Guardians Nation

Former Guardians outfielder Joe Charboneau offers candid advice to Chase DeLauter, urging him to slow the game down and stay confident at the plate, via Cleveland.com's Paul Hoynes. "[Joe] Charboneau, echoing the advice he received from [Toby] Harrah, said it’s important for DeLauter 'to slow down and enjoy it more. Don’t let the pitcher control you. Step out and call time. Have the same mindset that you did in the minor leagues.'" (cleveland.com/guardians/2026…)

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicts Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams will earn his first All-Star selection after an impressive breakout stretch last season. "Trevor Rogers (12 GS, 1.94 ERA, 71 K, 74.1 IP) and Gavin Williams (12 GS, 2.18 ERA, 78 K, 70.1 IP) were two of the best pitchers in baseball during the second half last season. They would be first-time All-Star selections, but certainly looked the part last summer." (bleacherreport.com/articles/25413…)

Guardians Pitcher Predicted To Notch First All-Star Selection READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/guardians-pitc…

Brent Maguire of MLB.com spotlights Guardians pitcher Parker Messick as one of the 12 pitchers who impressed in their 2026 debuts, shutting out the Dodgers over six dominant innings. "Messick couldn’t have drawn up a better start to his 2026 season, blanking the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers in Los Angeles over six brilliant innings. The second-year left-hander didn’t walk a batter and excelled at limiting hard contact against one of baseball’s premier offenses. Messick allowed an 85.3 mph average exit velocity on 15 batted balls and got Dodgers hitters to chase on a whopping 40.9 percent of pitches out of the zone. MLB Pipeline’s No. 92 prospect, Messick could be a pivotal member of the Guardians rotation as Cleveland attempts to win the AL Central for a second straight season." (mlb.com/news/pitchers-…)

José Ramírez shares his excitement about soon becoming the Guardians’ all-time leader in games played, calling it a personal milestone he’s long aimed for. “It’s very important to me. That’s one of the main things I wanted as soon as I started in this organization. I’m looking forward to accomplishing it and I’m very excited about that." (via @MasonHorodyski)

Guardians Catcher Facing Early Season Concerns READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/guardians-catc…

Justin Lada of Locked On Guardians shuts down concerns about Cade Smith, saying it’s too early to worry and there’s no reason to consider removing him from the closer role. "I don't think there's anything to worry about with Cade Smith. It's a couple of games. It's early, and he didn't have the grip on his splitter. It's a little bit concerning when he doesn't have all three pitches. I don't think there's going to be any thought as far as taking him out of the closer role. It would have to be an extended period of struggles for Cade Smith for them to consider moving him out of the closer's role." (via @923TheFan)

Tim Stebbins of MLB.com predicts Travis Bazzana could make his MLB debut before the All-Star break, with late May or early June emerging as the most realistic timeline. "I think it'll be before the All-Star break. I don't think it'll be April, and later in May or early June might be most realistic for the earliest we could see him. There's benefit to allowing Bazzana (Pipeline's No. 18 overall prospect) to get reps with Triple-A Columbus, given the time he missed this past season. But I don't think there's a strict timeline here, especially if he's hitting well with the Clippers." (mlb.com/guardians/news…)

Analyst Shuts Down Concerns About Cade Smith READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/analyst-shuts-…

Jose Ramirez is closing in on a rare Guardians milestone, just six games shy of surpassing Nap Lajoie for the most games played in team history, per @MasonHorodyski. "José Ramírez ties Nap Lajoie for the 2nd most games played in Guardians history. He is 6 games away from becoming Cleveland’s all time leader, which could happen as soon as Monday April 6th vs the Royals."

Parker Messick joins elite company with dominant, scoreless starts, becoming one of the few pitchers alongside Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet to achieve the feat since his 2025 debut, per @SlangsOnSports. "Parker Messick has two scoreless starts of 6+ innings with no walks in his career, most among Guardians pitchers since the start of 2025. Only other MLB pitchers with 2 such starts since his 8/20/25 debut: Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet."

Chase DeLauter Names Who Inspired His Big Swing READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/chase-delauter…

Jose Ramirez is already eyeing a historic Guardians feat, aiming to become the first Cleveland player to reach 500 career doubles. "I’m just very happy, and obviously, thank God for keeping me healthy. The question I have for you guys [reporters], who’s the one who has 500 [doubles]?" Ramírez said. "I’m going to try. I’m going to give my best and hopefully, God-willing, we can get there.” (mlb.com/guardians/news…)

Justin Lada of Locked On Guardians cites depth as his biggest concern for the Guardians’ pitching staff, noting that beyond the top five starters, the options have limited experience and upside. "My biggest concern is the depth. I like the starting five. I think they're good, they're talented. There's a good floor there. But Logan Allen's your sixth starter, and then after that, it's Kolby Allard, Pedro Avila, Austin Peterson, and then Khal Stephen, who I'm really high on, but he has no Major League experience—he hasn't even pitched in Triple-A. Your depth is a little bit shaky. If there's something that happens to one of those five guys, the depth comes into play real quick, and I don't know what the upside is there." (via @MattFontanaShow)

Guardians Make Roster Move With New Reliever READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/guardians-make…

Chase DeLauter Is Changing Narrative Around Guardians READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/chase-delauter…

Stephen Vogt Reveals Encouraging Update About Tanner Bibee READ:⬇️ guardiansnation.com/stephen-vogt-r…

Joe Noga of Cleveland.com predicts Austin Hedges will lead the majors in overturned calls using the ABS challenge system, turning the new technology into a standout strength behind the plate. "Hedges spent the entire offseason honing his skills with the goal of becoming the best in baseball at challenging missed calls. He was elite behind the plate during Cactus League games, at one point ripping off four consecutive correct challenges in a single game and helping his pitchers get off the mound quicker in critical spots. The advent of the automated ball-strike challenge system could have spelled doom for a catcher whose primary value was based on his ability to steal strikes by pitch framing. Instead, Hedges has embraced the new technology and turned it into his superpower. I’m guessing that by the end of the season, nobody in baseball will be better." (cleveland.com/guardians/2026…)

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report says the best-case outcome for the Guardians in 2026 is another division title, with Stephen Vogt potentially winning AL Manager of the Year again and the team getting maximum production from stars like José Ramírez. "Stephen Vogt has won AL Manager of the Year twice in as many seasons of the job in Cleveland, including a year ago when the Guardians won their division despite finishing the season with a minus-six run differential. For the Guardians to hold off the Tigers to win their third consecutive AL Central title, it might take another masterful performance from Vogt, who has seemed in two years to get more out of his roster than could reasonably be predicted. José Ramírez is a future Hall of Famer, and there are some other pieces on the roster—such as Steven Kwan, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Cade Smith—that just about every team would like to have. However, the whole is going to have to be greater than the sum of its parts once again for the Guardians to reach October." (bleacherreport.com/articles/25409…)

Tim Stebbins of MLB.com predicts Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo could make the All-Star team, citing his dominant September performance and a refined arsenal heading into the 2026 season. "Williams made a big jump last year, and Cantillo could follow suit this season. The lefty had a bumpy 2025 in which he was jockeyed between the Majors and Minors, and the bullpen and starting rotation. He was elite in September as part of the Guardians' six-man rotation (1.55 ERA in 29 innings over five starts). Cantillo entered this spring with a refreshed demeanor and a refined arsenal, and could take a significant leap this summer." (mlb.com/guardians/news…)