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Messick was going to need to be at his best to match Drew Rasmussen, and he wasn’t close. The left-hander allows runs in the first and second inning before exiting, and he needed a whopping 57 pitches to get his six outs. Messick won’t be available in Game 6 — one would think, anyway — but if they can force a Game 7 with a win Monday, it’s feasible that he could be an option for that contest come Tuesday. There’s a very good chance that this is the last time we’ve seen Messick pitch in 2026, and he was one of the best rookie starters in baseball and appears to have a bright future in the coming campaigns.

All of the runs came after a José Ramírez error in the fourth. Even before the error, Messick barely missed out on a double play ball from the second batter of the inning — Victor Mesa Jr. was originally called out at first but it was overturned on replay — and then got another chopper that would have resulted in an out if it wasn’t Chandler Simpson running. The error scored one run and then a single from Liam Hicks plated two. It’s Messick’s second loss in three postseason starts, though this was his best performance of the three.

Messick, who hails from nearby Plant City, Florida, allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings in a pair of ALDS starts against the White Sox to kick off his postseason career. The 25-year-old southpaw was the best rookie pitcher in baseball this past season, posting a stellar 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 193/49 K/BB ratio across 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts.

Messick struck out five batters in the abbreviated outing but also issued four free passes which led to the quick hook in the third inning. Messick walked Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded to force in a run, then exited with the bases loaded with one out — and one of the inherited runners scored against the Guardians’ bullpen as well. The 25-year-old southpaw got 12 whiffs on 65 pitches in the contest, posting a CSW of 28 percent. It’s unclear if he’ll be available to work out of the Guardians’ bullpen in a must-win Game 5 back in Cleveland on Saturday.

No surprise here. Messick has an opportunity to help the Guardians force a winner-take-all Game 5 showdown in Cleveland later this week. The 25-year-old southpaw allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings during Game 1 of the series. This will be the most important outing of his young career.

Messick was able to get out of a few jams thanks in large part to his six strikeouts, but a poorly located breaking ball to Munetaka Murakami was shellacked out of the park, and the Chicago offense provided nothing while was in the game. Messick pitched well after, and should Cleveland force such a game, he likely will be on the mound for Game 4 of the ALCS.

The team concluded the season with Williams pitching Saturday and Messick going Sunday, but the order will be reversed now. Vogt didn’t announce anything beyond Game 2. It’s the AL teams with an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 this year, so they’ll only need three starters and Messick would be able to come back and start Game 4 on four days’ rest.

Messick put the finishing touches on a fabulous debut season that has him in conversation to wrestle the AL Rookie of the Year Award from frontrunner Kevin McGonigle. He gave up six hits, struck out two and only issued one walk. The 25-year-old southpaw will finish as a top-10 fantasy starter on the strength of a pristine 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 193/49 K/BB ratio across 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts. He figures to take the ball to kick off Cleveland’s upcoming AL Division Series matchup next week.

The Guardians won’t play again until Saturday, so Messick will throw a few innings in order to stay fresh. He’ll then start Game 1 or 2 of the ALDS against the Astros, Rangers or White Sox.

Messick left with a 2-1 lead, but Hunter Gaddis gave up a homer in the eighth to tie the game before the Guardians responded in the ninth. The no-decision keeps Messick 12-9 with a 2.55 ERA. He could pitch again Sunday, but if the Guardians clinch before then, he’ll almost certainly be held back for the Wild Card series.

Messick struck out eight and didn’t walk anyone in the quality start. He was scoreless until the fifth, when Tommy Pham connected for a three-run homer, but those were the only runs Messick allowed. The left-hander leads rookie pitchers with 4.5 fWAR this season, and his 2.57 ERA ranks sixth among all qualified starters. He lines up for a road start at Fenway Park next time out.

While not his sharpest, Messick turned in yet another strong start here. He couldn’t command his fastball well at all, consistently missing the edges he usually hits, falling behind in the count, and then needing to come in the middle of the plate with it. Still, he stole just enough strikes with his slider and changeup to keep chugging along and giving his team a chance to win. He’s still squarely in the American League Rookie of the Year race with a 2.51 ERA through 172 1/3 innings this season and is set to face the reeling White Sox at home next time out.

The 25-year-old southpaw racked up 12 strikeouts on the night while issuing a pair of walks. All of the damage done against him came from Riley Greene, who smacked a pair of solo home runs and also added an RBI single. Messick got 19 whiffs on 103 pitches on the night, registering an elite CSW of 37 percent. Now 11-9 on the season, he’ll carry a 2.53 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 173/45 K/BB ratio (167 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the Twins in Minneapolis.

Messick struck out five and walked two, lowering his ERA to 2.46. He gave up a first-inning run but quickly settled down as Cleveland’s offense exploded in the middle innings. Messick has had a phenomenal rookie season. He easily leads all rookie pitchers in fWAR and has the third-lowest ERA among American League starters. His fWAR is already in the top 10 for rookie arms dating back to 2000, and there’s a meaningful chance he finishes in the top three. Spencer Strider in 2022 and Yu Darvish in 2012 are at the top of that leaderboard he’s chasing down.

Messick gave up three hits, walked one and struck out four. He improved to 10-8 with the win. Messick’s only run allowed came in the fourth inning, when the Angels were able to string three singles together and momentarily tie the game 1-1. He was 1-3 over his last six starts entering play Monday. Messick has a 2.50 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Royals at home on Sunday.

Messick allowed six hits without walking anyone but took a tough-luck loss. His 10 punchouts tied his career high, and the outing marked a full calendar year since his big-league debut on August 20, 2025. He entered Wednesday’s start with the sixth-lowest ERA among qualified starters during that span. He’ll aim to keep pitching like one of the best arms in the American League next time out in a favorable matchup versus the Angels.

Messick was outdueled by Keider Montero. He’s actually a bit lucky to leave with this line after allowing a double, hitting Ben Malgeri with a pitch, and walking Gleyber Torres to set up a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the third. He only allowed one run to score there, but allowed a solo homer to Eduardo Valencia in the sixth as well. Messick was getting plenty of whiffs, with 11-of-31 four-seamers and changeups swung at and missed. He’ll draw a beautiful matchup against the Giants next week.

After getting through the first inning without any trouble, Messick allowed a solo homer to Braden Montgomery in the bottom of the second inning, cutting the Guardians’ lead to 2-1. Messick would allow his second earned run in the sixth inning via a solo homer by Munetaka Murakami, but would return to pitch a scoreless seventh inning before being pulled. Messick continues to give opposing offenses fits, as he has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last seven starts and boasts an impressive 2.34 ERA over that span along with a 1.02 WHIP. He’ll look to continue this hot run in his next start, which is scheduled for Thursday on the road against the Tigers.

Messick gave up six hits, walked one and struck out six. He cruised through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth inning. Messick struck out James McCann to start the fifth inning, but allowed three consecutive singles before he was removed. A throwing error by Rhys Hoskins accounted for the unearned run. Messick has a 2.57 ERA. He’s lined up to face the White Sox on the road next Friday.

The 25-year-old All-Star southpaw struck out six batters on the afternoon and did not allow a base on balls. The lone tally against him came in the fifth inning as Chandler Simpson singled, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a bunt single by Cedric Mullins. Unfortunately, that was enough to do him in. Messick generated nine swings and misses on 94 pitches on the day — seven of those on his heater — while posting a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll bring an impressive 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 122/36 K/BB ratio (125 1/3 innings) into Saturday’s tilt against the Diamondbacks