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CLEVELAND — When I look back at the 2026 Rangers season, the performances of Parker Messick and Cade Smith will come to mind. Both pitchers were crucial to Cleveland’s third consecutive American League Central title.
Although they struggled to take home some hardware, their efforts earned them recognition during baseball awards season.
Messick finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting and Smith finished second in voting for the inaugural AL Reliever of the Year Award. The results of both were announced by MLB Network on Wednesday.
Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler won the Cy Young Award unanimously, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Toronto’s Dylan Cease finished second. Messick received seven second-place votes, 12 third-place votes, nine fourth-place votes and two fifth-place votes.
Rays’ Drew Rasmussen and Boston’s Sonny Gray rounded out the top five. Smith received a pair of fifth-place votes.
In his first season, voting for the AL Reliever of the Year Award was a tight race between winner Louis Varland and Smith. The Blue Jays closer had 146 points (including 16 first-place votes) to Smith’s 133 points (seven first-place votes).
Smith also received 15 second-place votes and eight third-place votes. Bryan Baker (Rays), Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox) and Josh Hader (Astros) completed the top five.
Even short, Messick and Smith have plenty to hang their hats on from this past season.
Messick was Cleveland’s seventh Cy Young Award winner and was in contention to become the first since Shane Bieber in 2020. The lefty entered Spring Training on the Guard roster and had to fight for a spot in camp. He made Cleveland’s Opening Day roster, earned an All-Star selection and eventually made history.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Messick is the sixth rookie to finish in the top three in Cy Young Award voting. He joins Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (81), Dwight Gooden (84), Jose Fernandez (2013) and Paul Skenes (2024).
Messick, who started 32-plus games last season, posted a 2.56 ERA with 193 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings. He has 6.3 wins over replacement (according to Baseball Reference), which ranks fifth in the AL. Only Rookie of the Year Award winner Kevin McGonigle (7.1) recorded more BWAR among AL rookies, and only Schlittler (7.0) logged more among AL pitchers.
Smith was also an All-Star in his first full season as the Guardians’ closer. He had a 1.95 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a career-high 107 strikeouts in 74 innings over 69 games, tying Baker for the MLB lead in saves (41).
Smith established himself as one of the majors’ best relievers in his first two major league seasons. That’s why guards were confident the back end of the bullpen was in the hands of the 27-year-old entering 2026.
Not only is it triple-digit speed and a biting splitter, but it’s also helped Smith stay consistent at all times.
“He’s established himself as one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, and that comes from his incredible determination to get better physically, mechanically and mentally every day,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas this week.
“He’s relentless about being big. What he’s shown is that he can be really effective in the biggest moments of the baseball season, and that’s really, really hard to do. We’re lucky to have him.”
This is true for both Smith and Messick.