Guardians Manager Discusses Veteran's First 2025 Spring Training Start

Cleveland's Stephen Vogt shared his thoughts on Triston McKenzie's start in the Guardians' 2025 Cactus League opener on Saturday.

Logan Potosky | Feb 22, 2025

Cleveland Guardians Triston McKenzie (24) throws a pitch in the first inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at the Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cleveland Guardians

On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians opened their 2025 Cactus League schedule against the Cincinnati Reds, falling to a Cincinnati split squad by a score of 6-3.

With a mix of Major League and Minor League players seeing the field for both sides, one player of note who played for the Guardians was starting pitcher Triston McKenzie.

The 27-year-old got the ball to begin Cleveland's Spring Training slate, allowing just one hit, one run, and no walks, while throwing one strikeout in two innings of work. His lone blemish was a solo home run he surrendered against Reds star Elly De La Cruz.

After the contest, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt reflected on McKenzie's first Cactus League outing of the spring.

"I thought Triston was really good," Vogt said. "I thought his stuff was electric, fastball was really jumping. You know, one pitch over the heart of the plate, kind of curveball up. But I thought all in all, he looked phenomenal."

A baseball player throwing a baseball while wearing a navy jersey, gray pants, red hat, and a red baseball glove.

McKenzie began last season with Cleveland, going 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA, 74 strikeouts, and 49 walks in 16 starts. However, he was optioned to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers on June 30, remaining in Triple-A for the rest of the year.

McKenzie battled injuries in 2023 after a stellar 2022 campaign, in which he ranked top-10 in MLB in both WHIP (0.95, fifth) and opposing batting average (.201, seventh), as well as top-10 in the American League in innings pitched (191.1, sixth), ERA (2.96, ninth), and strikeouts (190, 10th). He was ultimately limited to four starts due to a right teres major strain and a right elbow sprain.

With the right-hander looking to earn his way back into Cleveland's starting rotation to begin the 2025 season, Vogt described how McKenzie will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents this spring.

"This is a camp with a lot of opportunity for guys, and Triston's right in that mix," Vogt said. "We're excited. I think he looks great, he's feeling good. He's moving well on the mound, and that's really what matters right now."

The right-hander displayed a combination of arm strength and control on Saturday against Cincinnati. Four of his 24 pitches reached 95 mph, and 16 of them were thrown for strikes.

In all, Vogt had positive thoughts on McKenzie's current health and performance.

"And we've seen him as high as 97 [mph] already," Vogt said. "So we know he's feeling healthy and the ball's coming out good, and it's moving the way it should be."

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Published Feb 22, 2025

LOGAN POTOSKY

Logan Potosky is an aspiring play-by-play sports broadcaster who, to date, has called approximately 350+ hours of professional, college, and high school sporting events. He is currently the Play-by-Play Broadcaster for the Lake County Captains, the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He graduated from John Carroll University in May of 2023 with a degree in Communication, with a concentration in Digital Media, and a minor in Entrepreneurship.