Daniel Espino’s name was already one to watch in Cleveland. This October, he’s become something more: a real weapon in the Guardians’ bullpen, and one of the most compelling stories in the sport right now.
The 25-year-old right-hander has handled a little bit of everything in the postseason. He’s opened games, worked in high-leverage spots and delivered one of the defining innings of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. For a pitcher whose path nearly got wiped out by injuries, just getting to pitch in October is no small thing.
Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis has seen the journey up close, and he didn’t hide how much Espino’s run has meant.
“I don’t want to say it’s almost a miracle because he’s been through things that very few, if any, have been through in this game and gotten back to a point where he can go out and do the things we’ve seen him do on the mound. He has taken every setback in stride and continued to work.
Challenged himself, been a great listener, been a great communicator. He’s just stepped up to every challenge, and we’re seeing it evolve right now.
It’s not only a blessing, but it’s certainly exciting to watch him, and hopefully we’ll be watching him for a number of years,” Willis said.
Willis added that he doesn’t want to label the comeback almost a miracle, but the point was clear: Espino has been through things very few players ever face and still found his way back to this stage. Willis also praised the righty for handling every setback, staying locked in, pushing himself, listening well and communicating well as he’s kept climbing.
Espino’s rise started back in 2019, when Cleveland took him in the first round with the 24th overall pick out of Georgia Premier Academy. The Panama native quickly built a reputation as one of baseball’s most electric pitching prospects, armed with a blazing fastball and a slider that could wipe out hitters. Then came the injuries, including a run of shoulder problems and surgery that kept him off the mound for years and raised real questions about whether he’d ever make it to the majors.
He finally got there this season, and he didn’t waste time making an impression. In 14 appearances, including three starts, Espino posted a 4.11 ERA and struck out 25 batters in 15 1/3 innings.
Later in the regular season, Cleveland started using him as an opener for Joey Cantillo, and that move paid off immediately. Cantillo followed Espino with 15 scoreless innings over his final three outings.
The postseason has only sharpened the spotlight on Espino. In the division series against the White Sox, with Cleveland facing elimination, he opened Game 3 and struck out two hitters in the first inning before handing things over to Foster Griffin.
Then came Game 1 of the ALCS, when he came in during the fifth inning and punched out Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero in order - the top three hitters in a Rays lineup that hit 88 home runs in the regular season. Across three playoff appearances, Espino has struck out five batters in 2 1/3 innings.
That kind of versatility is exactly what Stephen Vogt can use in a seven-game series where every out gets amplified. Espino can start a game, go right after the middle of a lineup or bridge the gap to Cade Smith and the late-inning group.
With the best-of-seven series tied at one game apiece heading into Game 3 on Thursday, Gavin Williams will start for Cleveland. And if the Guardians need a big strikeout this week, they know they’ve got a pitcher who has already fought through far more than any lineup can throw at him.
In Other News...
Guardians' Most Painful Trade Looks Even Worse After New Report
The 2021 swap that sent Junior Caminero from Cleveland to Tampa Bay has long lingered as one of the organizations toughest second guesses, and fresh reporting only adds another layer to the regret. The Guardians moved the then-rising prospect for pitcher Tobias Myers, a deal made with the hope of solving a pitching need while parting with a young hitter who was still far from the majors.
Now the sting is not just what Cleveland gave up, but how close the Rays came to asking for something else from the system before settling on Caminero. Xzavion Curry was among the minor leaguers Tampa Bay initially sought, and the fact that Caminero has developed into a top prospect while Myers and Curry have had quieter big league careers makes the trade look even harder to defend in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Schedule Change Created An Unusual MLB Playoff Ripple
MLBs postseason calendar picked up an odd little domino effect Wednesday, with the league moving Game 4 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers up an hour to 8 p.m. ET. The change did not come out of nowhere. It followed the earlier decision to shift ALCS Game 3 between the Guardians and Rays from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET because of expected inclement weather, a reminder of how one playoff adjustment can ripple across the rest of the bracket.
For Cleveland fans, the practical part is simple: the team confirmed that tickets and parking passes will still work for the new start time. The bigger picture is a postseason schedule that can still bend quickly around weather, TV and the rest of the leagues needs, even as the Guardians try to stay focused on the field rather than the clock. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Is Giving Guardians Fans Another Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams has already done his share to fuel Clevelands October run, and now he is looking to add something else to the mix as the Guardians head into the next round. The young starting pitcher said he wants to be a more vocal leader as the club prepares for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a sign of how quickly he has grown from power arm to one of the voices in the room.
Williams backed up that confidence with his latest outing, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the series-clinching win over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland now turns to a Game 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, set for 1 PM ET Thursday after a weather-related delay from the original 6 PM start, and the Guardians will be hoping their emerging starter brings the same edge both on the mound and in the clubhouse. [Read more 🡒]