5 Guardians who must prove their worth in 2025

2. Triston McKenzie - Starting PItcher

Speaking of players who may be on borrowed time, Triston McKenzie is running out of chances to show that he can be a meaningful member of the starting rotation of the Cleveland Guardians. Between injuries and poor performance, McKenzie has pitched his way out of Cleveland's rotation, and it is hard to envision a world where he suddenly puts it all together in 2025.

McKenzie made 16 appearances for the Guardians in 2025, finishing with a 5.11 ERA, 1.559 WHIP, and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. These were the worst marks of his career in seasons that he has appeared in five games or more, and this resulted in being sent down to Triple-A in an attempt to fix his issues, but even a completely depleted starting rotation was not enough for him to return to the majors.

Cleveland will certainly give him a chance to return to their rotation, considering they have plenty of question marks beyond Tanner Bibee. McKenzie is going to have to beat out multiple arms vying for spots and with his recent performances, it is far from being a guarantee that he will be on Cleveland's Opening Day roster.