The Cleveland Guardians have a starting pitching depth problem, even though the starting five remains strong.
The Cleveland Guardians are the only team in MLB to have used only five starters this season.
The team’s 77 consecutive games without a sixth starter is the second-longest streak in franchise history, only trailing the 1999 squad, which went 79 games without bedding a sixth starting pitcher.
This is an impressive accomplishment for the Guardians, but it’s not something the front office should get too comfortable with.
In the blink of an eye, injuries can devastate a pitching staff. If that happens to the Guardians, they don’t have a lot of starting pitching depth in the organization.
This reality became more real after the team announced that top pitching prospect Khal Stephen will undergo surgery and will miss the foreseeable future.
Stephen was never going to make his MLB debut before the All-Star Break, but depending on how his season went, a late August or September call-up could certainly have been in the cards. Even assistant general manager James Harris admitted the organization thought he could impact the big-league team at some point in 2026.
Obviously, that option is off the table now.
Jun 13, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis (51) talks with home plate umpire Doug Eddings (88) as he heads back to the dugout during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn ImagesIn the event the Guardians do need a sixth starter, the options are thin. Cleveland’s current options in the Minor Leagues include Logan Allen, Yorman Gomez, and Austin Peterson.
After being a key piece of Cleveland’s rotation a year ago, Allen has made 12 starts at the Minor League level and owns a 5.15 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.
Gomez is an intriguing option, but even if the Guardians needed a starter tomorrow, he wouldn’t be ready yet.
Gomez started the season on the injured list with a shoulder injury and was just activated off it. The 23-year-old has only made one start at Triple-A and gave up three earned runs in 3.2 innings.
Cleveland’s best option out of the three is Peterson, but even he’s faced some trouble this season after opening the year on the injured list. The 26-year-old owns a 4.30 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 starts this year.
Those numbers don’t point to a pitcher who is ready for the next level, but the Guardians might not have a choice in a doomsday scenario.
The Guardians have been treading water with their pitching depth all year, and Stephen’s injury really highlights just how big a need adding another starting option to the organization is.
If the Guardians were counting on Stephen being ready to make an impact at the big-league level during the back half of the regular season, they now need to shift their focus, which could involve them trading for a starting pitcher before the deadline.
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