Why 2026 will be the year Gavin Williams truly becomes an ace 

At the beginning of August, Gavin Williams introduced himself to the baseball world by carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the Guardians eventual win over the Mets. Even if Williams didn’t end up breaking Cleveland’s no-hitter curse, he still put together one of the best outings of the year against one of the most expensive lineups in all of baseball. 

That start ended up being another strong outing in a season full of them for Williams, who posted a 3.06 ERA in 167 2/3 innings this year while emerging as a front-line starter for a postseason-bound Guardians team. 

And, luckily for Guardians fans, he could be even better next season. 

Gavin Williams could officially become the Guardians’ ace in 2026

The first way that Williams can improve his game is by limiting the free passes, though it seems like he’s already on the way to doing so. While he led all of baseball with 83 walks this season, After issuing 42 walks through his first 75 1/3 innings (15 starts), he only gave up 41 walks across his final 92 1/3 innings (16 starts). 

Even if Williams finished the year with a higher walk total than anyone in baseball, he spent all of the second half showcasing an increased command. 

He also finally seemed to be able to use all of his arsenal the way that he wanted. He started throwing his cutter more (14% usage), added a revamped sweeper and put even more juice on his fastball. 

While all of that first came together in his near no-hitter against the Mets, he looked just as good against the Tigers in the American League Division Series when he tossed six strong innings in Game 1 of the series. 

Now he’s going to enter 2026 as a key part of a rotation that should be a clear strength for the Guardians. Every member of the Guardians’ rotation caught fire down the stretch when the team shifted to a six-man rotation, which should carry over into next season.

Tanner Bibee shook off the pressure of his four-year extension to finish the season strong. Slide Cecconi showcased an arsenal that should only be better next year. Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo combined for a 2.62 ERA across the final month of the season. Even Logan Allen got into the act with eight shutout innings against the Twins. 

Williams helped set the tone at the top of the rotation, and that carried over to every other starter. While they’re going to need to make a decision about the future of their rotation in the offseason, having Williams as the anchor will help make any decision easier.