The Cleveland Guardians are having a bit of a problem with their starting pitching as we cross the two-week threshold in this brand new Major League Baseball season. Triston McKenzie was injured before the season kicked off. He likely will be sidelined until the early days of June.
Key injuries
After Triston McKenzie was injured, Hunter Gaddis was forced to step in as a replacement after he was expected to be a dependable bullpen arm throughout the season. In the middle of a series with the New York Yankees, they have lost their second starter this season. It was announced Tuesday that Aaron Civale would be heading to the fifteen-day injured list. Also announced, Triston McKenzie would be headed to the 60-day injured list. As previously mentioned, McKenzie will be eligible to return at the end of May.
Faith in the farm system
A lot of fans have been clamoring online for the Cleveland Guardians to trade for a starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara or Blake Snell before the deadline later this year. The truth is the team certainly has the farm system and the assets that would allow them to make a splash move. Thus putting themselves into “win now” mode and potentially challenge for a World Series this season. However, the farm system and stacked minor league rosters are the exact reason why the Cleveland Guardians should be patient and not make a trade for a starting pitcher.
Talent in the minors
Down in the minor leagues, the Cleveland Guardians have three very capable starting pitchers. They are set to be the next wave of potential Cy Young winners to don a Cleveland uniform. Daniel Espino, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and even Logan Allen are all expected to arrive in Cleveland this season. All four of these guys are ranked inside of the top ten of the Cleveland Guardians prospects list. Three of the four of them are right-handed pitchers, while Logan Allen is left-handed and lefties are always a hot commodity in baseball, which potentially makes him the most valuable one of all.
#Guardians 24yr old LHP prospect Logan Allen with his 2nd straight strong start to open the 2023 season for Triple-A Columbus. Allen topped out at 94.9 mph & induced 13 swings & misses.
Line – 5.0(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 3BB 6SO
2023 – 9.2(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 4BB 11SO 0.93 ERA#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/Vprssk8180
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 12, 2023
Daniel Espino has been touted as “the guy” for the majority of the past two seasons, so it only feels right to start off with him. He is currently the number one overall prospect for the Guardians. The 22-year-old is currently playing in Akron (Double A), and it seems more likely that he will make the jump from Akron to Cleveland instead of heading south to Columbus. Unfortunately, due to ongoing shoulder issues it is more realistic that he will debut next season in 2024. He is a former first round draft pick of the Guardians, as Cleveland selected him 24th overall in 2019. His fastball sits in the high 90s and he is capable of topping out in the triple digits. His Slider and Curveball are equally as effective and both pitches can reach the high 80s as well.
Gavin Williams
Next up is another right-handed pitcher in Gavin Williams, and he is not far behind Daniel Espino as he is currently ranked second on the Guardians prospect list. Just like Daniel Espino as well. He is a former first round draft pick as the Cleveland Guardians selected him 23rd overall in the 2021 draft.
Williams is currently playing in Akron and much like Espino, he may end up skipping Triple A altogether. He has shown the ability to hit triple digits with his fastball, and he mixes his other pitches well. He throws a mid-80s slider and a curveball that sits in high 70s and low 80s. Despite a control problem early on in his college career, he has improved over the course of college and into professional baseball as well. He has a guy that the organization can slot into a number two or number three spot in the starting rotation.
Tanner Bibee
After Gavin Williams, will be flamethrower Tanner Bibee, who like the two before him, also finds himself inside of top ten. Bibee currently sits at number five in the top ten prospect rankings. He is a former fifth round pick of the Cleveland Guardians from the 2021 Major League Baseball Entry Draft.
Despite being the lowest selection of the top three pitching prospects, he is higher up the ladder. Bibee is playing in Columbus at the moment, as he is only one step away from joining the Cleveland Guardians. He had an incredible debut season in the minor leagues. He finished ranked in Earned Run Average, Strikeout to Walk ratio, WHIP, and walks per nine innings. His fastball is capable of touching 99 miles per hour and his slider and changeup touch the mid-80s as well.
The future is bright on the mound for the Cleveland Guardians. Patience will certainly be a virtue for Guardians fans, but it is well worth the wait. When these three guys make their Major League Baseball debuts you will see what all the hype was about and why not trading for a starting pitcher is the correct move. The Cleveland Guardians have shown an excellent track record when it comes to developing pitching. There is no reason to change their approach anytime soon.
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