Cleveland Guardians rookie Parker Messick had an All-Star season in 2026. Messick is a strong candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. He's emerged as an ace and is starting Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Messick's impressive performance has caught the attention of Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, who took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a take about the Guardians' left-hander on Saturday.

“Parker Messick has a mentality that very few understand. He’s fearless. He can throw a fast ball. But you rarely see a young pitcher take 30+ outings in the first year. He’s special and has the mindset of an A’s. He’s impressive and doesn’t act like a rookie,” Martinez wrote.

Starting Game 1 of a playoff series as a rookie will be a challenge. There is no shortage of pressure in the postseason. All eyes will be on Messick in one of the biggest games of his young career.

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Messick has stepped up throughout the season, though. The southpaw is going to be prepared for the contest.

The Guardians won the AL Central and clinched a bye for the first round of the postseason. As for the White Sox, they earned a Wild Card spot and defeated the Houston Astros in the first round. The AL Central rivals are now set to go head-to-head in what should be a thrilling ALDS.

Messick will look to set the tone in Game 1 as the Guardians hope to begin the playoffs strong.