Rookie Parker Messick’s third-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting was not the kind of result that invites disappointment. If anything, it was a nod to how quickly he put himself in the conversation.
The bigger argument came with Monday’s Rookie of the Year vote, where Messick finished second to Detroit infielder Kevin McGonigle. That one is harder to sort through, because voters usually lean toward the everyday position player over a starting pitcher who works every four or five days.
McGonigle piled up 707 plate appearances while appearing in 156 of Detroit’s 162 games. Messick, meanwhile, went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts for Cleveland, logging 186 1/3 innings. He also faced 747 batters and held them to a .217 average.
That leaves the real question: which matters more, McGonigle’s 707 plate appearances or Messick’s 747 batters faced? In that light, Messick’s workload looks a lot like everyday production.
Cade Smith’s finish in the first BBWAA Reliever of the Year vote was a different story. That one stings.
Louis Varland of the last-place Toronto Blue Jays took the award, with Smith second and Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker third. Varland’s case was strong on the surface - a 1.27 ERA to Smith’s 1.95, plus 71 appearances to Smith’s 69.
But Smith had the better record at 6-1 to 5-6, more saves at 41 to 35 and more strikeouts at 107 to 97.
And, as always, closers don’t pitch in a vacuum.
Toronto finished 79-83 and ended up last in the AL East. The Blue Jays, after pushing the Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series in 2025, never found that level this season.
Cleveland, on the other hand, spent the second straight year surging late, winning the AL Central at 85-77 and reaching the postseason before falling to the Rays in six games in the ALCS. Smith was a major reason why. During the September push, he went 3-0 with six saves and didn’t allow a run in 11 appearances.
The team results tell part of the story, too. The Guardians were 59-10 in games Smith pitched, while Toronto went 52-19 when Varland took the mound.
Baker also had a case worth serious attention. He finished 4-2 with a 1.44 ERA and tied Smith for the AL lead with 41 saves in 44 chances. He made 65 appearances and struck out 63 in 62 1/3 innings.
The final vote totals were tight enough to show how split the ballot was. Varland won with 146 points, Smith followed with 133 and Baker finished third with 111.
Varland collected 16 first-place votes, four second-place votes, five third-place votes, one fourth-place vote and one fifth-place vote. Smith received seven first-place votes, 15 second-place votes and eight third-place votes. Baker got six first-place votes, eight second-place votes, 11 third-place votes and two fourth-place votes.
Smith was the only reliever to appear on all 30 ballots submitted by BBWAA members in AL cities.
There was no easy answer here. Varland, Smith and Baker all had strong cases, and Aroldis Chapman, who finished fourth, only added to the depth of the field.
After the BBWAA results came out, MLB announced that Baker had won the Mariano Rivera award as the AL’s top closer. That award began in 2014.
The larger takeaway for Cleveland is that the pitching base is in place for 2027 and beyond. Messick and Gavin Williams, who went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and 248 strikeouts, give Stephen Vogt a strong start in the rotation. Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski anchor the bullpen, and all three should benefit from a winter of rest.
Even so, the Guardians still need more. Joey Cantillo has to keep moving forward, Tanner Bibee needs a bounce-back season and someone will have to step in for free agent Foster Griffin in the rotation.
With labor tension looming when the current basic agreement expires on Dec. 1, Cleveland should have time to map out what comes next.
In Other News...
Gavin Williams Just Became A Bigger Guardians Question Than Expected
Gavin Williams has gone from promising arm to one of the most important pieces in Clevelands pitching picture, and the 2026 season only sharpened that view. He handled a massive workload between the regular season and postseason, struck out 281 batters, and backed it up with a 3.76 ERA in the regular season and a 2.16 mark in October. The bigger takeaway for the Guardians is how he got there, with a fastball that played better and a knuckle-curve that gave him another weapon to lean on.
At 27, Williams is still under team control through 2029, which should make him a straightforward building block on paper. In practice, though, a pitcher with this kind of production and this much runway naturally invites bigger questions about long-term cost, extension talks, and whether Cleveland views him more as a cornerstone or a trade chip if the market gets interesting. For a club that always has to balance winning now with what comes next, Williams has become a lot more than just another young starter in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Need Has Put A Proven Veteran On Clevelands Radar
The search for bullpen help has put Tim Hill on the radar in Cleveland, with the veteran left-hander drawing interest from several contenders as free agency moves along. Hill has built a reputation as a durable reliever over recent seasons, and his work with the Yankees helped keep him on the map even as his 2026 performance showed some signs of decline.
For the Guardians, the fit is easy to see. They have room to add to the relief group and have been looking for depth that can soak up meaningful innings, especially from the left side. Hill is also being pursued by the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, which suggests this could turn into a broader market for a pitcher who still has value even if he is no longer at his peak. [Read more 🡒]
Antonetti Just Framed A Crucial Guardians Offseason Decision
Chris Antonettis latest comments offered a clearer picture of where the Guardians are headed this winter, and it starts with a familiar priority: pitching. The president of baseball operations said the club plans to raise payroll for the 2027 season while also being intent on adding starting pitching, a sign that Cleveland sees this offseason as a chance to shore up the rotation without losing sight of the financial structure that has long shaped its roster-building.
There is plenty else on the front offices plate, too. The Guardians have 13 arbitration-eligible players due raises, and they are also looking for a complementary piece to help balance the lineup around a group that could include promising pitching prospects and young hitters next season. The mix of internal options and outside needs makes this a pivotal winter, with Antonettis remarks hinting at a team trying to thread the needle between development, payroll growth and immediate competitiveness. [Read more 🡒]