‘Fun one to watch’: Guardians’ exec praises top prospect before MLB debut

‘Fun one to watch’: Guardians’ exec praises top prospect before MLB debut originally appeared on The Sporting News

Parker Messick has made strides in the Cleveland Guardians’ farm system since he was selected in the second round of the 2022 Draft. 

Now, Cleveland’s No. 12 prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) is set to make his MLB debut today in the series finale vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Messick joins the starting rotation in place of Joey Cantillo, who was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.   

Three games out of the last AL Wild Card spot, the Guardians’ margin for error is slim with just 37 games left in the season. They need Messick to be sharp with the series on the line. 

Messick’s journey to MLB

The 24-year-old lefty has steadily climbed Cleveland’s minor league organization since turning professional in 2023.

Messick was named a Double-A Eastern League All-Star in 2024 thanks to a 2.06 ERA, and he has excelled this season at Triple-A, boasting a 3.47 ERA over 20 starts. He represented the Guardians at the All-Star Futures Game last month, too. 

Cleveland’s vice president of player development, Stephen Osterer, has seen Messick continually improve throughout his time in the minors.  

“Parker has been a fun one to watch, not just this year but the last couple years,” he said, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. “It’s been arrow up for last two, for sure, but probably even just since he started.”

“He came in with the ability to execute his stuff, a really good changeup, a good fastball, but needed to add some velocity. He’s done that on an upward arrow for two years now. Heading into Spring Training, we saw a lot of the things that we knew would carry over into the Triple-A environment. He’s answered the call from that standpoint so far this year.”

Messick’s scouting report on MLB Pipeline describes his low-80s changeup as his “great equalizer," which pairs well with his low-90s fastball. Pipeline projects him as a back-of-the-rotation starter with a high floor. 

While Messick has succeeded every step of the way thus far, the big leagues offer his greatest challenge yet. But Osterer knows he’ll give it his all.  

“Parker is an incredibly diligent worker,” he said. “He’s a smart kid, and he works toward the things that he needs to. It’s been a few years that we’ve seen him continue to grow and get better. To me, it’s just continuing on that path upward.”