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The Cleveland Guardians have been among the top teams in the American League since the first series of the 2026 season.
As the rest of the All-Star roster was announced on Saturday evening, Cleveland found out it has multiple players headed to Philadelphia to represent the team.
Cade Smith has been one of the best relievers in baseball since his debut in the 2024 season. In many ways, it's surprising that he hasn’t made an appearance in the Midsummer Classic yet.
However, that’s all set to change in 2026, as Cleveland’s closer has been named to the American League All-Star pitching staff for the first time in his career.
Smith being named an All-Star for the season is a more-than-deserving honor. The Guardians reliever owns a 2.98 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Cade was even named American League reliever of the month earlier in the season, and leads all of MLB with 26 saves.
Apr 21, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith (36) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Travis Bazzana started the season playing at Triple-A Columbus. Now, he’s headed to Philadelphia to represent the American League after being named an All-Star reserve in his rookie season. Bazzana was named to the roster by his peers in the player vote.
Bazzana is living up to the hype as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, especially within his position group. The 23-year-old owns a .775 OPS and a 119 wRC+, both of which rank fourth among American League second basemen.
Cleveland has always seen Bazzana's potential, and that’s already come to fruition with his first All-Star nod in his rookie campaign.
Parker Messick wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation when he landed in Goodyear, Arizona, for Spring Training.
Since earning a spot on the Opening Day roster, all Messick has done is pitch like the ace of Cleveland’s pitching staff, and now he’s headed to his first All-Star Game, also as a rookie.
The left-hander owns a 2.85 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP halfway through the 2026 season. Messick has really impressed with his punchouts all season long. He owns a strikeout rate of 26.5 percent and a whiff rate of 27.6 percent.
With both Bazzana and Messick being named All-Stars, the Guardians are just the fifth team in MLB history to have multiple rookies be named All-Stars in a season.
This year was all about seeing what the young core can do, and it’s paying off in an All-Star way.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
As the rest of the All-Star roster was announced on Saturday evening, Cleveland found out it has multiple players headed to Philadelphia to represent the team.
Cade Smith
Cade Smith has been one of the best relievers in baseball since his debut in the 2024 season. In many ways, it's surprising that he hasn’t made an appearance in the Midsummer Classic yet.
However, that’s all set to change in 2026, as Cleveland’s closer has been named to the American League All-Star pitching staff for the first time in his career.
Smith being named an All-Star for the season is a more-than-deserving honor. The Guardians reliever owns a 2.98 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Cade was even named American League reliever of the month earlier in the season, and leads all of MLB with 26 saves.
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Apr 21, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith (36) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana started the season playing at Triple-A Columbus. Now, he’s headed to Philadelphia to represent the American League after being named an All-Star reserve in his rookie season. Bazzana was named to the roster by his peers in the player vote.
Bazzana is living up to the hype as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, especially within his position group. The 23-year-old owns a .775 OPS and a 119 wRC+, both of which rank fourth among American League second basemen.
Cleveland has always seen Bazzana's potential, and that’s already come to fruition with his first All-Star nod in his rookie campaign.
Parker Messick
Parker Messick wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation when he landed in Goodyear, Arizona, for Spring Training.
Since earning a spot on the Opening Day roster, all Messick has done is pitch like the ace of Cleveland’s pitching staff, and now he’s headed to his first All-Star Game, also as a rookie.
The left-hander owns a 2.85 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP halfway through the 2026 season. Messick has really impressed with his punchouts all season long. He owns a strikeout rate of 26.5 percent and a whiff rate of 27.6 percent.
With both Bazzana and Messick being named All-Stars, the Guardians are just the fifth team in MLB history to have multiple rookies be named All-Stars in a season.
This year was all about seeing what the young core can do, and it’s paying off in an All-Star way.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
