It wasn’t that long away that Triston McKenzie was thought of as one of the most promising pitching prospects in the Guardians’ minor league system
After bursting onto the scene during the 2020 season and working through injuries in 2021, McKenzie had a long-awaited breakout season in 2022, where he posted a 2.96 ERA in 191 1/3 innings. He looked like a budding ace alongside Shane Bieber — so much so that the Guardians explored up extension talks with him the next spring before suffering a shoulder injury.
That shoulder injury has gone on to become the defining moment of his career, as he posted a 5.