The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of competition in the starting rotation during spring training.
The Cleveland Guardians' success last September was heavily tied to the six-man rotation, which posted historic numbers.
However, even during that run, manager Stephen Vogt knew the expanded rotation was only possible because of the extra roster spot.
Now, the Guardians are starting spring training with six starters, and only five spots are available. The candidates are familiar names: Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, and Park Messick.
Bibee and Williams are locks to be in the Opening Day rotation, but after that comes plenty of competition for who grabs the last three spots, and that's something the team is embracing during training camp.
“It’s going to be a really hard decision, whatever we end up doing. There's going to be a very heavy competition, and they're all excited for it. You saw the look on their faces, that they're ready for it," said Stephen Vogt (quote via Tim Stebbins of MLB.com).
“They've had great offseasons, but we view it as a really good problem to have, that we have six really good ones.”
Aug 27, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) reacts after shortstop Gabriel Arias (not pictured) made a play on a hit by Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Carson Williams (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesNot only will it be tough for the pitchers to show they belong on the team, but it'll be just as difficult for the coaching staff and front office to determine who starts the season where.
Even Cleveland's legendary pitching coach Carl Willis has been on the record saying how
“Not that [the starters] made it tough, but tough on my end to tell some of these guys, ‘Hey, you just had a heck of a year. You threw X amount of innings, you did this. You did that. Guess what? You’ve got to make the team next year,’” explained Willis.
While the Guardians may have a "good problem" right now, a team rarely ends the season with the same rotation it starts the year with. Injuries, roster moves, and transactions are all inevitable over a 162-game season.
Whether it's Allen, Cantillo, Cecconi, or Messick who start the season in the bullpen or Triple-A, it'd be shocking if they didn't get an opportunity to start at least one or two games throughout the season.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.