3 Guardians players who need to step up if Cleveland wants to force Game 7 against Rays

Today’s the day that determines the rest of the Guardians’ season. After a 162-game regular season and 10 postseason games, the story of the Guardians’ 2026 season comes down to today’s must-win Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

And then if they win that, their gift is another winner-take-all game, albeit one where they’re going to be able to have Gavin Wiliams on the mound. 

With that in mind, here are three Guardians who need to step up today if the Guardians want to extend their season for at least one more day. 

Jo Adell, Brayan Rocchio and Joey Cantillo need to step up for the Guardians today

Jo Adell
ALCS stats: .111/.200/.167, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K 

The Guardians acquired Adell at the trade deadline in the hopes that he would provide them with the thump they needed to go far in October. His inaugural postseason got off to a great start in the ALDS when he recorded six RBI on the back of two triples, but that production has gone by the wayside in the ALCS. 

That said, he’s still entrenched in the cleanup role, so it seems like manager Stephen Vogt and the rest of the Guardians’ brain trust aren’t ready to give up on him. 

But even if they aren’t willing to give up on him, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Rays manager Kevin Cash has done a great job limiting Adell’s at-bats against left-handed pitching. 

His only two at-bats against left-handed pitching this series have come against Ian Seymour in Games 2 and 4, and Seymour was able to get the best of Adell both times with a strikeout. 

If the Guardians want to make it to the World Series, they’re going to need Adell to step up. 

Joey Cantillo
ALCS stats: 1 2/3 innings, 0.00 ERA, 2 BB, 1 K 

After spending most of the regular season working as a starter/bulk guy, Cantillo’s shifted back to being a bullpen arm this postseason. He made his postseason debut with 1 2/3 innings in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, and has made two single-inning appearances against the Rays. 

His latest appearance was perhaps the most confusing pitching move of the series since he finished out the ninth inning of Game 5 despite the fact the Guardians had an uncertain pitching plan for the next day. 

Vogt tabbed Messick to pitch on Sunday, and his ensuing dud means the Guardians are going to need to scramble to cover nine innings later today. 

Cantillo may not be able to give Cleveland the kind of length he did during the regular season, but all signs point toward him fitting into the pitching plan in some way today. His pocket could end up being the thing that determines whether the Guardians make it to Game 7 or not. 

Brayan Rocchio
ALCS stats: .118/.118/.118, 1 RBI, 5 K 

It seems like we’ve skipped ‘Rocctober’ this year. Rocchio gave us a glimpse of his previous postseason accomplishments with a late-game RBI single in Game 4 of the ALCS, but that’s been pretty much it for him this series. 

Teams can still advance in the postseason even if they get next-to-no-production from their No. 9 hitter (see what the Rays are doing with Taylor Walls), but the Guardians are a different story since Rocchio finished the regular season with a team-leading 71 RBI largely out of the last spot in the lineup. 

His bat’s gone away, and the Guardians’ chances of making it to the World Series have gone with him. The good news for him is that the postseason is based around moments. He could turn his fall around with one swing. 

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