CLEVELAND — Parker Messick will be the first Cleveland rookie pitcher to start in a postseason game since 2016 when the Guardians left-hander takes the mound for Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Manager Stephen Vogt also announced on Thursday that Gavin Williams will get the start for Game 2 on Monday.
“They’ve been our two best pitchers. They’ve earned it and then some,” Vogt said before the Guardians held a workout and simulated game. “Just with how the last week went, how the rotation’s kind of set up, it puts them in the best positions for success.”
Ryan Merritt was the last Cleveland rookie pitcher to get a postseason start. He threw 4 1/3 shutout innings in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto a decade ago.
Messick went 12-9 in 32 regular-season starts. His 2.56 ERA is the lowest by a rookie pitcher in a single season with a minimum of 30 starts since the Mets' Jon Matlack posted a 2.32 ERA in 1972 when he won NL Rookie of the Year.
It is also the lowest ERA by a Cleveland left-hander since Cliff Lee's 2.54 in 2008.
The 25-year old leads MLB qualified rookies in innings pitched (183 1/3), was second in strikeouts (191), tied for second in wins and ERA and fourth in opponent batting average (.212).
Vogt pointed to Messick's consistency as the most significant reason for starting the series opener.
“He’s taken the ball every time and given us a chance to win. Just the way he pitches, it just felt right to go with Parker,” he said.
This will be the fifth time Messick goes against the White Sox this season. He is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has won his last two starts.
Messick's most recent outing against the White Sox was on Sept. 16, when he went six innings and allowed three runs in a 6-3 victory that sent the Guardians into first place in the AL Central.
Williams went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA to lead the American League. He was second in the majors with 248 strikeouts.
The right-hander held opposing hitters to a .213 batting average, tied for seventh best in the majors.
“We saw Gavin respond really well with some extra days of rest. So all of that stuff kind of went into play (for the Game 1 and Game 2 decisions),” Vogt said.
With Chicago dispatching Houston in two games, the Guardians got a jump on preparing for their AL Central rival. The White Sox went 7-6 in the season series after Cleveland took 11 of 13 last season.
“What the White Sox have done this year has been really special. I give (general manager) Chris Getz and (manager) Will Venable a ton of credit for what they’ve done. It’s been fun to watch,” Vogt said. “I share this with Will all the time. We enjoy playing each other. They can pound the baseball and they’ve got some really good arms and their defense is good and their roster is very deep. They match up well. So we got our work cut out for us.”
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