The 'Rock' of the Cleveland Guardians' Pitching Factory

The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best pitching staffs and pitching developments in all of baseball. That’s not even an option, as the stats back it up.

Austin Hedges recently called Cleveland a “pitching factory,” and it’s hard to argue with him, looking at what the organization has achieved with its arms over the last decade.

But how does an organization get to have a pitching group as strong as Cleveland does? 

Well, it needs a leader. Someone who knows how to identify talent and how to work with players, communicate with them, and get the most out of even undervalued arms. All of which is easier said than done. 

For the Guardians, that person is Carl Willis, who is more than just another pitching coach; he’s responsible for holding the entire Cleveland pitching factory together. 

“He's just the rock of this whole pitching staff, even the pitching coaches,” said Hunter Gaddis when recently asked about Willis. 

“The way they were together is really nice. Everything kind of goes through [Willis]; any questions, anything like that. He's just a rock for all of us. It's been really nice having him since I've been here and, you know, continue it into next year.”

Willis rejoined the Cleveland organization in October of 2017 under Terry Francona’s staff. Since then, the Indians/Guardians have consistently been among the top pitching staffs in MLB, based on ERA, and much of the credit goes to Willis. 

The elephant in the room when talking about Willis’ immeasurable impact is that he won’t be doing it forever. Willis is 65 years old and is kind of year-to-year, not just with the Guardians but with his coaching career in general.

Willis spent time this winter and last winter, mulling a well-deserved retirement from baseball. Thankfully, he has committed to Cleveland for the 2026 season, but who knows what 2027 will bring.

While there are plenty of scouts, talent evaluators, and other pitching coaches to thank for Cleveland’s success on the mound, Gaddis comments confirm what many have speculated for so long: Willis is the rock of the Guardians pitching staff inside and out. 

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