Why Matt Festa's World Baseball Classic Struggles Shouldn't Concern Guardians

Festa struggled late in the game against USA on Tuesday night, nearly giving up Italy's lead.

Oct 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Matt Festa (52) throws in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Matt Festa looked really strong against Great Britain to begin his stint in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

But just one game later, against a powerhouse USA lineup, he ran into trouble and nearly handed away the win.

Festa threw just 0.2 innings in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving up three hits and one earned run, allowing the Americans to continue mounting a comeback. Italy would give up another run in the ninth, but was able to fend off Aaron Judge and the USA to squeak away with an 8-6 victory.

While the tough outing for Festa may look a bit alarming at first, it's important to keep it in context.

The 33-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y., was put in a high-leverage relief situation against a stacked lineup, in a setting where even elite pitchers can have small stumbles. Even starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who's widely regarded as one of the best arms in baseball, struggled against Great Britain.

Festa's own showing against a team like Great Britain and his 2025 showing for the Cleveland Guardians show that he has the tools to bounce back and recover.

Italy hasn't yet clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, but if they do and Festa has to trot back out onto the mound, there shouldn't be concern that his performance against the USA will become a recurring issue.

He currently has a 5.40 ERA in 1.2 innings of action across two games, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out three.

His 2025 Surge in Cleveland

Last season, Festa was snagged by the front office at the tail-end of April from the Texas Rangers. The Guardians gave up very little in return for the questionable veteran arm, hoping that he could just be able to help add more depth to the bullpen.

He did more than that, though, and actually became a pretty important part of everyday play.

He pitched in 54.2 innings, putting up a 4.12 ERA and a 1.079 WHIP, all while averaging a nice 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He also wasn't allowing opposing batters to square away the ball, holding them to under a home run per nine innings.

In postseason play, Festa was tossed out onto the mound just once, giving up no runs and striking out a single batter.

If he can repeat such efforts, or even grow upon them, he'll yet again be another anchor for the Guardians' bullpen as prospects itch for big league time, and players like Hunter Gaddis return from injury.

Moving Forward

Like Festa, other Guardians have had ups and downs in the WBC.

One of the most notable players, infield prospect Travis Bazzana, started the tournament with an incredible game, knocking two hits in four at-bats. After that, though, he also sputtered, very rarely standing out at the plate for Australia.

But like Festa, small wins are important for a small-market team like Cleveland.

The coaching staff and front office has focused more on the experience, rather than the results, for players that were given the chance to represent their respective nations at the WBC.

A single shaky inning doesn't define Festa's ability to return in 2026 as one of the Guardians' premier relievers. If anything, this experience competing on the international stage will strengthen his ability to become more comfortable in high-pressure situations in MLB action.