Cleveland Guardians starter Slade Cecconi is another one of the organization’s reclamation projects, a pitcher picked from the bargain bin who has given the Guardians have gotten solid production.
In 2024, he was on the Arizona Diamondbacks with an ERA that ballooned to 6.66 in 74 innings pitched. A year later, Thursday’s Wild Card Series game three will be the biggest game of his life when he faces Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Cecconi, 26, was traded to the Guardians for first baseman Josh Naylor this past offseason, and in 2025, Cleveland got a return on their investment, with Cecconi posting an ERA of 4.30 in 132 innings with 109 strikeouts.
“There’s nothing that’s the same. I mean, everything, to be honest with you, is different. My delivery has become much more consistent and I move in ways that complement my movement patterns and my ranges of motion and my strength patterns,” Cecconi said of what the Guardians changed in his game on Oct 1.
Cecconi briefly pitched with the Diamondbacks in 2023 and got mop up duty in the National League Championship Series when they were trailing the Phillies by six runs.
“Past experiences are great to look back on and draw some confidence from, but what I did two years ago in a game that we were losing by six runs in the 8th is not going to have any effect on what I do tomorrow.” Cecconi said. “All the process work that I’ve done, that’s what I’m drawing confidence from more than anything else.”
Cecconi has seen the Tigers twice this season and has pitched well against them with an ERA of 2.25 in 12 innings and 11 strikeouts.
The Guardians have dominated the Tigers of late, taking six of their last seven games against them. There’s a lot of familiarity on both sides and there’s not many surprises either team could incorporate.
“I’m going to trust whatever report that the coaches and the catchers give me. I have my own ideas of watching my at-bats against these guys,” Cecconi said. “I know them. Let’s see who’s better tomorrow. They got a great lineup. I trust myself. I trust this staff. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a great game.”
The Guardians path to victory is getting between four and six solid innings from Cecconi, ideally allowing two runs or less. With Guardians closer Cade Smith having thrown 31 pitches in game two, it’s possible that he’ll be unavailable, meaning there’s more pressure on Cecconi and the relief corps earlier in the game.
Cleveland lead-off hitter Steven Kwan snapped out his slump late with a double yesterday. Jose Ramirez and first baseman Kyle Manzardo are the big power bats that haven’t done major damage this series yet.
The Tigers will turn to Flaherty to try and avoid an epic meltdown and an early exit. The Tigers were the best team in the American League until they fell apart in September with a record of 7-16 down the stretch.
Flaherty, 29, was with the Tigers and performed well on a one-year contract last season. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline for Trey Sweeney and got the best possible taste of October, winning a World Series championship last fall.
The Tigers also made the postseason and went on a ridiculous run that the Guardians cut short in game five of the American League Division Series in Cleveland.
Flaherty returned to the Tigers as a free agent and signed a two-year deal worth $35 million this past offseason.
“It’s definitely different when you know you’ll be somewhere for an entire season. I was able in the short time I was here last year to build special relationships with the guys where when it came time for the deadline, it was weird because I didn’t really want to go. Obviously, things worked out in a great way for both sides. I was lucky enough to come back and continue those relationships,” Flaherty said before game two.
This hasn’t been Flaherty’s finest season by any means, with an ERA of 4.64 in 161 innings, but he’s the most experienced starting pitcher on their staff and has pitched in 47 postseason innings with 46 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.36, including prior appearances with the Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals.
Last postseason, he was also up and down, and his best start came against the New York Mets with seven shutout innings and six strikeouts in the game one of the National League Championship Series.
“As this year’s gone on, it obviously hasn’t been quite what it was last year. There’s been a lot more ups and downs. These guys have had my back throughout all of it, and I just continue to try to go out and put in work and know that they’ve got my back. So it’s been awesome competing with these guys, no matter the way that it’s gone, the way the season went. We experienced all the highs and all the lows and everything in between,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty still has his strikeout stuff working with 181 strikeouts this season. He has seen the Guardians three times this season and has pitched 17 innings with 16 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.94.
For the Tigers to win this game, they will need Flaherty to battle through at least five innings without allowing more than three runs.
Their offense also needs to start getting the big hits they have been lacking over the last month. The big bats of Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Kerry Carpenter need to drive the ball for extra-base hits.
“We may have not gotten here the way we wanted, but I think A.J. said it doesn’t matter once we get here. Everybody gets a chance to start over,” Flaherty said.
Photo: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi pauses between pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
