Guardians announce 2026 ALDS roster in MLB playoffs

CLEVELAND — The Guardians have selected the 26-man roster they’ll carry into the best-of-five ALDS against the Chicago White Sox.

Game 1 has a first-pitch time of 1 p.m. Parker Messick will take the ball for Game 1. Gavin Williams will start Game 2 for Cleveland.

Here are the 26 players on Cleveland’s ALDS roster.

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, Patrick Bailey

No surprises there. Austin Hedges had the best offensive season of his career.

Another important note on top prospect Ralphy Velazquez, who absolutely destroyed Triple-A pitching to end the season: he can only be added to Cleveland’s playoff roster in the event of an injury to a player who plays similar positions. The Guardians would also have to petition the commissioner’s office to accept him as eligible.

Velazquez doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until 2027, so the Guardians have been hesitant to add him and thus start his arbitration clock and minor-league option years, at least in 2026.

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, Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Angel Martinez, Petey Halpin, David Fry

Parker Messick and Gavin Williams will start ALDS Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland. Thanks to the off days built into the schedule, both Messick and Williams will be able to start two games each in the ALDS.

The question, then, is how they handle Game 3.

Tanner Bibee had a 7.36 ERA in the month of September, but the Guardians might trust him the most in a playoff atmosphere.

Foster Griffin was a major trade deadline acquisition and an All-Star this season, but he also posted a 5.19 ERA since joining Cleveland.

Joey Cantillo has thrown 15 scoreless innings as a bulk reliever behind Daniel Espino as an opener. Since it has worked, perhaps that’s their answer, even if Cantillo’s walks in a starting role had become a major problem.

All three on are on the roster. For now, the best guess is that the nod goes to Bibee, perhaps with a short leash and Cantillo already warming up, but it’s entirely dependent on how the Guardians get through the first two games.
, Erik Sabrowski, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, Daniel Espino, Matt Festa, Joey Cantillo, Foster Griffin, Shawn Armstrong

Slade Cecconi and Austin Peterson are the odd pitchers out from the 26-man ALDS roster.

Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians announce 2026 ALDS roster in MLB playoffs