AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS RAYS

October 14, 2026

Carl Willis

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. You guys late in the season gave Gavin maybe some more extra dates between starts. How much do you think that's helped benefit him during this postseason run?

CARL WILLIS: I think it's been huge. Truthfully, the reasoning behind that, we were trying to line up our starters for a huge series against the White Sox, and it bought Gavin some extra days. And obviously us not knowing how much we were going to ask of him then in the ALDS.

So as the old adage goes, everything happens for a reason. I think certainly it's a blessing in disguise. It didn't come about because of planning this, but I think it's helped him.

Q. You've been here for so long. Have you been around a staff of starters who have stayed as healthy as they have all season?

CARL WILLIS: That's a great question. I think the only year that may rival this season is 2005 here in Cleveland. I think we only used six starters that year. You can look that up for me and make sure I'm remembering correctly.

But these guys this year, it's been phenomenal. I think when you factor in how young they are, so many of them, all of them, in the early stages of their Major League careers. For them to be able to literally -- every starter, has been able to take the ball every time they were asked this entire season.

We got fortunate for a good bulk of the season that we didn't get rainouts that caused us to have doubleheaders, that made us have to go down to Triple-A and bring up a spot starter. And that was fortunate.

I think these guys just have paid attention to detail in their work. And I think Vogty has done a tremendous job. We watch them very closely. We monitor them very closely. But kudos goes to the pitchers themselves.

Q. You've been around some of the great pitchers in this organization here for a while. I'm just curious, when you watch Gavin, when you watch Parker not just actually compete, but their work ethic, their nutrition, their commitment to their strength and conditioning, what is it that they're doing that you might see as in the same vein as some of the guys that come before you? And how gratifying is that for you?

CARL WILLIS: Well, you're right. I mean, their work ethic and their attention to detail -- and I think in their careers as they continue to evolve and gain experience, not only working up through the player development system from level to level, but then getting to the Major League level and finding out, okay, maybe these things weren't crucially important for me in Double-A. However, at the Major League level, just, for instance, I've got to do more homework, I've got to prep more in terms of plan of attacks, so that when we sat down and have a meeting prior to the games, they're not hearing it for the first time, or if there's questions, because maybe they see something a little differently, we can discuss those things.

But I think we just see them continue to evolve. And I have to say -- this is no knock on any of our other starters -- but I've said this really from after his first start and first bullpen I watched last August, Parker Messick, his bullpens, his preparation, it's some of the best I've ever seen just in terms of the work on the mound and how he goes about it. And I think that translates into the games.

Q. I don't think anybody goes into a five-game series thinking you're going to strike out 75 hitters in that series. What accounts in your mind for your ability to do that? And then to make the adjustment coming into this series, knowing that that's probably not going to be the case against a team that puts the ball in play the way Tampa does?

CARL WILLIS: Yeah, I think obviously stuff plays a huge part in that. I think paying some attention to the art of pitching -- so stuff is great; all pitching coaches love stuff. However, the ability to command your stuff, the fastball to different quadrants of the strike zone, to be able to throw your breaking pitches back door, back foot, both sides -- I think that's part of it.

But it's interesting, really felt like in the White Sox series, they didn't do a lot of chasing. We beat those guys in the zone, and that kind of validates the "stuff" part of it.

I think when you look at the Rays, it's a group that they have very good zone discipline. And they're aggressive in the zone. They don't leave the zone very often.

I think the experience of facing the White Sox and beating them in the zone has given us confidence now to have that same approach against the Rays. The Rays typically put the ball in play quite frequently.

Q. This match-up in particular is special because it stoplights two organizations that are of the rare breed that not only developed their own pitching very well but can take in arms and make them spectacular. So in a time where that is really difficult for others to do -- I know this could be a multiday topic -- but could you identify the core of why Cleveland is one of those that excels so well?

CARL WILLIS: I think, number one, we have unbelievable people that work not only in player development, but I have an unbelievable support staff here in Cleveland -- Joe Torres, Brad Goldberg, Caleb Longshore, Erik Binder -- and I could give you many more names.

We collaborate and we talk and we bounce ideas off of each other. And the entire organization, from Petey up through to the Major League staff, we're kind of aligned in terms of what we feel the foundation is.

Along with that, you mentioned developing obviously our own, but at times getting guys from other organizations and them kind of refining themselves, I think that refining themselves is kind of the key.

Look, I'm more on the old school side of things. I'm trying to learn all the new analytics and everything else. I think that group of people, I mean, it's almost -- it's absolute. I mean, nothing changes. It's like two and two is four. I mean, everyone has similar ideas that this is how works.

I feel like sometimes a player that's been around a while has tried to make some changes, whether it's with a new pitch or create some different profiles with their arsenal, and giving them the confidence, hey, let's take a step back and go be yourself, and let's do what you do or did really well. And then we're just going to do a little fine tuning with those things instead of trying to maybe cookie cut it and build a perfect engine. I think that's part of it.

Q. Just with Daniel Espino, obviously a great journey for him to where he is now. But I think Parker said the other day, like, that's like the prototype. When we were being brought up, they told us that's the guy you want to pitch like. How remarkable is it, one, to see him get to where he is now, and, two, to just still have kind of that triple-digit stuff that he's able to bring?

CARL WILLIS: I don't want to say it's almost a miracle, because he's been through things that very few, if any, have been through in this game and gotten back to a point where he can go out and do things we see him do on the mound.

I have to say about Daniel -- I said this to a writer the other night -- he's a man that has a tremendous amount of faith. And that means very much to me. And I don't think it's coincidence. I think that's a big reason why he's doing what he's doing.

But he has taken every setback in stride and continued to work, challenged himself, been a great listener, been a great communicator, and he's just stepped up to every challenge, and we're seeing it evolve right now, and it's not only a blessing, but it's certainly exciting to watch him and hopefully we'll be watching him for a number of years.