Messick has never been the most electric prospect due to his mediocre velocity, but he has consistently gotten people out at all levels, including in the big leagues. He went 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his seven starts late last season and was a big reason why the team was able to win the AL Central for a second consecutive year.
Manager Stephen Vogt has been pretty clear about the plan for the outfield, which also has its uncertainties, but fans haven’t heard much about the rotation. As long as Messick holds his own in Spring Training, he should be a favorite to crack the Opening Day rotation.
Five starters are never enough to make it through a full season, but it’s always fun to root for a young pitcher to take the next step. If Messick can do what he did last season over the course of 30 starts, the Guardians really do have a sleeper on their hands.
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