Gavin Williams Leads Guardians in AL Wild Card Opener Against Tigers

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Gavin Williams is ready to face the Detroit Tigers as the starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians in the American League wild card opener on Tuesday. The game starts at 1:08 p.m. at Progressive Field.

This season, Williams has transformed his pitching technique, dropping a few pitches and adding new ones to enhance his performance on the mound. After a tough previous year where he logged a 3-10 record with a 4.66 ERA, he is now 12-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts.

Williams attributes his turnaround to advice from Guardians’ pitching consultant Corey Kluber and pitching coach Carl Willis. Despite his fear of needles, he agreed to try dry needling to alleviate muscle pain, which he says has been beneficial.

“I don’t like needles. I start sweating really bad,” Williams admitted about the treatment. Still, he maintains that it helps him recover better.

This postseason match marks the third time Williams has faced the Tigers in just two weeks. In his last two outings against Detroit, he performed well, securing wins and striking out a total of 12 batters.

<p“It's a familiar matchup at this point,” Williams said. “There are really no advantages or disadvantages. We play them so many times throughout the year.”

Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt expressed confidence in Williams, highlighting his impressive performance this season and during the last five starts, where he is 4-0.

<p“Gavin has been incredible,” said Vogt. “From the start of the year to now, he’s just been incredibly fun to watch.”

Williams’ journey back to form also included regaining a key pitch, his slider, which had been sidelined due to injury. His successful offseason workouts built a stronger foundation for his current pitching repertoire.

<p“His slider wasn’t the slider it had been before,” said Willis. “The main focus was to get that slider back.”

With the returning slider and added pitches, including a cutter and sinker, Williams feels more equipped to tackle hitters and transition well throughout the game.

<p“It opened up the whole zone for me,” Williams explained. “It’s helped me get deeper into games.”

As he steps onto the mound for Game 1, the weight of the moment isn’t lost on him. “I’m kind of star struck, just being able to start a playoff game,” Williams said. “Them trusting me to go Game 1, it’s unbelievable.”