Parker Messick looks like one of the Cleveland Guardians' top-five starting pitching options right now.
Parker Messick wrapped up his third Spring Training appearance on Monday afternoon in the Cleveland Guardians' 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
The Guardians pitcher looked even better in this outing than his previous two, giving up just two hits, no runs, one walk, and striking out four batters in 4.2 innings of work. Messick’s fastball even hit 95.8 mph, with last year’s average being 92.8 mph.
Stephen Vogt called it an “awesome, efficient… outstanding performance” from Messick, and it’s hard to argue with that. Plus, these standout outings are something that has become a trend for the left-hander over the last few weeks.
After the Royals start, Messick has logged a 1.93 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with seven strikeouts over three appearances (9.1 innings) in Spring Training games.
He looks like one of Cleveland’s top five starting pitching options right now, and as great as that is, it also creates a dilemma for the Guardians, who have six viable starting options, including Messick.
Sep 7, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesAt the beginning of Spring Training, Messick felt like the odd man out of the rotation and the most likely candidate to start the season in Triple-A, simply because others had more experience.
However, the Guardians can’t ignore how he’s looked during his Cactus League appearances. If Cleveland decides he’s earned a spot in the rotation, one of Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, or Slade Cecconi might have to start the season in the bullpen or at the Minors.
Cantillo is out of options, while Allen and Cecconi each have one option remaining.
It’s easy to call Messick’s Cactus League stats a small sample size, and it is, but remember, Messick also recorded a 2.72 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP through his first seven starts at the end of last season; he already proved his stuff plays at the big-league level, and the 25-year-old is now showing signs of getting even better.
There’s still a lot of time untilOpening Day, and the rotation battle could easily sort itself out between now and then. That said, if Messick continues to pitch like this, he should be on Cleveland’s Opening Day roster.
The question then becomes, what would the rest of the Guardians’ pitching staff look like?
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