Cleveland Guardians Reliever Reflects On Rookie Season

Andrew Walters says that his Cleveland Guardians teammates did a tremendous job helping him adjust to MLB.
Sep 28, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Andrew Walters (63) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Andrew Walters (63) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Cleveland Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball last season, and that was without one of their best minor league relievers for the majority of the season.

Andrew Walters was part of this historic bullpen. However, in a recent interview with MLB Network Radio, he admitted that adjusting to the Majors still took some getting used to as a rookie.

"The big leagues is just different. I can tell you that. I kind of, just over the course of the year, surround myself with the knowledge that everybody had because I honestly didn't know. It was just a totally different game, and I kind of realized that," said Walters.

"The moment I got to the big leagues, I realized these guys are doing this for a living, and they're really good at it. So, I was just trying to stay aggressive. The more strikes, the better, in my opinion, and my main goal was to pound the zone with everything I got."

Andrew Walters (63) and catcher Bo Naylor (23) talk on the mound
Oct 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Andrew Walters (63) and catcher Bo Naylor (23) talk on the mound in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game five of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The right-handed reliever didn't make his Major League debut until September 12, so he was joining a group that had already established itself as one of the best in the league.

"I just realized the culture in there was business; those boys know how to get things done. So, I was just trying to follow after them. They were super welcoming. Those guys came to take me under their wing and teach me a few things. I just kind of watched them and what they had been doing all year and tried to go out there and do the same."

Walters fit in perfectly with this bullpen and didn't give upa single run and struck out six batters in his 8.2 innings of work in the regular season.

If Cleveland is going to repeat as the best reliever core in baseball next season, they're going to need Walters to keep this production up.


Published