CLEVELAND — It was Parker Messick who ended up being the Guardians‘ breakout start for the 2026 season. And it will be Messick who will take the ball for the Guardians as they open postseason play.
Ahead of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox — which begins Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. at Progressive Field — manager Stephen Vogt has named Messick as Cleveland’s Game 1 starting pitcher. Gavin Williams will start Game 2, set for Monday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m.
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Messick was named an AL All-Star in July. He’s also in the AL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist conversations after posting a 12-9 record with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings.
In starting Game 1, Messick will become the youngest Guardians Southpaw to start a postseason game since Ryan Merritt in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Blue Jays, when some Toronto players famously said he’d be “shaking in his boots.” The Guardians won that game, punching their ticket to the World Series.
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians select rookie All-Star Parker Messick as ALDS Game 1 starter
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