“He has the most effective stuff on the employees. His pitches transfer far and wide.”
These phrases, which have been spoken to me within the Progressive Area press field in late September, got here from somebody who had not solely seen the Cleveland Guardians regularly all through the season, however an individual whose background additionally contains having performed within the massive leagues. His evaluation of 25-year-old left-hander Joey Cantillo was based mostly each on expertise and experience. (As we have been chatting informally, I’m opting to not quote him by title.)
Cantillo’s numbers in is first full main league season recommend that he has a brilliant future. Initially pitching out of the bullpen, the Honolulu native moved into Cleveland’s beginning rotation in early July and proceeded to log a 2.96 ERA, a 3.21 FIP, and a 25.9% strikeout charge over 13 outings comprising 67 innings. Counting his 21 appearances as a reliever, he put up 3.21 ERA, a 3.55 FIP, and a 26.9% strikeout charge over 95 1/3 frames in 2025. All informed, Cantillo held opposing batters to a .217 common and a .289 wOBA.
The southpaw was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres within the sixteenth spherical of the 2017 draft out of a Kailua, Hawaii highschool. (Coincidentally, two picks earlier, the Minnesota Twins took Cleveland reliever Cade Smith out of a British Columbia highschool, solely to have him eschew signing and attend the College of Hawaii). The Guardians subsequently acquired Cantillo in August 2020 as a part of a nine-player commerce that included Mike Clevinger, Austin Hedges, and Josh Naylor.
Cantillo sat down to debate his improvement path and his four-pitch arsenal within the closing week of the common season.
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David Laurila: How a lot have you ever modified since coming right here from San Diego?
Joey Cantillo: “A bunch. After I first bought right here I wasn’t actually throwing very arduous. I used to be a type of guys the place it was like, ‘Hey, if he can throw tougher he may actually do some good issues.’ Getting right here, it was, ‘Hey, let’s begin to transfer the physique quicker, get the physique in higher positions and use it higher.’
“That’s what we targeted on these first couple years, and it was a battle. Once you’re on the market on the mound serious about issues like physique positions, it takes away out of your over-the-plate focus at instances. I wanted to be taught to stability that. Mechanics and competing are two various things.”
Laurila: What did you do mechanically to make your supply higher?
Cantillo: “It began off with quite a lot of glute work, entering into my hips and into to some higher hinge patterns — total motion stuff — and from there we type of elevated my tempo. We labored on my rhythm, shifting with velocity and energy down the mound. It was type of mixing these two issues: the form of the supply, after which the velocity of the supply.”
Laurila: That didn’t occur with the Padres?
Cantillo: “After I first began over there, it was much more developmental. I wasn’t a giant prospect or something like that, so it was type of, ‘Hey, go on the market and carry out. Get outs and see what you are able to do.’ We had good pitching coordinators over there, we simply by no means actually targeted on velocity, or on an excessive amount of from a mechanical standpoint. Being at a younger age and in my first couple of years in professional ball, I believe, ‘Let’s simply get outs,’ was wonderful.”
Laurila: How a lot has your velocity elevated?
Cantillo: “After I bought drafted, I used to be 86 to 89 [mph]. Slowly, the final couple of years… in 2021, I had an indirect damage, and getting back from that I used to be throwing much more 91s and 92s. The primary time I had a giant leap was 2022. That’s once I began throwing into the mid-90s slightly extra constantly. In 2023, I used to be really throwing slightly tougher than I’m now [91.7 on average with the four-seamer in 2025]. We’re attempting to slowly get again there. That’s one thing I’ll concentrate on within the offseason, getting a few of that energy again.”
Laurila: Has the motion profile of your fastball modified in any respect?
Cantillo: “No, I believe I’ve all the time been someone that stays behind the ball and rides the baseball. Proper now. I believe I’m getting anyplace from 16 to twenty inches of experience. I’m additionally getting some extra run again, so it’s slightly extra of a real fastball, whereas at instances I had slightly cut-ride prior to now. I believe I may in all probability common round six to seven horizontal, arm aspect, and 17 to 18 [vertical] on an excellent day.”
Laurila: The changeup has all the time been a giant pitch for you…
Cantillo: “Sure. I used to be throwing the identical changeup in highschool. My highschool coach — his title is Corey Ishigo — taught it to me, though I didn’t have to make use of all of it that a lot. My first yr in professional ball they mentioned to throw my changeup daily from 90 ft, and the extra I did that, the extra comfy I bought. Through the years, it’s gotten higher simply from throwing it extra.”
Laurila: How do you grip your changeup?
Cantillo: “It’s a Vulcan. I believe extra guys have been going to at least one. It’s a comfortability factor. A number of guys are throwing splitters, nevertheless it’s type of what your fingers can do. A Vulcan is simply one other strategy to create some friction and impression the baseball otherwise. If I have been simply to do a circle [change], I don’t suppose I might get fairly the velo differential or the motion profile. I get extra of the standard changeup sidespin, however with the cut up grip.”
Laurila: Extra usually, is there something you’ve completed within the final yr or two to essentially take that subsequent step and attain the massive leagues?
Cantillo: “I believe it’s principally simply trusting my stuff and touchdown every little thing within the strike zone. I’ve bought distinctive shapes. I’ve bought the massive curveball, the changeup, an excellent fastball. I’m additionally mixing within the slider slightly bit extra; having that to throw in opposition to lefties helps me out quite a bit. Throwing 4 pitches competitively within the strike zone performs.”
Laurila: How massive is your curveball?
Cantillo: “I believe it averages 20-something inches of vertical depth, so it’s type of a downer curveball. However actually, it’s not one particular pitch, or one particular factor. It’s simply that when you could have totally different pitches that transfer in numerous methods, the hitter has extra to consider. The massive overhand curveball, the fastball that performs on the high, then a changeup and a slider which are getting into two totally different instructions… the hitters need to cope with all of these.”