The Cleveland Guardians rotation is currently in shambles, with Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill and Aaron Civale all hurt.
That’s why they were forced to call up prospect Logan Allen.
No, it’s not the same Logan Allen that currently plays for the Colorado Rockies: the Guardians’ pitcher was drafted in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft and has been stellar in Triple-A this year, with a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings.
Allen made his MLB debut on Sunday, and was a breath of fresh air for the Guardians rotation.
In six innings against the Miami Marlins, Allen allowed just a single run and struck out eight hitters.
“Logan Allen’s eight strikeouts today are the most by a Guardians starting pitcher all season,” Guardians insider Zack Meisel tweeted, highlighting his potential for this season and the future.
Logan Allen’s eight strikeouts today are the most by a Guardians starting pitcher all season.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) April 23, 2023
Not even strikeout artist Shane Bieber has struck out eight batters this year, but Allen did it in his first try.
In the stellar outing, Allen conceded just five hits and a walk.
He has always had high strikeout numbers in the minor leagues, so there is reason to hope that the Guardians’ incredible player development has produced another reliable rotation piece.
Command is Allen’s calling card, as his fastball isn’t anything to write home about in terms of velocity (the pitch averaged 92.5 mph in his Sunday outing).
He employs a good changeup and a usable slider, and the best thing of all is that he can throw all three pitches for strikes.
As long as that’s still the case, Allen can probably carve out a career as an MLB starter.
He has a lot to prove, though, to remain in the rotation of one of the deepest organizations in baseball when it comes to pitching.
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Former MLB Star Breaks Down The Guardians’ Culture
