The Cleveland Guardians' starting rotation has struggled mightily to start the 2026 MLB regular season, allowing 14 of the Guardians' 22 runs. They haven't been able to find a groove, giving up walks and home runs far too easily.
Night in and night out, the Guardians' starting rotation has struggled to begin the 2026 MLB regular season. Whether it was potential aces, Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams, or end-of-rotation arms, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi, each of Cleveland's starting pitchers who have taken the mound to start the year has struggled mightily.
He gives up four runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run shot from Brendan Donovan.He allowed just one hit and one walk, all while striking out three batters through the first three innings, but then, in the fourth and fifth, he allowed a total of five hits, two walks and six earned runs. His first appearance of the year will net him a 12.46 ERA and 2.08 WHIP with a .316 batting average against. But unfortunately, while his early-season ERA is incredibly high, the rest of the Guardians' starting pitchers are all hovering around 5.0, making them not much better either. In Williams' first appearance of the year, he went five innings, giving up just three earned runs, all of which were found on a home run, and walked an eye-grabbing six batters.. In comparison, the bullpen, which has seen eight different arms come out and try to piece together an effective outing, has allowed just 11 hits, six earned runs, three home runs and seven walks. In total innings pitched as well, the four-some of Williams, Bibee, Cantillo and Cecconi come in at just 18, while the bullpen has come in to try and save the day for 18. Each of those numbers shows a stark difference in productivity and reliability, and something that needs to change quickly if the Guardians want any chance to find success against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Mariners aren't an easy team to beat, not by any means, the Guardians' inability to get any sort of control from their starters is concerning. As they look to forget the blunders that occurred time and time again while on the mound in Seattle, they'll have to be ready, because moving forward, it's not going to get any easier. On Monday, March 30, the Guardians will begin a three-game set against the two-time defending World Series champions, the Dodgers, who are known for taking advantage of struggling pitchers. Last season, when the Dodgers and Guardians met in the regular season, Tanner Bibee allowed seven hits, four earned runs and three walks while striking out seven.It will be an uphill battle for the Guardians’ starting rotation to build momentum and pull themselves out of this rut, but if they want to prove they have what it takes to compete in MLB, this series will serve as a strong early test.Cade Cracas is a sports media professional with experience in play-by-play, broadcasting and digital storytelling. He is a recent graduate of Ashland University with degrees in digital media production and journalism.Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Chase DeLauter May Be the Missing Piece for the Cleveland GuardiansThe Cleveland Guardians have begun the 2026 MLB regular season on an incredible note, due in part by the power from outfield prospect Chase DeLauter. He has now crushed three home runs in two games for the Guardians.
Read more »
How the Cleveland Guardians’ Rotation Faces Early Questions After Rough First StartsThe Cleveland Guardians have begun the 2026 MLB regular season with a 1-1 record, winning on Opening Day before dropping Friday night's contest. Through both days, one of the major issues for Cleveland was it's starting pitching, which let them down.
Read more »
Guardians’ Chase DeLauter hits 4th home run in 3rd career game, Guardians beat Mariners 6-5Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter hit his fourth career home run to give Cleveland the lead for good in the 10th inning, and the Guardians beat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Friday night.
Read more »
Three Big Takeaways From the Cleveland Guardians’ Saturday Night Win Over SeattleFor a team that entered the 2026 season with a significant question mark hanging over it, taking two games from a World Series contender is huge. They’ve shown grit, flashes of offensive explosiveness and some great late-game pitching.
Read more »
2026 Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix - Final Leaderboard and Results - March 29, 2026View 2026 Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix race, qualifier and practice leaderboards, live streams, bonus cameras, videos and odds information.
Read more »
2026 Cook Out 400 - Final Leaderboard - March 29, 2026View 2026 Cook Out 400 race, qualifier and practice leaderboards, live streams, bonus cameras, videos and odds information.
Read more »