Dream Guardians rotation to harness momentum from last year’s strong finish

RHP Slade Cecconi

Cecconi entered the season with big expectations as the return in the deal that sent Josh Naylor to Arizona, and he largely met the moment with a 4.30 ERA in 132 innings. 

He missed the start of the season due to a left oblique strain that he sustained in spring training, but he burst onto the scene with an eight strikeout debut against the Reds that ended up setting the tone for a strong first season in Cleveland. 

While he finished in the third percentile or worse in barrel rate, exit velocity, chase rate and hard-hit rate, he kept hitters off balance using his varied arsenal and ended up going 8+ innings in two separate starts during the season. 

Cecconi seems due for a bit of regression due to those uninspiring advanced statistics, but his 2025 performance was the perfect example of the stable presence he can be in the middle of the rotation.