KANSAS CITY -- The start of each baseball season represents a clean slate and a fresh start for every player. What that could mean for Gavin Williams is one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the Guardians at the dawn of the new season.
¡°I feel like we're going to get to watch a different Gavin than we saw last year,¡± manager Stephen Vogt said this week. ¡°That's what has me truly excited.¡±
That version of Williams has the potential to be an imposing starter at the top of the Guardians¡¯ rotation alongside Tanner Bibee. The 25-year-old, who is slated to make his season debut on Saturday against the Royals, looks reinvigorated this year after his down sophomore campaign in 2024.
Williams was forced to play catchup last year after suffering a right elbow injury in Spring Training. He did not make his season debut until July 3, and he recorded a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts. This spring, he more closely resembled the guy who shined as a rookie in 2023 (3.29 ERA in 16 starts).
Williams put up dazzling numbers in Cactus League play (26 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings over five starts), and he was passing the eye test by dominating opponents with his imposing stuff each outing.
¡°The whole Spring Training made me feel good, especially [after] all the work I put in in the offseason,¡± Williams said. ¡°Seeing it pay off has definitely helped out. It¡¯s a confidence boost. I know how my stuff is playing.¡±
That offseason work included sessions with pitching coach Carl Willis. He watched Williams throw beginning in December in addition to a handful of the right-hander¡¯s bullpen sessions before Spring Training. Williams and Willis live about 40 minutes apart in North Carolina.
Willis acknowledged those meetings were not overly technical, but they allowed him and Williams to work together without the pressure of a looming start.
¡°Being able to talk and have conversations about things out of the arena, so to speak, it just worked well,¡± Willis said. ¡°While there is a sense of urgency, there's no urgency of ¡®Now you¡¯ve got to go perform the next day.¡¯ So it was really cool.¡±
Williams noted some of the things he and Willis outlined included working on the shapes of his pitches, and getting his delivery back to where it was when he was drafted in 2021. A frequent conversation around Williams this spring has been how his fastball (after playing more like a sinker in 2024) has regained its intended vertical movement.
¡°The pitch shapes last year weren't there,¡± Williams said. ¡°We dove into that a little bit, so it definitely helped out.¡±
Williams said his pitch shapes began getting to the place he desired toward the end of the offseason. Once he got to Arizona, the ability to see how hitters reacted to what he was throwing helped reaffirm the work he had put in.
Spring Training results don¡¯t guarantee regular-season success, but Williams has ace-like stuff, and what he did during Cactus League play could be a springboard for him heading into the regular season.
¡°I think it's just more of a momentum thing, especially coming off a good spring,¡± Williams said. ¡°So just taking it into the season, knowing that I¡¯ve got some good stuff, that¡¯s going to be my mindset the whole season.¡±
His first opportunity to seize that momentum will be on Saturday, and the Guardians are looking forward to watching him toe the rubber.
¡°I¡¯m definitely excited,¡± Willis said. ¡°I just think he's extremely motivated that he never really felt like himself last year.¡±