Young Pitcher Ready To Help Guardians Win In 2025

Joey Cantillo could be a key piece to the Cleveland Guardians pitching staff during the 2025 MLB season.
Oct 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images
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Joey Cantillo accomplished a lifelong dream during the 2024 MLB season. The Cleveland Guardians pitcher finally made his big league debut on July 28, officially starting his career.

Due to injuries and underperformance from the rest of Cleveland's pitching staff, the rookie found himself in the Guardians rotation to round off the back half of the season.

Cantillo faced some of the adversity during his first season, especially through his first few starts.

The 25-year-old was tasked with going up against some of MLB's top lineups, such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and New York Yankees in his first few major league starts.

However, he also had some high moments, such as taking a perfect game into the seventh inning and striking out 10 batters against the Chicago White Sox in September.

During an interview with Christian Shimabuku of Aloha State Media, Cantillo reflects on his rookie season and what he can take from it to build off that heading into the 2025 season.

"You just got to keep going," he said. "Failure is a part of success. When you fall down, make sure you're not just jumping back up. You're seeing why you fell down. Make the adjustment. Especially the kids in Hawaii, you know, there's a certain fighting spirit, that pride. The strength that the kids here have, I think, is special, and especially for the athletes, that's why we're seeing so many guys do special things."

oey Cantillo (54) throws a pitch
Sep 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Heading into 2025, Cantillo's role isn't entirely clear. He could very well end up in the rotation at some point, or he could be a key piece to Cleveland's

"I think you can look down the road and there's all these different things you want to do, but I think I'm most looking forward to just spending the whole year up in the big leagues and establishing myself, contributing to this team that wants to win a lot of ball games next year. I think there's not really anything else I can say other than just being a Major League Baseball player and helping Cleveland win games."

Cantillo still has a ton of potential to be a solid pitcher for the Guardians, and 2025 could be the season he proves that.


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