Guardians Manager Reveals Cleveland's First Spring Training Starters

Both pitchers are young and unpolished, hoping to build consistency on the mound before the regular season rolls around.

Sep 20, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen (26) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of game two of a double header at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are only a few days away from the first spring training game of the year.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, the Guardians are set to take on the Cincinnati Reds at 3:05 p.m. EST and the Milwaukee Brewers at 3:10 p.m. EST. Both games will take place in Arizona to kickstart the Guardians' slate of 17 matchups in spring training.

Ahead of the opening contests, manager Stephen Vogt came out and announced which pitchers would be starting on the mound for the team on Saturday. Left-handed pitchers Logan Allen and Joey Cantillo would be given the honors.

The decision shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Guardians are hoping to develop both into legitimate long-term starters. They've already got two ace-worthy arms in Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams, and if Allen and Cantillo can come around, the Guardians could have a scary pitching staff.

#Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt said today that Logan Allen and Joey Cantillo will be the starters in each of Cleveland's Spring Training games Saturday. Says he is not sure who will pitch against the Reds or Brewers just yet. #GuardsBall @WEWS

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) February 16, 2026

Allen and Cantillo's Numbers in the Navy Blue and Red

In 2025, the Guardians' coaching staff relied on Allen a good bit, trotting him out onto the mound for 30 starts. He pitched in 156.2 innings for an ERA of 4.25 and an overall record of 8-11. He was sharp but definitely needs to grow this year to lock down the role long-term.

Each season since entering the majors, his strikeouts per nine innings rate has dropped, while his other major numbers, like hits and walks per nine innings, haven't found consistency just yet. Most of his advanced metrics have him as a below-average pitcher, which is why the Guardians are trying to get the most out of him now in spring training.

Cantillo, on the other hand, has had a much longer journey to carve out a legitimate spot in the rotation.

He's spent much of the last two seasons bouncing up and down between the majors and the minors. Last year, though, he actually began to find a bit of his groove, tossing a 3.21 ERA across 95.1 innings of action. He threw an impressive 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, which sets him up to be more of a reliever than a starter, but Cleveland wants to see if he can start games off hot for the team.

Recently, he received high praise from former MLB general manager Steven Phillips, who highlighted his talent and ability to break out in 2026.

"The guy I like is Joey Cantillo for the Cleveland Guardians," Phillips said. "I really like him. I liked him a couple of years ago, and they brought him in relief a little bit. He got an opportunity last year. He's an intriguing guy for me, who I think strikes out more than innings pitched.

His advanced metrics also show how talented he is. He finished in the 79th percentile and up in Whiff% and K%, while also being in the 99th percentile in extension.

Both Cantillo and Allen are being given the best possible chance to get real, important reps on the mound ahead of the 2026 regular season.

If they show signs of improvement and promise, there should be no reason the team doesn't give them back their spots in the rotation from 2025 when the season eventually rolls around.