The Cy Young conversation will get its answer on Wednesday night, when MLB Network begins announcing the winners at 7:00 pm ET. For the Cleveland Guardians, the spotlight lands on left-hander Parker Messick, who is already in the mix after finishing among the final three for AL Rookie of the Year.
Messick is up against New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease. Schlittler is the clear favorite, but the race has at least left room for a little intrigue.
Tim Stebbins of MLB.com laid out the strongest argument for Messick, and it starts with how steady he was from day one.
“It’s hard to perform in the Major Leagues as a rookie, let alone excel as one. Messick’s candidacy rests on his consistency and reliability.
He recorded a 2.56 ERA (sixth among qualified MLB starters), along with 193 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings (seventh). His 6.3 WAR (per Baseball Reference) ranked second to Schlittler (7.0) among AL pitchers, above Cease (5.6).
Messick consistently gave the Guardians a chance to win this past season. He was ace-like,” Stebbins wrote.
That’s the heart of Messick’s case: he showed up every fifth day and made life difficult for hitters. He turned in quality start after quality start and regularly kept opponents to two runs or fewer, which is no small thing for a rookie working at the top level.
Messick spent most of the 2026 season as a 25-year-old rookie, and the poise he showed matched the numbers. He may not have done enough to leapfrog Schlittler for the award, since the Yankees right-hander was in a class of his own, but there’s a real argument that Messick belongs right behind him.
Cease finished ahead of Messick in fWAR, while Messick held the edge in rWAR. FanGraphs uses the former; Baseball Reference uses the latter.
No matter how the vote breaks, Cleveland has to be thrilled with what Messick became in 2026. He grew into a legitimate ace, and that matters more than any trophy.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Tough Call On A Top Prospect Soon
Jaison Chourio has climbed steadily through the Guardians minor league system and is now at Triple-A, putting him on the doorstep of a decision Cleveland has been preparing for. The organization is expected to add him to the 40-man roster soon, a move aimed at keeping him out of the Rule 5 Draft and preserving one of the more intriguing young players in the system.
For the Guardians, it is the kind of roster call that comes with both urgency and patience. Chourio is viewed as a top prospect, but he still appears to be about a year away from making a regular impact in the majors, which means Cleveland has to balance protecting his future with the realities of a crowded roster right now. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Prospect Gets Another Shot With A Contender
Christian Cairo is getting another fresh start, this time with a contender that has a long track record of turning depth pieces into useful big league options. The former Guardians prospect was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers from the Mets, adding another stop to a pro career that has already taken him through four organizations over seven seasons without a major league appearance.
For Cleveland fans, Cairo remains one of those familiar names who never quite got the call despite sticking around the game and keeping himself in the mix. The Dodgers made a second roster move the same day by re-signing infielder Tyler Fitzgerald to a minor league deal, a reminder of how quickly the margins can shift for players trying to stay positioned for a breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Another Future Core Infielder On The Rise
Welbyn Franciscas rapid climb has given the Guardians another name to watch in the middle infield pipeline. The 20-year-old switch-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic signed with Cleveland in 2023 and reached Double-A Akron this season, then backed up that progress with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. That combination was enough to land him at No. 98 on Bleacher Reports Top 100 prospect list, a notable step for a player still early in his professional career.
For a Cleveland system that has long valued homegrown infield talent, Franciscas rise adds to the sense that the organization may have another future core piece developing in plain sight. He is one of four Guardians prospects included on the list, which weighs both current ability and long-term upside, and his placement suggests evaluators are taking notice of how quickly his tools are translating. The next test will be whether he can keep that momentum going as he moves closer to the upper levels. [Read more 🡒]