If there were any concerns about the Cleveland Guardians’ ability to face left-handed pitching in the offseason, they are going to be put to the test in their very first series against the Seattle Mariners.
The Guards open their 2023 campaign on the road in not-so-sunny Seattle facing a pair of lefties that the Mariners hope can help carry them into the postseason for consecutive seasons. Before even getting to those, the Guardians will need to navigate Luis Castillo, a killer right-hander with a fastball in the upper-90s and owner of a sub-3.00 ERA last season.
Castillo is a veteran of the great Ohio Cup battles of the past as a long-time member of the Cincinnati Reds.