Guardians' emergency weather schedule change for ALCS Game 3 might've given Gavin Williams an extra edge

When you think of postseason baseball, chances are some of the first images that pop into your head are moments that came at night. David Freese's heroics in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. Rajai Davis' Game 7 homer in 2016. Freddie Freeman's walk-off heroics in the 2024 and '25 World Series.

But for Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams, some of his biggest moments this year have come when the both the lights (and sun) are at their brightest. And he'll get another chance to do that today in the Guardians' Game 3 matchup against the Rays that was moved up to 1 p.m. ET thanks to the threat of inclement weather.

While there's plenty of time for hand wringing about such an important postseason game being played at a time when most of the country is working or in school, the decision may have given the Guardians a quiet advantage given how Williams has pitched in the daytime this season.

Gavin Williams is one of MLB's best pitchers in day games

Williams finished the regular season with a sparking 2.42 ERA in 81 2/3 innings in day games this season compared to a 4.82 ERA in 102 2/3 innings in night games. That fits into his career-long trend of daytime dominance, as he has a 2.68 ERA in 228 1/3 career innings during the day compared to a 4.38 ERA in 281 1/3 innings at night.

He finished this year averaging 12.11 K/9 in day games (the third-best mark in baseball) while also having a walk rate that was nearly half of what he posted at night.

For whatever reason, Williams is clearly a better pitcher during the day than at night.

We got a perfect example of that at the start of the posteason when he recorded 11 strikeouts in just five innings against the White Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS while the daytime sun was setting around Progressive Field.

Meanwhile, he's going to be going against Rays right-hander Griffin Jax, who finished the year with a 3.92 ERA in day games (albeit in just 32 innings). He may not be long for this game considering he went just two innings in his lone postseason appearance (which came out of the bullpen), but having Williams out there is clear advantage over him.

But perhaps the biggest advantage the Guardians have is a fresh bullpen behind Williams that was essentially given a day off on Monday. Although Parker Messick only managed to go five innings, Shawn Armstrong, Tim Herrin and Slade Cecconi finished the game off, marking the first time that Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis didn't appear in a game this postseason.

Williams may have the longest leash of any starter in the Guardians' rotation, but that bullpen freshness could lead to manager Stephen Vogt being a bit more agressive than usual. Luckily for him, history tells us that we could be in for another great start from Williams.

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