The Cleveland Guardians have always had a knack for developing unknown starting pitchers into aces, and it appears they have found another potential ace.
Messick made his MLB debut on August 20th, 2025, throwing 6.2 innings of one-run ball. That start set the tone for what has been an extraordinarily impressive 11-game stretch to begin his career.
The 25-year-old made seven starts for Cleveland last year, allowing 12 earned runs in 39.2 innings. That was good for a 2.72 ERA. His 2.92 FIP and 153 ERA+ backed up the early success, but nobody was paying much attention. Cleveland lost in the Wild Card Round, and Messick did not get a chance to pitch in the postseason.
Messick did enough to earn a spot in Cleveland’s rotation to begin 2026, and so far, he is proving that 2025 was no fluke.
If A No-Hitter Is What It Takes To Be Noticed….
Parker Messick began his 2026 season by shutting down the World Series Champions. He tossed six scoreless innings against the Dodgers in a 4-2 win on March 30th, striking out five.
If that’s not a stellar way to begin the season, Messick followed it up by holding the Cubs to just two hits in five innings in his next start. One of those hits was a home run off the bat of Matt Shaw, but Messick finished the day, allowing one run against another good lineup, helping his team eventually earn a 6-5 win.
In his third outing, Messick faced the Braves, currently the No. 1 scoring offense in baseball. He held Atlanta scoreless for the only time this season, going 6.2 innings, striking out five, and allowing six baserunners.
But Messick’s greatest feat came in his fourth start of the season, and the eleventh of his career.
On April 16th, against the Orioles, Messick carried a no-hitter in the ninth inning. He struck out nine batters across the first eight innings of work, walking two.
Finally, Leody Taveras broke up the no-hitter in the ninth inning, smacking a single into right field that barely snuck past Cleveland’s second baseman, Juan Brito.
Still, it was another impressive outing for Messick, who is finally being noticed.
Messick Ranks Among the Top Ten Pitchers Since His Debut
Since August 20th, the day Messick made his major league debut, few pitchers have matched his numbers.
In fact, he ranks third in ERA since his debut, trailing only reigning AL Cy-Young winner Tarik Skubal and reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Not bad company to be keeping.
While his xERA of 2.93 is higher than his actual 2.07 ERA, it still ranks as the seventh-best xERA over the timespan.
Messick’s 2.81 FIP ranks in eighth place, his 3.13 xFIP ranks ninth, and his 1.9 fWAR ranks seventh, behind Yamamoto, Max Fried, Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Kevin Gausman, and Cam Schlittler.
No matter what stat you prefer to rank pitchers, Messick finds himself in the top ten. It’s only been 11 starts, but so far, Messick is emerging as one of the best pitchers in the league.
Messick is doing all of this with an average fastball velocity of 93 mph. He’s not a high-strikeout pitcher, and he’s not throwing harder than anyone else. His success appears to be sustainable.
Baseball Savant places him in the 96th percentile for his offspeed run value and his breaking run value. He’s finding success with all his pitches, and he appears to only be getting better.
Guardians Young Ace is Breaking Out in Big Way, and the World is Noticing