CLEVELAND -- Near the end of Spring Training this year, pitching coach Carl Willis pulled Parker Messick aside to inform him that he'd made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster. Messick described that moment as a relief; it was not guaranteed after he entered 2026 with seven big league starts under his belt.
Messick had to earn his spot on the Guardians this spring. Six months later, you have to wonder where they would be without him. And as the American League Central champions embark upon what they hope will be a long postseason run, they will do so behind their 25-year-old lefty.
Manager Stephen Vogt named Messick the Guardians’ starter for Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Saturday against the White Sox at Progressive Field. Right-hander Gavin Williams will start Game 2, and Game 3 is TBA.
“They've been our two best pitchers,” Vogt said. “They've earned it and then some.”
Fittingly, Willis was the one who broke the news to Messick this week.
“I’m honored, blessed,” Messick said. “Words can't describe it. It's been an incredible year, from what I thought this year was going to be for me to what it is now."
Messick emerged as a candidate for both the AL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award this season. Over 32 starts, he recorded a 2.56 ERA (sixth in MLB) in 186 1/3 innings (seventh), while logging 193 strikeouts and 49 walks. Only Herb Score had more strikeouts as a rookie (245 in 1955) in Cleveland franchise history.
Williams led the American League in strikeouts (248) and ranked second in MLB behind Jacob Misiorowski (252). The big right-hander had a 3.76 ERA in 184 1/3 innings over 32 starts, the latter two being career highs.
Messick has been a model of consistency from start to finish this year. He allowed three or fewer runs in 29 starts, and two or fewer in 25 outings. Each time he took the mound, you were assured of watching a guy who would work fast and go right at hitters with a six-pitch mix.
Whether he had his best stuff on a given day or not, Messick consistently competed.
“He gave us a chance every single day,” outfielder Steven Kwan said. “That’s our guy. That’s our workhorse. I feel like we can win any game when he’s out there.”
“He finds a way to get outs because he just pitches, and he's got the ability to do it a number of different ways,” Vogt said this week. “That's really what stood out to me with Parker. He finds a way.”
Messick’s seven starts down the stretch in 2025 included his Aug. 20 big league debut. He was not on the Guardians’ roster for their three-game AL Wild Card Series loss to the Tigers, so this will be a new experience for him.
The division-rival White Sox, however, are a familiar opponent. Messick made four starts against them this season, logging a 2.81 ERA with 29 strikeouts and five walks in 25 2/3 innings. The postseason is a new slate, and Chicago just completed a sweep of the Astros in the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series by scoring 13 runs across two games.
Messick knows he has to attack the zone and get outs however he can against the White Sox. Game 1 may not be his only chance to face them, too.
If this series reaches Game 4 on Thursday, Messick would be in line to start on normal rest. If the series reaches a win-or-go-home Game 5 next Saturday, Williams could start on five days’ rest.
The Game 3 starter is the main question mark at this point. Vogt said that decision will “play out as we go along,” after the Guardians see how the series is going.
Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Foster Griffin and opener Daniel Espino are among the options, though each also could plausibly help out of the bullpen in Games 1 or 2.
The Guardians finished with a one-game advantage over the White Sox in the AL Central, which sent Chicago to the AL Wild Card Series against the Astros. While Chicago had to play two additional games to get here, Messick and Williams anchoring the rotation is Cleveland’s reward for getting its first-round bye.
They’ll look to take advantage of it behind the lefty who wasn't guaranteed to be here six months ago.
“God is so good,” Messick said. “It's been an incredible blessing of a year, and I'm just so honored to have the opportunity to be able to help the Guards win. It's been an incredible journey.”