Joey Cantillo hit a rough patch in the middle of the season.
But these are the Cleveland Guardians . They know how to figure pitchers out. And they have figured out Cantillo.
Lately, the lefty has been much better, including in the win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday night to clinch a playoff berth for the Guardians.
If Cantillo keeps this up, he can be an asset in the postseason, even as a guy who wasn't originally making a strong enough case for such a consideration.
The Guardians decided that instead of Cantillo starting games, he should follow an opener.
Since then, utter dominance:
It's a confusing role for many baseball fans, and it's not always clear why it works.
Yes, it usually means the longer-term pitcher comes into the game lower down in the order rather than at the top, and it also means the top hitters haven't seen Cantillo yet when he circles back to the top.
But there's also a difference in rhythm. Cantillo likely warms up at a slightly different pace. The game state feels slightly different coming in after an inning or two rather than before anything has happened yet.
For some pitchers, it's all mental, and for others, the strategic differences of following an opener really do matter.
Regardless of the reason for Cantillo, he's in the midst of delivering in a major way for the Guardians.
Thursday night is a prime example of what can work for Cantillo.
The Guardians had hard-throwing righty Daniel Espino pitch as the opener. He went 1.0 inning and struck out two, facing the minimum three hitters.
That brought up Cantillo, with the plan all along for him to follow Esipino as the bulk guy on this night.
Cantillo went 5.0 innings and allowed just 1 hit while walking 2. He struck out 4.
The Red Sox never really came close to touching him.
Cantillo threw only 47 of his 80 pitches for strikes, but he's a guy that nibbles around the zone and gets the job done in the end.
Would the Guardians go with an opener in front of Cantillo in the playoffs? If it came to that, sure. It's working wonderfully.
It might be unconventional, but the objective in the postseason is to win no matter what. No one will judge an odd choice if it works out.
Right now, the Guardians are doing everything they can to prepare for the postseason. Assessing what Cantillo can bring (and Espino as an opener) is a key point for Cleveland to have in its data set before the playoffs.
It still might not work, but at least the Guardians would consider if such a bold move would help them out, and they're giving it a shot down the stretch to feel it out for the sake of Cantillo and their entire pitching staff.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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