Cleveland Guardians' Gavin Williams is still approaching his ceiling with this latest development.
The Cleveland Guardians always foresaw Gavin Williams as a pitcher with ace-level talent, going back to when they selected him in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Even though Williams is in his fourth season as a big-leaguer and has made strides to become that All-Star caliber pitcher, he’s still evolving and finding ways to get even better on the mound.
Williams' recent development specifically relates to his ability to make in-game adjustments, which wasn’t available a year ago.
“Gavin made a bunch of in-season adjustments last year. And now he's making in game adjustments,” said manager Stephen Vogt.
“I mean, that's the progression of a big league picture, of a big league player. You have to be able to make in game adjustments at bat to a bat pitch to pitch. And we're seeing that growth from Gavin and being able to repeat and execute.”
Being able to make those modifications during an inning or at-bat takes time, and it’s easier said than done. Williams knows this and is starting to better understand how he can adapt to what the game is throwing his way.
May 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (32) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images“I feel like at times last year, I was still a little bit sped up,” said Cleveland’s pitcher.
“Just overthinking things, trying to fix it way too earlier, way too quick, and not really trusting a process. But I think it's been a lot better this year, just being able to go through an off season and look at every little thing I can do.”
These mid-game adjustments are helping Williams turn in his best season in the big-league season so far. After 12 starts, he owns a 3.07 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.
Williams's ability to make these in-game adjustments directly correlates with how deeply he’s been able to get into games. Right now, he’s the only pitcher in baseball with five starts of seven or more innings pitched and one or fewer runs allowed this season.
Seeing the Williams is still evolving and finding ways to get better proves he hasn’t hit a ceiling as a big-league pitcher.
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