GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis didn’t want to label what the next level could look like for starter Gavin Williams. The last thing Willis wants is for the big right-hander to feel like there is an expectation hanging over him that he must live up to.
But the 2025 season showed us something.
“At the end of the year last year, for the second half of the season, he was one of the best starters in the American League,” Willis said. “I think he can continue to climb the ladder in that regard.”
Williams sounds like a guy with more to show.
“There’s definitely another step I can take,” said Williams, who logged a 3.06 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 167 2/3 innings over 31 starts last season, all of which were personal bests.
Williams entered Spring Training in a much different spot this year compared to last. One year ago, he was looking to bounce back and reestablish himself in Cleveland’s rotation, following an injury-riddled 2024 season. This year, he is firmly positioned as a staff anchor -- and with another step, he could assert himself as one of the AL’s top starters this year.
Williams recorded a 2.18 ERA over 12 starts after the All-Star break last year, which was tied with Tarik Skubal for first among qualified American League starters. Only Paul Skenes (1.89) was better in the Majors. Coming off that performance, Williams entered camp with a strong mentality.
“In the three years I've known Gavin, I've never seen him this focused or determined. He had a tremendous offseason,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “The last few months [of 2025], I don't think we could have drawn up a better stretch than what Gavin Williams did for us.
"I’m really thrilled to see him come in ready to go. But there is a different determination about him. He wants to be one of the best. He knows he's one of the best, and that's a really good feeling for us.”
The first few months of 2025, of course, were a struggle. Williams pitched less than six innings in eight of his first 11 starts, while dealing with elevated pitch counts and command issues, and logged a 4.27 ERA and 32 walks over 52 2/3 innings. But things began to click in June.
Williams made a subtle mechanical adjustment on June 16, during an off-day bullpen session at Oracle Park in San Francisco. He raised the position of his hands from resting at the belt to his chest, and the goal was to create a longer arm path so he could locate his pitches better. He said it was "night and day," from that point on.
Williams also implemented a sinker into his arsenal for the first time in the Majors last season. It gave him an additional pitch he felt confident throwing for strikes, beyond his four-seamer and curveball. It helped him feel like he didn't have to be perfect with his four-seamer’s location.
Williams threw his sinker just 6.6 percent of the time in 2025. But the five games he featured it most came after the All-Star break -- when opponents hit .224 against his four-seamer. Meanwhile, his walk rate was 13.5 percent before the All-Star break and 9.2 percent afterward.
When Williams talks about taking another step, this is one prime area he's looking. He made strides but still led the Majors with 83 walks in 2025
“Nobody wants to see that," Williams said of the free-pass title. "I definitely didn’t want to see that. It kind of sucked. Every time I went out, I felt like I was walking three, four people. That was the most frustrating part on my end.”
Williams noted a few benchmarks for a successful season on an individual level. He wants to match the 31 starts he made in 2025, reach 200 innings for the first time and consistently give the team length. He's set a foundation for which he can build off of.
If Williams was able to achieve what he did in the second half last year, when he had tinkered on the fly as much as he did, imagine what this year could deliver.
“I think we've seen Gavin grow tremendously as well,” Willis said, "and become somewhat of a different type of leader, a quiet leader. He controls his emotions very well. He's very stoic.
“There's still a decent amount of upside there for Gavin from what we saw last year.”