Why Gavin Williams has become the ace of the Guardians' staff

The Cleveland Guardians have been searching for a true ace to anchor their pitching staff since Shane Bieber suffered his arm injury in 2023.

For a while, it looked like would be Tanner Bibee who would step up and take the reins, but he’s had his share of struggles this season. And, as we look at the rotation since the All-Star break, one man has clearly separated himself from the pack as the biggest of the bunch: Gavin "The Big Rig" Williams. His recent performance have been nothing short of dominant, and he has staked his claim to the top of the Guardians' rotation.

Why Gavin Williams has become the ace of the Guardians' staff

You just need to look at his numbers in the second half to understand why that statement's true. Williams has posted a tidy 2.00 ERA in 36 innings and has surrendered just 25 hits and eight earned runs.

But what's truly impressive are his ratios as he's struck out a whopping 37 batters while walking just 11. If Williams can continue to limit the free passes and keep his pitch count in check, he'll not only fill the Guardians’ long-standing ace spot, but he could very well be in line for some serious Cy Young consideration.

He's had a long and winding journey up to this point, which is a testament to his toughness and resilience. He was a star in high school at Cape Fear in North Carolina, even throwing two straight no-hitters after coming back from a torn meniscus.

But his path to professional baseball wasn’t a straight shot. After being drafted by the Rays, he chose to attend East Carolina University, where he battled through a forearm strain.

In a strange turn of events, he wasn’t selected in the 2020 MLB draft despite being considered a top prospect. The Guardians saw something special, though, and selected him in the first round the following year.

Williams quickly tore through the minor leagues, posting incredible numbers at every stop. He made his big-league debut in 2023 and showed flashes of brilliance. Any momentum that he had from that season quickly went away, however, as he missed the start of last season with a shoulder injury and never seemed healthy after coming back.

But all of that seems to be in the rearview mirror, as Williams has returned to looking like an ace this year.

There's perhaps no start that symbolizes that more than his start against the Mets earlier this month when he came within two outs of throwing a no-hitter against the New York Mets before Juan Soto broke it up with a home run.

While it was a heartbreaking moment, it showed just how dominant Williams can be when he's on his game. He’s also had some other magical moments like the time he recorded an entire inning of "non-plate appearance outs" against the Cubs, picking off two runners and catching another off guard at home plate.

Those are the kinds of moments you get from an ace.

The Guardians have been through a tough stretch with injuries and inconsistencies from their young pitchers, but Williams has arrived to stabilize the staff. With his incredible arm talent and newfound control, he looks like the ace we’ve been waiting for. And if he can keep this up, he could be the next pitcher to win a Cy Young under Carl Willis' tutelage.