It's hard to imagine the Cleveland Guardians would have had the season they did without Parker Messick.

The left-handed rookie dealt all season long, finishing the 2026 campaign with a whopping 6.3 bWAR, 2.56 ERA and a 1.063 WHIP, all while striking out 193 total batters. His reliability on the bump led to him being named an American League All-Star, one of just three Guardians to earn such an honor.

But Messick isn't done adding accolades to his resume.

On Monday, Nov. 2, news broke that Messick was officially a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award and the AL Rookie of the Year honor. While the ROTY announcement came as no surprise, it shocked many that he was in the Cy Young conversation.

Not because he didn't deserve it, but because receiving that much national praise shows just how impactful he was on the mound.

A Rookie Unlike Others

In the ROTY list, he joins Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle and Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle. Like Messick, the two had really strong rookie years.

But it is hard to put them ahead of Messick.

He finished the year with a 12-9 decision record, with the Guardians going 18-14 in total games he started. Most of the time a loss wasn't even on him, as he gave up a maximum of four runs this season just three times, while giving up one run or less 18 times.

He was elite on the bump.

When the postseason rolled around, Cleveland turned to him an awful lot. He pitched in four games and 13.2 total innings, posting a 3.95 ERA with 17 strikeouts. He didn't replicate his regular season success to a T as the long-winded campaign caught up to him, but still gave the Guardians a shot every game.

Tolle was right there with him all season long, but his numbers don't quite compare.

The former Texas Christian University Horned Frog went 9-6 on the mound across 26 games, six fewer games played than Messick, posting a 2.9 bWAR, a 3.03 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP. He also totaled 171 strikeouts.

The Red Sox did end up making the postseason, pitching a 1.93 ERA in one outing, but he didn't get another shot after they were bounced in two games by the New York Yankees.

McGonigle, on the other hand, was a consistent force on the Tigers' offense.

Not a pitcher, the 22-year-old made his impact known at the plate, slashing .278/.376/.430 for an OPS of .806. He also kept things contained in the walk-to-strikeout department, drawing 95 walks to just 100 strikeouts.

The power behind his bat was highlighted all year long, too, as he knocked 28 doubles, five triples and 18 home runs.

McGonigle's bWAR may be higher at a mark of 7.1, but it is hard to imagine his impact was felt more than Messick's.

The Bigger Picture

It is very unlikely that Messick ends up winning the Cy Young, especially with his competition being Yankees star Cam Schlittler and the Toronto Blue Jays' Dylan Cease.

Schlittler was practically unstoppable when pitching, posting a 14-6 record, 1.95 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP across 33 games as a starter. He finished the year with a 7.0 bWAR.

Cease finished 11-6 on the mound, all while owning a 2.40 ERA and a 5.5 bWAR. He also added on a complete game and a shutout across 169 innings of work. He did finish with fewer innings pitched than both Schlittler and Messick, though.

There's a good chance Messick jumps Cease, but it will be hard to make a case that he was better than Schlittler, who seemed to run the race all year long.

But even seeing the 25-year-old Messick being named a finalist for the two biggest pitching awards shows just how good Cleveland has it.

2026 exposed the Guardians' secret weapon, and he now has a chance to lock down a long-term spot in The Land for years to come.