TAMPA -- Given that Parker Messick had just three big league starts under his belt, there are a lot of firsts he is experiencing these days. But the lefty felt a sense of familiarity on Sunday.
In October 2018, Messick took the mound at George Steinbrenner Field during his senior year at Plant City High School for a wood bat tournament. On Sunday afternoon, the 24-year-old toed the rubber at the same ballpark, this time in a big league uniform, when he started for the Guardians in their 2-1 win over the Rays.
It represented a full-circle moment for Messick, who is a native of Plant City, Fla., which is about 25 miles east of Steinbrenner Field. The Guardians’ 12th-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, had over 100 loved ones in attendance on Sunday, and his parents anticipated there being over 200 people on hand to support him.
“I’ve got coaches, high school friends, family friends, some teachers [coming],” Messick said before the start. “Anyone you can think of from the hometown, everyone's trying to make it.”
It’s something Messick, of course, was looking forward to.
“Going in and throwing on [that field] in a big league uniform in front of 200 people that I know and love, it's going to be awesome,” Messick said.
His performance only hammered that point home. Messick allowed one run on eight hits (including a solo homer) over six innings. While he was locked in on the mound, he of course heard his loved ones cheering him on.
“How could you not? They’re as loud as it gets,” a smiling Messick said postgame Sunday. “It’s awesome to hear them.”
As Messick went through his pregame routine in left field on Sunday, his dad, T.J., stood on a porch near the foul pole overlooking his son, catching up with many of the loved ones who came out to the park for Parker’s start.
The full-circle moment of Sunday, with where Parker was as a high schooler to now, extends to the whole family.
“It's just awesome to get to see him go from there to here,” T.J. Messick said. “Of course, we never dreamed that he would be in this position. But he’s gone about it the right way, and he's played the game the right way. And now he's being rewarded for it and he's playing well.
“We're thrilled, man. This has just been a dream come true for him and for our family. It’s just a cherry on top for us, really.”
Parker Messick’s first taste of big league baseball came during childhood, when he organically was a Tampa Bay fan. He attended his first game at Tropicana Field, and he was there for the Rays’ 4-2 win over the Phillies in Game 2 of the 2008 World Series. But Messick said he didn’t make it out to Steinbrenner Field much for Spring Training games as a kid.
“Which is funny, because it's actually way closer to me,” Messick said. “I may have went to one or two games here. We were always playing. It was always spring baseball, and then I played football and I played basketball. We were always playing something, so I never really had an off weekend to actually go to a game.”
Messick has more time these days. He was drafted by the Guardians in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, out of Florida State, and he has quickly made a good impression in the Majors. Cleveland selected him from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 20, when he made his MLB debut against the D-backs by allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings at Chase Field.
Messick’s second start was against Tampa Bay, and he held the Rays scoreless over seven innings on Aug. 26 at Progressive Field. In his third outing, Messick faced the Red Sox on Labor Day at Fenway Park.
“And then, you go straight into a hometown start,” said Messick, who posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 1/3 innings over his first three outings. “It's a lot of really cool things thrown at you all at once. Early on in my career, I get to experience stuff that a lot of people may not ever experience in their career. It's really cool.”
As T.J. Messick put it, the past month has been a "whirlwind" for the family. They are trying to enjoy every moment Parker continues to experience as he establishes himself on the big league stage.
“It’s just so gratifying to get to see,” T.J. Messick said. “At this point, at this level, you’ve just got to sit back and relax and enjoy it. It’s been a lot of fun.”