Parker

Messick

Messick was going to need to be at his best to match Drew Rasmussen, and he wasn’t close. The left-hander allows runs in the first and second inning before exiting, and he needed a whopping 57 pitches to get his six outs. Messick won’t be available in Game 6 — one would think, anyway — but if they can force a Game 7 with a win Monday, it’s feasible that he could be an option for that contest come Tuesday. There’s a very good chance that this is the last time we’ve seen Messick pitch in 2026, and he was one of the best rookie starters in baseball and appears to have a bright future in the coming campaigns.

All of the runs came after a José Ramírez error in the fourth. Even before the error, Messick barely missed out on a double play ball from the second batter of the inning — Victor Mesa Jr. was originally called out at first but it was overturned on replay — and then got another chopper that would have resulted in an out if it wasn’t Chandler Simpson running. The error scored one run and then a single from Liam Hicks plated two. It’s Messick’s second loss in three postseason starts, though this was his best performance of the three.

Messick, who hails from nearby Plant City, Florida, allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings in a pair of ALDS starts against the White Sox to kick off his postseason career. The 25-year-old southpaw was the best rookie pitcher in baseball this past season, posting a stellar 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 193/49 K/BB ratio across 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts.

Messick struck out five batters in the abbreviated outing but also issued four free passes which led to the quick hook in the third inning. Messick walked Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded to force in a run, then exited with the bases loaded with one out — and one of the inherited runners scored against the Guardians’ bullpen as well. The 25-year-old southpaw got 12 whiffs on 65 pitches in the contest, posting a CSW of 28 percent. It’s unclear if he’ll be available to work out of the Guardians’ bullpen in a must-win Game 5 back in Cleveland on Saturday.

No surprise here. Messick has an opportunity to help the Guardians force a winner-take-all Game 5 showdown in Cleveland later this week. The 25-year-old southpaw allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings during Game 1 of the series. This will be the most important outing of his young career.

Messick was able to get out of a few jams thanks in large part to his six strikeouts, but a poorly located breaking ball to Munetaka Murakami was shellacked out of the park, and the Chicago offense provided nothing while was in the game. Messick pitched well after, and should Cleveland force such a game, he likely will be on the mound for Game 4 of the ALCS.

The team concluded the season with Williams pitching Saturday and Messick going Sunday, but the order will be reversed now. Vogt didn’t announce anything beyond Game 2. It’s the AL teams with an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 this year, so they’ll only need three starters and Messick would be able to come back and start Game 4 on four days’ rest.

Messick put the finishing touches on a fabulous debut season that has him in conversation to wrestle the AL Rookie of the Year Award from frontrunner Kevin McGonigle. He gave up six hits, struck out two and only issued one walk. The 25-year-old southpaw will finish as a top-10 fantasy starter on the strength of a pristine 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 193/49 K/BB ratio across 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts. He figures to take the ball to kick off Cleveland’s upcoming AL Division Series matchup next week.

The Guardians won’t play again until Saturday, so Messick will throw a few innings in order to stay fresh. He’ll then start Game 1 or 2 of the ALDS against the Astros, Rangers or White Sox.

Messick left with a 2-1 lead, but Hunter Gaddis gave up a homer in the eighth to tie the game before the Guardians responded in the ninth. The no-decision keeps Messick 12-9 with a 2.55 ERA. He could pitch again Sunday, but if the Guardians clinch before then, he’ll almost certainly be held back for the Wild Card series.