The Guardians have built their season around something a lot of teams can’t seem to keep together: a stable starting rotation.
That point got a fresh spotlight when ESPN’s Paul Hembekides appeared on Buster Olney’s BBTN podcast and highlighted just how unusual Cleveland’s pitching situation is. His stat was eye-opening: 301 different pitchers have started a game this season, and only five of them have been Guardians.
“301 different pitchers have started a game this season. Only 5 of them are Guardians. They’re one of the few organizations that hasn’t caught the velo-at-all-costs fever, keeping their starters healthy while supercharging their bullpen,” said Hembekides.
Those five starters - Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi and Tanner Bibee - have given Cleveland exactly what it has needed while the offense has struggled and injuries have piled up. Williams and Messick have emerged as borderline aces, Cantillo has been steady since Opening Day, and Cecconi and Bibee have both rebounded after rough beginnings.
The result is a Guardians team that remains in the middle of the AL Central race and is in a better spot than it was at this point last season. With a couple of moves before the trade deadline, Cleveland has a chance to make a real push.
Hembekides’ broader point was about where the sport is headed. He suggested it will be interesting to see whether teams start moving away from the idea that every pitcher has to max out velocity all the time. The traditional workhorse has faded, and even finesse arms are becoming harder to find as spin rate and pure speed keep taking priority.
For now, though, Cleveland is one of the teams bucking that trend. Along with the Seattle Mariners, the Guardians have leaned on a rotation that doesn’t live in the upper 90s, and that approach has helped keep the core healthy while the bullpen gets a boost.
If the Guardians can keep those five starters intact and add a little help at the deadline, they’ll have a real shot to keep pushing.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A First Base Decision Fans Cant Ignore
Ralphy Velazquez keeps making the Guardians take notice, and the timing could hardly be better for a club still sorting out first base. The 21-year-old, drafted 23rd overall in 2023, has been productive across two minor league levels and is carrying an .876 OPS, a strong enough line to keep him in the conversation as the season moves toward its stretch run.
Velazquez has also reached base in 30 straight games for Columbus, a run that only adds to the pressure on the front office to decide whether the organization wants to lean into its own prospect or look outside for help. Cleveland has already been weighing first base as a spot that could use a boost, and the next few weeks may determine whether the answer comes from within the system or from a move at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Focus May Be Bigger Than Fans Expected
The Guardians have steadied themselves with consecutive wins and are still very much in the AL Central race, but the trade deadline picture around them is starting to look broader than a simple bench tweak. With the offense short-handed and the lineup not getting enough from the first-base spot, the front office is being linked to a right-handed bat there, along with help on the pitching side as the club tries to keep pace in a tight division.
What makes this more interesting is how many different lanes Cleveland could explore if it decides to be aggressive. The injuries that have thinned out the offense have pushed the Guardians toward a search that could touch both the lineup and the staff, and the deadline conversation now sounds less like a luxury-shopping list and more like a response to how fragile the roster has become. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Just Got Another Reason To Revisit The Bailey Trade
The Patrick Bailey deal is still one of those trades that looks a little different every time Cleveland checks back on it. The Guardians sent pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson and their Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to San Francisco to bring in Bailey, a move that was always going to be judged on whether the catcher could give the staff steadier work behind the plate.
So far, Bailey has done the part Cleveland needed most, giving the pitching staff a more dependable defensive presence while Wilkinson has kept moving through Double-A and Triple-A with uneven results. The draft pick the Giants received also adds another layer to the deal, since it turned into a high school left-hander in the first round, giving both sides something tangible to point to as the trade continues to age. [Read more 🡒]