5 Guardians who weren't on fans' radar in March but could become playoff X-factors

Last April, chances are most Guardians fans hadn't heard of David Fry or Jhonkensy Noel. Now they’re two of the most beloved players on the Guardians roster thanks to their heroics last postseason. 

And while this September is going to be a lot more stressful on Guardians fans than last year’s easy stroll toward an American League Central crown, the Guardians still have a legitimate shot at making the postseason. 

And if the Guardians do make the postseason this year, they have a roster filled with players who could rise to folk hero status in the same way that Fry and Noel were able to last year. 

Here are five Guardians from this year’s roster who could fit that bill. 

RHP Matt Festa 

Like it or not we’re going to see a lot of Festa if the Guardians make the postseason.

Although Festa has had an… up-and-down year with the Guardians, he’s third on the team in appearances despite not joining the roster until the beginning of May. It’s clear that Stephen Vogt trusts him and will work him into a game regardless of the situation.

Last year Vogt relied heavily on his bullpen during the team’s run to the American League Championship Series, and this year likely wouldn't be any different. 

Everyone in the bullpen moved up a rung after Emmanuel Clase’s suspension, and Festa has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of that. Expect to see a lot of him from here on out. 

LHP Kolby Allard

The Guardians took a flier on Allard in the offseason and it’s quickly becoming one of the best moves of the year. He’s been a valuable swingman piece for the Guardians and has gone multiple innings in each of his last eight starts. 

In a perfect world, the Guardians probably wouldn’t want Allard pitching in the postseason, but pitching chaos and playoff baseball go hand in hand. 

While having a strong back-end of the bullpen is important in the postseason, sometimes those games are won or lost by the middle of the bullpen. 

LHP John Means 

Means threw 72 pitches in his rehab start on Sunday, which all but assures that he’ll be able to make his Guardians debut at some point over the next 10 days. 

The former All-Star underwent Tommy John surgery last year and has only thrown 52 1/3 innings since the start of 2022, but he was an All-Star in 2019 and threw a no-hitter in 2021. 

While the idea of relying on an injured starting pitcher in the postseason may remind fans of the Alex Cobb disaster from last year, don’t forget that Matthew Boyd allowed one run over 11 2/3 innings last postseason. 

Means will probably get a chance to make three or four appearances before the end of the season. While it won’t nearly be enough for him to be at full strength, he should have enough gas left in the tank to make a mark in the postseason. 

LHP Parker Messick 

What a first month it’s been for Messick. After getting recalled by the Guardians during their rough trip to the desert in the middle of August, the rookie left-hander has done everything in his power to keep the Guardians in the postseason hunt. 

He allowed just one run across his first two starts, and rebounded from a rough outing against the Red Sox to allow just one run in six innings against the Rays on Sunday.

While his fastball sits at just 92.4 miles per hour, he’s a crafty lefty with wipeout secondary stuff that limits hard contact while helping him rack up whiffs. 

If the Guardians do end up making the postseason, Messick seems like a lock to being in the team’s rotation. He’ll likely make three more starts across the final three weeks of the season thanks to the team’s six-man rotation, and, if his pitching schedule holds, could be on schedule to start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. 

OF/1B C.J. Kayfus 

Kayfus had a meteoric rise throughout the Guardians’ system this year, which helped him earn his first big league call-up earlier this year. Although he’s hit just .190 across the first 39 games of his big league career, he’s gotten consistent playing time thanks to his ability to play both first base and right field. 

That theme should carry over if the Guardians make the postseason since he could work as a starter at either position or as a defensive replacement. Last year, both Fry and Noel etched their name into Guardians lore with marquee home runs as pinch-hitters against the Yankees. 

Could Kayfus follow that path this year?