Why Joey Cantillo Is Set for a Breakout Season in 2026 for the Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are heavily bought into the notion that pitching wins games.

This offseason, the front office built up the bullpen, adding inexperienced, raw arms that are looking to rebuild their respective careers and find consistency on the mound. The fortunate thing is, they've got a good mix of already established relievers that'll help fill in the holes as the coaching staff works out the kinks early in the season.

But most of the weight will come down onto the starters out of the gates, as reliability will be important.

Cleveland's slated to return all six starters who rotated through the honors of being the first man on the mound at the tail end of 2025, a group that includes Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo.

Out of the bunch, one player has the biggest question mark over his head: Cantillo.

He's been the most inconsistent over the past two seasons, moving from a reliever to a starter to try and find his best fit on the roster. He's appeared in 43 games, starting 21 of them, but following a strugglesome 2025, he was optioned a total of three times to the minors to try and gain consistency.

Heading into 2026, he'll likely be a starter again, and putting on display what he did the last few weeks last season will have to be a priority.

In a recent interview, former MLB general manager Steven Phillips highlighted Cantillo as a player he's really excited to see break out. This offseason, he's been heavily complimentary of the Guardians' many prospects.

"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.

"I'm encouraged to see what he can do this year."

Is Joey Cantillo in for a breakout year in 2026? @StevePhillipsGM thinks so #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/KNCNy3slYF
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) January 31, 2026

His end-of-season excitement

After being optioned right before the Guardians starting making their legendary 15.5-game comeback to win the American League Central, Cantillo had to prove that he was ready to rejoin the major league roster.

He did just that and returned to Cleveland after just under a month in Columbus.

In his first game back after 18 days, he waltzed out onto Progressive Field and helped deliver the Guardians an 8-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. He threw seven strikeouts and allowed just one run across six innings of action.

That set the stage for confidence, as he then tossed a season-best eight innings in a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals the very next game. He struckout five batters, allowed four hits and didn't give up a run.

Over the final three games where he started, all of which were wins, he allowed just 11 hits and four runs while striking out 16 batters. The best part was his pitching was starting to rattle batters, averaging nine strikes a game with batters swinging and 16 while looking.

His season velocity came in at an average of 91.7 mph, but over the course of those final five games, he was reaching 93 mph on a consistent basis, showing major growth.

Across two seasons of major league action, he's averaged a 3.69 ERA and 1.269 WHIP with a 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings mark. He has set the stage for an exciting career; it's all about growing and developing into everyday trust from his coaching staff.

His first chance to get back on the mound will be in sprig training, with the Guardians make their way to Arizona over the coming days. The first game is set for Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds with first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. EST.