Why the Cleveland Guardians Should Call Up This Red-Hot Pitching Prospect

The Cleveland Guardians need to make a call to the bullpen. And by "bullpen", I mean to the team's Triple-A Affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.

Throughout the past decade, pitching has been a strong suit for the Guardians' organization. From arms like Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber, starting pitching has never been a problem for this small-market team.

Until now.

This year, Cleveland's four primary starters (Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz and Logan Allen) have been marginal at best. The core four have a combined average ERA of 4.08 and 1.43 WHIP so far this season. And despite Bieber being expected to return at some point this year, the Guardians must find another arm to help, especially in the back end of the rotation.

Luckily, there may be one option down in Columbus.

24-year-old left-handed pitcher Parker Messick has been dominated over the course of the past two seasons, which has earned him the No. 13 spot in Cleveland's Top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com. During his short stint with the Double-A affiliate Akron RubberDucks in 2024, Messick posted a 4-1 record with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. His impressive run in the minors has continued into this season, as the former 2022 second-round pick now has a 3-1 record with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.

Messick, as a young lefty arm, does not blow batters away with his low-90s fastball. However, his pitch arsenal includes an excellent changeup and a upper-70 MHP curveball to keep hitters off balance. In addition to a good mix of pitches, Messick does an terrific job of hiding the ball in his delivery, making him a problem for opposing hitters.