Can The Cleveland Guardians Rely On This Veteran Duo To Lead Them To Playoffs?

Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd are exactly what the Cleveland Guardians need in their starting rotation.

Aug 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Alex Cobb (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians patiently waited for Matthew Boyd to finish his rehab assignment so he could make his season debut. At the same time, the front office traded for Alex Cobb from the San Francisco Giants at the deadline to fill the other void in the rotation.

Now that both Boyd and Cobb have made their first starts with the Guardians, we can finally answer the question of whether Cleveland can rely on these veterans down the stretch to help the Guardians return to the postseason. 

Based on what we’ve seen, the answer is yes, and here's why. 

Cobb has made two starts with the Guardians, while Boyd only has one underneath his belt. However, the biggest takeaway from each pitcher’s appearances was their command of their pitches.

Cobb has thrown 162 pitches in two appearances, with 62 percent of his pitches hitting the zone. Boyd was also efficient in his start, throwing 76 percent of his pitches for strikes, too. Yes, it is a very small sample size. But this command is consistent with what each pitcher has done throughout their career, so there’s a strong reason to believe this will continue in the final month and a half of the season. 

One of Cleveland’s biggest issues with starters such as Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie was giving up walks, which spiraled out of control quickly when their opponents added extra-base hits on top of that. Allen has a 3.61 BB/9, and McKenzie has a 5.83 BB/9 at the big league level this season.

The veteran duo of Cobb and Boyd will continue to succeed if they just throw strikes and locate their pitches as they've done in the past.

Aug 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Alex Cobb (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Are they going to give up hits? Yes. Will opponents score runs of them? Of course. But both pitchers have historically given up relatively weak contact, and the Guardians have the best defense (in terms of DRS) in the league to pick them up.

Again, just continue to throw strikes and good things will happen.

Cleveland’s starting rotation has been searching for answers all season, and it finally looks like they have some stability in their pitching staff for the rest of the season.