Joey Cantillo is striving for a place in the Guardians' rotation, showing potential with his left-handed pitching skills, but requires improvement on his fastball to truly shine.

Joey Cantillo is positioned as one of the next potential everyday arms in the Guardians' starting rotation. With the team facing significant uncertainty in their pitching staff, his development and readiness for the major leagues could play a crucial role in addressing the rotation's challenges heading into the 2025 season.

Joey Cantillo showed promise during his rookie season, demonstrating flashes of potential but also experiencing some inconsistency. At 24 years old, he had a limited sample size with 38 2/3 innings pitched and will need to build on his performance to secure a more permanent spot in the rotation moving forward.

Joey Cantillo made his postseason debut in Game 1 against the Yankees, coming in after Alex Cobb struggled. Although he only allowed one run, he walked three batters and his performance was seen as a sign of the Guardians' lack of confidence, as he hadn’t pitched at all during the postseason prior to this. His introduction to the game felt like a surrender, and it highlighted the Guardians' struggles and questionable managerial decisions, particularly from rookie manager Stephen Vogt.

Joey Cantillo struggled significantly in Game 1, throwing four wild pitches, the second most in postseason history. His inability to find the strike zone contributed to the Guardians' downfall, as three runs scored due to wild pitches, all of which came after batters reached base on walks. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt noted that Cantillo appeared rushed and had difficulty settling in, leading to a series of self-inflicted wounds that hurt the team's chances.