The backbone of the Cleveland Guardians roster has been, and likely always will be, the pitching staff. But as each pitcher reaches and surpasses double-digit starts on the season, some cracks with the group are starting to show.
One of Cleveland’s arms that’s going through a rough stretch on the mound right now is Joey Cantillo, and those struggles continued in the Guardians’ 10-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon.
Advertisement
Cantillo ended up getting through 5.0 innings, but he also gave up nine hits, allowed seven earned runs, and issued two walks. On the bright side, he struck out a total of seven hitters.
Manager Stephen Vogt believed that it simply came down to Cantillo just “got hit” in his outing against the Rangers.
“He left some pitches over the middle. I thought the first few innings, I thought, was the best strike quality and the best strike throwing we’ve seen from him in a while, and kind of got hurt on a couple tough pitches that he left out over, and just wasn’t able to really regroup,” said Cleveland’s skipper.
One rough outing or start from time to time happens; it’s normal. However, the concerning part is that Cantillo’s outing against the Rangers is the third in a row of rough outings by the Guardians starter.
Advertisement
His previous two starts before Texas came against the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals. Cantillo gave up a total of eight earned runs and nine hits in 6.0 innings in those outings, and his season ERA is now up to 4.57.
From the outside looking in, Cantillo’s biggest issue in these outings has simply been his command. He walked a total of seven batters in his previous two starts, and as Vogt said, Cantillo left too many balls over the plate against the Rangers.
Jun 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Despite the tough patch, neither Catnillo nor the Guardians is ringing any alarm bells just yet.
“I think it’s been three pretty shaky starts in a row,” Vogt said on Sunday. “Joey’s a hard worker. I know he’s gonna dive in with a pitching group, and we’re gonna try and find some answers… because when he’s consistent, we’ve seen what he can do.”
Advertisement
Despite the results, Cantillo actually liked his process against Texas compared to his outings against the Yankees and Nationals.
“I’d take today’s start over the last three starts,” said the pitcher.
“I know the results don’t look like it’s from a process standpoint, we were throwing more pitches in the zone and attacking guys a little better. So I think, from the process standpoint, which is all that I have control over, that was better.”
Time will only tell if this improved process will lead to better starts in Cantillo’s next outing.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.