CINCINNATI -- As much as the focus has been on Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee, the Guardians’ two hard-throwing starters, Logan Allen has proven that he deserves to share some of the spotlight.
Cleveland has been through its fair share of highs and lows over the past few weeks, but the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that the rotation is in capable hands for the foreseeable future. With Williams pushing 100 mph on the radar gun and Bibee having gone since June 13 without permitting more than three runs in an outing, it’s obvious that these two have the potential to be weapons for the Guardians.
Maybe Allen isn’t as loud with his talent as the two 24-year-old righties, but his results have been equally as impressive. Averaging 91.6 mph with his four-seamer and inducing six whiffs on eight swings against his changeup, Allen tossed six scoreless frames and struck out seven in the Guardians' 3-0 victory over the Reds on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.
“Tonight might have been one of his better [outings]. … Like getting his breaking ball underneath some of the right-handed [bats], getting some swing and miss and some chase on it,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “I thought he was terrific.”
All four hits Allen permitted were singles, and he allowed three batters to reach on walks. Regardless of who found their way to first, Allen not only managed to either induce a double play or escape the jam, he prevented the team that entered the night with a Major League-leading 134 stolen bases from swiping a base.
“They do what they can to get themselves in scoring position,” Allen said. “Any time we can keep the guy on first base, keep the double play in order … it definitely helped.”
Allen has been as reliable as anyone the Guardians have turned to this year. Cleveland has been victorious in nine of his past 12 starts. One of those losses came in his start against Toronto last Wednesday, when he permitted just one run on four hits in five innings. Allen has allowed just three earned runs in 17 innings (1.59 ERA) in August.
“He’s just been that stable left-handed pitcher in our rotation that we’ve needed,” Guardians outfielder Will Brennan said. “He just happens to be a rookie.”
Whether it’s because Bibee and Williams have stolen attention as impressive standout rookies or it’s simply due to Allen’s veteran-like composure on the mound, it’s easy to forget that the 24-year-old is also in his first big league season.
“I mean, his poise on the mound is kind of unmatched,” Brennan said. “He pitches like a veteran out there, and he doesn’t really let things faze him. That’s kind of how he is in life, too. It’s pretty cool.”
Allen cruised through his six frames on Tuesday and was pulled after 87 pitches (55 strikes). If it was earlier in the season or if Allen had a little more experience under his belt, he could have easily been sent back out for the seventh. But between Triple-A Columbus and the Majors this year, he’s thrown 117 2/3 frames. The most Allen’s thrown in a season in his professional career is 132 2/3 in 2022. With six and a half weeks remaining in the season, the Guardians want to be smart with his pitch counts.
“He could have kept going. I told him that,” Francona said. “I said, ‘Hey, don’t you think that I don’t think that you can’t keep pitching.’ I just have an obligation to these kids. We’ve got to keep our thumb on it a little bit.”
Entering Tuesday, Cleveland’s starters boasted the best ERA in the Majors since the All-Star break (2.73). The next-closest rotation was Toronto’s (3.25). For most of this time, the Guardians’ rotation has consisted of four rookies in Williams, Bibee, Allen and Xzavion Curry. Most of their success has been attributed to Bibee’s unbelievable consistency and Williams’ recent strikeout surge.
But don’t let Allen slip under the radar. After his six scoreless frames, Cleveland’s starting ERA since the break dropped to 2.63. He's added more reasons to believe this rotation could be special for years to come.
“There’s no reason for him to fly under the radar under those two guys,” Brennan said. “They’re all pretty equally talented, and they’re all going to have really special careers.”