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Williams explained the wildness he experienced in Friday's start when he walked six batters over five innings in a loss to Seattle, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. Williams said he was out of sync with his front foot too quick to the ground before his upper body was ready to deliver the ball.
The mechanical issue caused him to over-rotate and pull some pitches, and his attempts to overcorrect caused more wayward offerings. The right-hander managed to control his walks over the second half of 2025 -- 5.3 BB/9 prior to All-Star break and 3.3 post-break -- and did a fine job this spring (two walks in 17.2 innings). Williams will look to correct the issue leading up to his next schedule start Wednesday against the Dodgers.
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Guardians' Gavin Williams: Wild in loss
Rotowire
Williams (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits and six walks while striking out seven over five innings to take the loss Friday versus the Mariners.
Williams threw just 49 of 89 pitches for strikes in a wild performance. The Mariners didn't take full advantage of his free passes, allowing him to escape with a mediocre start instead of a bad one, and the seven strikeouts are a silver lining. Williams had a 4.58 ERA over 17.2 innings in spring training, but he also posted a 19:2 K:BB. Expecting him to rein in the walks might be asking too much -- he had a 4.5 BB/9 in the 2025 regular season, but that didn't stop him from maintaining a 3.06 ERA over 167.2 innings. Williams will look to rebound in a tough matchup on the road versus the Dodgers in his next projected start.
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Guardians' Gavin Williams: Ready for regular season
Rotowire
Williams allowed one run on five hits and struck out three over five innings in Sunday's spring start against the Reds.
Williams made his final Cactus League tune-up and appears ready for the regular season. He'll follow Opening Day starter Tanner Bibee and pitch Friday against the Mariners. The right-hander had one hiccup this spring but finished on a high note. Williams, who has averaged 4.2 BB/9 over three major-league seasons, walked just two batters over 17.2 innings this spring.
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Guardians' Gavin Williams: Works into fifth inning
Rotowire
Williams allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Cubs.
Williams' fourth Cactus League start was a departure from his first three, but the seven strikeouts and 85 pitches thrown are positive takeaways. He settled down after a rocky two innings, retiring seven of eight batters before tiring in his final frame. While nothing has been made official, Williams' five-day schedule lines him up to start Opening Day on the road in Seattle.
Williams allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out five over 3.2 innings in Friday's spring start against the Angels.
Williams had early trouble in the first inning but settled down after that in his third Cactus League start. He increased his pitch count to 56 (41 strikes) and didn't issue a free pass for the second straight outing. Walks were an issue for the right-hander in 2025 (4.5 BB/9), but thus far, Williams has issued just one walk through eight spring innings.
Guardians' Gavin Williams: Settles in after leadoff HR
Rotowire
Williams allowed one run on two hits and struck out three over three innings in Sunday's spring start against Colorado.
Williams was taken deep by Brett Sullivan to lead off the game but then calmed down. He worked around a fielding error later in the first inning and then a single in the following inning before a clean third frame. Williams upped his pitch count to 44 (28 strikes) in his second Cactus League outing.
Guardians' Gavin Williams: Makes first Cactus League start
Rotowire
Williams allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 innings in Tuesday's start against the Dodgers.
A first-inning walk and a fielding error by third baseman Juan Brito drove up Williams' pitch count and forced an early exit with one out. The right-hander then returned for the second inning and set down the side in order. He threw 33 pitches (17 strikes). Reducing walks and better location are his focus heading into 2026. In some order, Williams and Tanner Bibee will be atop the Guardians' rotation this season.
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Guardians' Gavin Williams: Mechanical tweak leads to success
Rotowire
Williams credits a midseason mechanical adjustment to explain his improvement in the second half of 2025, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Williams made a subtle adjustment during on off day in June, raising the position of his hands from resting at the belt to the chest. The goal was to create a longer arm path to better locate his pitches, and he described it as "night and day" from that point on. Following a period of adjustment, Williams was one of the better pitchers in the game after the All-Star break. He went 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA while pitching at least six innings in eight of 12 starts following the break. Additionally, the walks (5.3 BB/9) that were a pesky issue and raised his pitch counts over the first half of the season dropped to 3.3 per nine innings in the second half. The right-hander, who made 31 starts in 2025, is now an anchor in the Guardians rotation entering 2026.
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