ST. PETERSBURG - The AL Championship Series opens Monday night at Tropicana Field, with the Guardians and Rays meeting in Game 1 at 8 p.m.
ET. The matchup brings together the American League’s top two seeds, but the real early story is how each club is lining up its pitchers after very different paths through the Division Series.
Cleveland enters the ALCS coming off a five-game fight with the White Sox, and that workload has already shaped the conversation around its rotation. The Guardians used only three starters in the ALDS - Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and opener Daniel Espino - and now must piece together at least four starters with four games packed into five days.
They reached St. Petersburg on Sunday for an off-day workout, then turned their attention to the next challenge.
Stephen Vogt made the first call Sunday, naming left-hander Griffin the Game 1 starter. Cleveland acquired Griffin from the Nationals on Aug. 3, believing he could become a major postseason arm, and now he gets the ball in the opener.
Monday will be his first start since Sept. 23, when he gave up one run on 10 hits and struck out seven at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. In the ALDS, he came out of the bullpen once and delivered a big lift in Game 3, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing one run while striking out seven in a 9-3 win.
His Cleveland stint has been uneven since the Deadline, with a 5.19 ERA in 43 1/3 innings over nine starts. Still, the Guardians are counting on the version of Griffin who made the All-Star team with Washington, where he posted a 3.06 ERA in 129 1/3 innings across 22 starts. With the bullpen already asked to carry plenty of the load against Chicago, length from Griffin would be a welcome development.
Vogt stopped short of mapping out the rest of the rotation after Griffin. Cleveland wants to check on the group physically before making the next calls, and the available options include Messick, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo or Espino as an opener.
Messick could line up for Tuesday on normal rest, though his Game 4 outing against the White Sox was a grind. The rookie worked 2 1/3 innings, threw 65 pitches, and allowed two runs on two hits and four walks.
He’s already piled up 193 innings between the regular season and playoffs, far beyond his previous career high of 138 1/3 innings between the Majors and Minors in 2025. If he’s feeling right, though, he’s still the obvious candidate for Game 2 after emerging as an AL Cy Young Award contender this season.
Williams would also be on normal rest for Thursday, and the numbers suggest he should have plenty left in the tank. He is set to get three more days between starts than he did before his ALDS Game 5 outing, when he tied Cleveland’s postseason franchise record with 12 strikeouts in a 2-0 series-clinching win.
That start came just two days after an emergency relief appearance in Game 4. Given that, betting against him being ready for Thursday - when the series returns to Cleveland - would be a tough sell.
Tampa Bay’s setup is simpler on the surface, though the schedule still trims its options. The Rays appear likely to operate with a four-man rotation in the ALCS, leaving one starter in the bullpen and keeping open the possibility of a relief appearance before that pitcher returns to the rotation later in the series.
Drew Rasmussen gets Game 1, and that decision was never really in doubt. He has been Tampa Bay’s ace, and the Rays haven’t lost one of his starts since the All-Star Game. He finished the regular season strong against the Yankees, then took it up another notch in Game 1 of the ALDS by carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning at Tropicana Field.
Beyond Rasmussen, the Rays have not locked in the rest of the order, but Peralta looks like the likeliest choice for Game 2 at Tropicana Field before the series shifts to Cleveland. Since coming over from the Mets in a Deadline deal, he has settled in nicely and regained his confidence after a shaky start to the year. His heater also ticked up in the postseason against the Yankees, which only adds to the appeal.
Martinez handled Game 3 of the ALDS, a choice that fit his veteran profile and the Rays’ results behind him all season, along with his unusual road success this year. Tampa Bay had Seymour and Jax ready behind him and a rested bullpen, but Martinez still gave them a chance by allowing two runs over 3 2/3 innings.
Whoever gets the nod in this series’ third game will pitch after the off-day, but that also kicks off the only three-game stretch in the ALCS without a scheduled day off.
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