Worrisome Trend Growing For Guardians Starting Pitching

Cleveland Guardians starters have issued 37 walks in 77.2 innings of work.

Mar 29, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen (41) delivers a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians find themselves in a territory they’re not used to being in. The organization has established itself as one of the best pitching factories in baseball. But for once, they lack starting depth and the rotation has struggled early on in the 2024 season.

There’s been one area in particular that has stuck out as a worrisome trend growing for Cleveland starters. That’s the number of walks they’re issuing. 

Cleveland starters have pitched 77.2 innings of work three weeks into the season and they’ve already walked 37 batters. Those stats include Shane Bieber’s 12.0 innings where he’s only walked one batter (before receiving Tommy John surgery) and Xzavion Curry’s much-needed appearance against the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

The three pitchers who have made the most starts are Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Carlos Carrasco, and Triston McKenzie and this is where we’ve seen the inconsistency. 

Allen has granted six free passes with a 1.36 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched. Bibee has issued eight walks with a 1.48 WHIP in 13.2 innings pitched this season. Carrasco has walked nine batters along with a 1.66 WHIP in 12.2 innings pitched. McKenzie has walked 12 batters in 13.0 innings for a WHIP of 1.77.

Mar 29, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen (41) delivers a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The lack of command from these pitchers is definitely something fans are not used to seeing. 

Despite these shaky performances, the Guardians aren’t giving up runs at an alarming rate just yet. They have the seventh-best starter ERA in the American League

It’s hard to envision giving up this many free passes without giving up a lot of runs being sustainable though. At some point that'll catch up with them.

Luckily, this starting core has shown they have what it takes in the past and they can turn it around too. But the walking trend does remain an area to keep an eye on as the team looks to stabilize the rotation.