Logan Allen

Allen began the season with Triple-A Columbus, posting a 1.26 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in three starts, spanning 14.1 innings. Injuries in the Guardians rotation paved the way for Allen's debut in late April. He stayed in the big-league rotation for a dozen starts, recording a 3.47 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 63 strikeouts in 66 stanzas. However, he was in a rut and was demoted back to the Clippers. Allen returned in mid-July, registering a 4.14 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 56 punch outs across 63 innings. Allen's final 3.81 ERA seems impressive, but his 1.40 WHIP is more in line with the higher ERA estimators. Some of the elevated WHIP is from a high .324 BABIP, but he also logged an above average 8.9 percent walk rate. Allen needs to improve control since he averages only 91.4 mph on his four-seam fastball. Allen's splitter is his strikeout pitch. He also throws a cutter and slider. The Guardians are adept at fine tuning a repertoire to get the most out of their hurlers, so Allen is likely to grow into a mid-rotation innings eater. For now, he's best utilized in a streaming capacity.

A 6-foot southpaw drafted in 2020 as a command/control specialist with a strong changeup, Allen's prospect stock went up this spring after he saw increased fastball velocity. That pitch only averages 92 mph (touches 94 mph), but that's still a notable increase for a pitcher who used to sit around 90 mph. Now that Allen has a viable fastball to go with his plus changeup and strong command, he has a chance to be more than just a back-of-the-rotation starter. His cutter and sweeper are seldom used, but the sweeper specifically can be a nice change-of-pace offering. Cleveland has a plethora of quality pitching prospects in the upper levels, and Allen is a cut above the Hunter Gaddis and Konnor Pilkington emergency options while lacking the upside of org. mate Gavin Williams.

A 6-foot, 180-pound southpaw from Florida International, Allen is an intense competitor who makes the most of his stuff. He had a nice landing spot, as Cleveland selected him with the No. 56 pick in last year's draft, giving them a second lefty pitcher with this exact name. Allen spots his low-90s fastball wherever he wants, which allows the pitch to play up to at least above-average. Allen's best pitch is a plus changeup and he also throws an average breaking ball. It's not the most electric arsenal, but he has the craft to still carve up hitters. He struck out 24 and walked three without allowing an earned run in 15 innings (three starts) in the 2019 Cape Cod League and had a 3.33 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 32.2 percent strikeout rate in 183.2 career innings for FIU. With plus command, Allen could make it as a mid-rotation starter, and he could survive at the back of a rotation with just solid-average command.