June 2017: Cantillo was the Padres 16th-round pick, out of Kailua High School in Hawaii. At age 17, he was one of the youngest players in the 2017 Draft. He signed for fifth-round value at $302,500, via scout Justin Baughman. The Padres pried him from his Kentucky commitment.

"It was definitely a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life," Joey said of finding out he'd be drafted. "I always grew up as a kid wanting to play professional baseball. You always tell yourself you want to be drafted after your senior year of high school and stuff, but you never really know, there are so many things that can happen. To see all my hard work pay off, it feels good and it's really rewarding."

Cantillo was decorated in Hawaii and celebrated for his swing. He is anxious to show off his skills with the bat soon at the upper minor league levels. “I definitely am excited to swing the bat. I have been joking around with my buddies at home. I know I can hit. Once they start throwing 98 with devastating sliders, I am going to have a hard time, but I am still excited.

An excerpt of an interview with hawaiiprepworld.com: 

Question: Where does your work ethic come from?

Joey Castillo: I have an obsession to work hard and be the best. My dad instilled that in me.

Q: What do your parents do for a living?

JC: My dad (Johnny) is in construction management. My mom (Michelle) is a nurse.

Q: With your height and length, the release point on your pitches must be mind-blowing to see for hitters. Randy Johnson was 6-foot-9. Is there anything he did that you picked up on?

JC: I’ll be happy with 6-5. Maybe the way he pitched, he was a dominant guy. I like to be aggressive and intimidating.

Q: Favorite team?

JC: LA Dodgers. I love all Dodgers. I grew up kind of a Yankees fan because my dad’s from New York. I’ve been to a couple of games. Once I got into baseball, we had Oceanic Cable, the Dodgers channel, especially Kershaw. Kershaw is just all around, a great guy. He’s the best pitcher, but off the field he does everything right, good in the community. His work ethic, he works super hard, definitely the one I strive towards. He definitely has his superstitions, a big routine guy. I like to have a routine like that going into a start.

Joey was named after Joe Dimaggio by his father.

2019 Season: Joey is calm and collected on the mound and showed that this year in Fort Wayne, posting a 9-3 record with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.867 WHIP in 19 starts and 98 innings pitched. 

2019 was a coming-out party of sorts for the pitcher. He was tremendous with his improvement across the boards. Mechanics improved, velocity increased, and more importantly, he grew as a pitcher. 

Adding velocity to his repertoire helped in 2019 for the Hawaiian pitcher. For a guy who typically sits in the high 80’s to hit 93 and 94 mph this season in a few starts is something to take notice of. Cantillo indeed added velocity, which was bound to happen as he matures into his body. (James Clark = East Village Times - Oct. 2019)

In 2020, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Cantillo as the 11th-best prospect in the Padres organization.

After being dealt to the Indians, he was ranked their 16th-best prospect in the Indians farm system, in the spring of 2021. And he was at #18 a year later, early in 2023. In 2024, he was the Guardian's 11th-best prospect. And he moved into the #10 slot in 2025.

In 2023, Joey represented the Guardians at the All-Star Futures Game.

MLB debut (July 28, 2024): The Guardians activated their No. 10 prospect, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, to start against the Phillies. It would be the Major League debut for the 24-year-old Cantillo, a former 16th-round Draft pick who spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Columbus. 

Joey Cantillo. He hails from Hawaii. He surfs. He also throws a changeup that carries the seventh-highest whiff rate of any pitch in the league.

The Guardians sent Cantillo to Triple-A in August 2025 and told him to attack the strike zone. Since he’s returned, he’s allowed two runs in 19 innings. And he has helped Tanner Bibee flip a frustrating season upside-down.

Cantillo logged eight scoreless innings against the Royals, an outing that earned him a 1:00 a.m. text from pitching coach Carl Willis, who felt compelled while falling asleep to relay how proud he was of the 25-year-old. Bibee asked Cantillo what fueled the best start of his career, and Cantillo replied that he threw “a lot of ‘f— you’ fastballs.” 

What, then, separates an ordinary heater from the, uh, four-letter-word variety?

“The mentality behind it,” Bibee explained. “Sometimes you throw a heater and you’re like, ‘Oh, I don’t want this to get hit.’ And you throw a ‘f— you’ fastball and it’s like, ‘Hit it. I dare you.’

“When you start throwing fastballs like that, everything turns into that and you’re throwing everything with a lot more conviction.” (Meisel - Sep 18, 2025 - The Athletic)

TRANSACTIONS

June 2017: Cantillo was the Padres 16th-round pick, out of Kailua High School in Hawaii. He signed for fifth-round value at $302,500, via scout Justin Baughman. The Padres pried him from his Kentucky commitment.

Cantillo has excellent movement on his 92-98 mph FASTBALL and the high spin rate he gets on the pitch helps it play better than the low velocity he has on it. So it grades out at 55, on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has elite depth and active spin on his 55 grade CURVEBALL. He averaged around 18 inches of depth with the pitch and around 2,600 rpm in spin rate—both above-average figures for a curveball, which makes it difficult to square up for damage.

He also has a SLIDER with a 50 grade. His 77-80 mph CHANGEUP is a solid 60 grade (or some say 65 grade) and has the ability to miss bats with good fade and tumbling life. He has 40 grade control.

Joey has a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and works from the third base side of the rubber with a high three-quarters arm slot and a drop-and-drive action in his lower half. Cantillo has had below-average control for most of his pro career but made strides in a four-start September, when he managed a 63% strike rate. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter whose reliability and consistency will depend on the command of his secondaries and his health. (Carlos Colazzo - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2025)

2025 Season Pitch Usage/Avg. Velo: Fastball 43.3% - 91.6 mph; Change 28.7% - 78.2 mph; Slider 9% - 85 mph; Curve 19% - 77.2 mph.

After his fastball sat around 90 for the first five years in pro ball, Cantillo has added velocity and now has a 92-95 mph heater that reaches 98 with carry when he commands it up in the zone. It plays well off his plus Vulcan changeup that ranges from 79-82 mph before diving at the plate. He also can miss bats with a tight 82-85 mph slider that has improved the last two seasons and is much more effective than his soft 75-78 curveball.

More of a strike-throwing finesse pitcher while with the Padres, Cantillo now has enhanced stuff but can struggle to find the zone. His best weapon, his changeup, gets many more chases than called strikes and may not be as effective against more disciplined hitters in the Majors. He uses his 6-foot-4 frame to create extension and deception, and he should contribute in Cleveland this year as a back-of-the-rotation starter or multi-inning reliever. (Pipeline - Summer 2024) 

Joey has gained velo  and touched 98 mph in a short stint at the Futures Game. His fastball typically averaged about 93 mph, and with the added velocity—as well as the angle he throws from and the carry he gets on the pitch—it has become an above-average offering that gets swings and misses. His changeup remains a plus pitch and generates swings and misses as well. His slider is his third pitch and is a fringy offering, while he also occasionally shows a below-average curveball. The increased velocity hasn’t helped his control, which now rates below-average. 

 Cantillo’s strong 2023 put him on the cusp of the big leagues, a year after he was first added to the 40-man roster. Breaking into the Guardians’ rotation is no easy task, but he has the tools to be a big league starter. Still, he’ll likely return to Columbus to open the 2024 season, with an eye on refining his control. (Teddy Cahill - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2024)

After throwing an 87-92 mph fastball for much of his pro career, Cantillo sat at 91-93 last year and now deals at 92-95 and tops out at 98. His heater plays better than its velocity with good carry when he locates it up in the zone, and it helps that hitters have to be wary of his plus Vulcan changeup that parks around 80 mph and tumbles at the plate. He hasn't shown great feel for spin and favors his short low-80s slider over his soft mid-70s curveball. 

Added to the 40-man roster in November, Cantillo uses his 6-foot-4 frame to create good extension in his deceptive delivery, so his pitches get on hitters quicker than expected. Besides staying healthy, he'll need to improve his control to make it as a back-of-the-rotation starter. He averaged 2.9 walks per nine innings in the Padres system, but that rate has jumped to 4.8 with the Guardians, and his stuff doesn't leave him with much margin for error.  (BA - Spring 2023)

Joey has added velocity, improved the angle he throws from and he gets more carry on his fastball, and now the pitch has become an above-average offering capable of getting swings and misses. His changeup remains a plus pitch and generates swings and misses as well. He throws both a curveball and a slider, with the slider the more advanced of his breaking balls. (Teddy Cahill - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Cantillo is throwing a bit harder this year, working in the mid-90s with his fastball after operating at 87-92 in the past. His fastball plays better than its velocity because it has good carry and hitters have to be on the lookout for his best pitch, a plus Vulcan changeup that sits around 80 mph and tumbles at the plate. His curveball stands out more for its shape than its power. 

The 6-foot-4 Cantillo gets good extension in his deceptive delivery, allowing his pitches to get on hitters quicker than then anticipate. After filling the zone while in the lower levels of the Padres system, he hasn't thrown as many strikes since switching organizations. He doesn't have much margin for error, so he'll need to do a better job of controlling and commanding his arsenal to reach his ceiling as a back-of-the-rotation starter. (Spring 2022)

The numbers are certainly impressive. As an 18-year-old in rookie ball in 2018, Cantillo struck out 58 hitters over 45 1/3 innings while notching a 2.18 ERA. He followed that with a 2.26 ERA split between Class A and Class A Advanced the following season -- with 4.24 strikeouts per walk. Everywhere he’s pitched, Cantillo has had success, and with an excellent makeup and work ethic, there’s reason to believe his upward trend will continue.

A 6-foot-4 lefty with an athletic build, Cantillo's frame has projection. His delivery is somewhat quirky, but he repeats it easily, and he's honed his mechanics nicely since his arrival in pro ball. Cantillo's fastball has nice movement. His changeup is an excellent complement, and he uses a big curveball, too, but Cantillo will need to improve his command of his breaking pitches. (Spring 2020)

Joey lacks command of his 35 grade SLIDER.

Cantillo attacks the strike, and knows how to mix his pitches. He is baseball wise.

Joey is one of the most disciplined players in the Guardian organization and is a great teammate. He cares deeply about helping us win.

Joey has a deceptively quirky lefthanded delivery, but he repeats it well. He has honed his mechanics.

2019 Season: Cantillo impressed both coaching staff and scouts alike with a highly advanced understanding for working his pitch mix to his advantage against Midwest League hitters.

"Love him. That’s my guy,” one scout said late in 2019. "He’s a big guy with touch and feel, has a really good changeup and he’s gonna throw harder. He can spin his curveball, just doesn’t throw it hard. He’s gonna throw it harder.”

2020: Joey posts posts some eye-popping numbers.

He sits in the low 90s with his fastball, has an above-average changeup and a curveball that has steadily improved since he was selected in the 16th round of the 2017 Draft. 

“My fastball plays a lot higher than its velocity,” Cantillo said. “Some people see that 90 or the 92 or the 89 and they think, ‘Hey his fastball doesn’t really play, he doesn’t get a lot of swings and misses with it,’ but it’s actually the opposite.”

The numbers support Cantillo’s assertion.  Over the past two seasons, Cantillo has pitched to a 2.41 ERA and whiffed 207 over 160 2/3 innings. He’s also shown solid command with 4.22 strikeouts per walk during that span.

“When you start diving into some of the more advanced metrics of his fastball, it’s got certain characteristics that allow it to play above the velocity, and I think he’s starting to get a really good understanding of that and where it plays best in the strike zone,” Steve Lyons, the Padres’ Director of Pitching Development, said. “He’s got a really good feel to throw the baseball over the plate and he’s not afraid of guys swinging. He forces guys to swing the bat and his stuff -- his fastball for sure -- has really unique characteristics.”

The fastball, which Cantillo likes to throw up in the zone, stands out, but if he is going to develop into a Major League starting pitcher, he’ll need more in his arsenal.  The lefty has improved his changeup, a pitch he never threw in high school, and has made noticeable strides with his curveball as well.

“I feel really confident about it, dropping it in there and stealing strikes,” Cantillo said of his curveball. “I think eventually it’ll become another out-pitch for me.”  (Boor - mlb.com - 7/30/2020)

2021 Season: Cantillo had a bit of a lost season in 2021 after he suffered an abdominal injury in spring training. Cantillo ended up not pitching in game action until the end of August, throwing only 13 innings out of the bullpen between the Arizona Complex League and Akron.

Cantillo offers a three-pitch mix in his fastball, curveball and changeup. His fastball is just average, sitting 88-92 mph topping near 94. His best pitch is a sinking changeup that is well above-average and plays well off his fastball. His curveball has a lot of downward action is graded out as average.

Although he is not overpowering, he utilizes a deceptive delivery, his advanced pitch-ability and solid command to get hitters out.  (Todd Paquette - Mar 16, 2022)

2022 Season: Cantillo appeared in 14 games for the Rubberducks, notching 13 starts while compiling a 4-3 record with a 1.93 ERA, 28 walks (11.4%), 87 strikeouts (35.5%), a 1.09 WHIP and 2.51 FIP. Through all of that, he held opponents to a .178 batting average against and surrendered just two home runs.

In fact, even before the velocity jump, Cantillo excelled at keeping the ball in the yard allowing just seven total home runs in 242.1 professional innings, a miniscule 0.3 HR/9. Overall Cantillo has a career 2.38 ERA in 62 games (47 starts) in the Minor Leagues spanning rookie ball to Double-A.  (Ethan Forness on  February 3, 2023)

2023 Season: 26 G (24 GS), 7-4, 119.1 IP, 4.07 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 69 BB (13.2%), 146 K (28%), 4.91 FIP

Cantillo entered 2023 as my number 17 overall prospect in the Cleveland farm system. After coming over from San Diego in the Mike Clevinger trade, Cantillo made waves by showcasing a 97 MPH fastball after being known as an upper-80s guy in college and the low minors. It’s not an unheard of phenomenon in the Guardians organization in recent seasons. Look no further than Tanner Bibee, but Cantillo didn’t have a great track record when it came to his health.

It is due to his 2023 season being fully healthy that I gave Cantillo an honorable mention on this list. His numbers aren’t sexy per se, but among pitchers with at least 80 IP Cantillo finished third in innings pitched (119.1, career high), and led the organization in both strikeouts (146) and K% (28%). He struggled with walks in 2023, but that’s not something that’s new to Cantillo.

With a healthy 2023 under his belt, and having reached Triple-A, there’s something for him to build on, and the Pitching Factory can iron out the kinks as long as he stays on the bump. (Ethan Forness -  Oct 16, 2023)

2024 Season:  MiLB Stats (CPX/AAA): 39.2 IP | 4.31 ERA | 29.4 K% | 15.0 BB%

2024 MLB Stats: 38.2 IP | 4.89 ERA | 27.0 K% | 9.2 BB%

Cantillo made his MLB debut and posted a 2.08 ERA across his final 21.2 innings. Cantillo’s fastball is a below-average offering, sitting at just 92 mph. His changeup, however, generated a whiff rate of over 43%.

Cantillo’s ceiling is likely as a back-end starter, although a 3.46 xFIP in his first taste of the majors makes him an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on in 2025. (Matt Heckman - Jan. 23, 2025 - Pitcher List)

2025 Season: Cantillo put together a strong rookie campaign over four different stints with the Cleveland Guardians, helping with their miraculous climb back into playoff position. On the year, he finished with a 3.21 ERA in 89 2/3 innings, but a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts since joining the rotation on July 3. (Michael Fisher | Oct 2, 2025 - Just Baseball)

To be more specific, it's about depth. Cantillo needed something that wasn't just horizontal, but vertical, forcing hitters to chase it low in the zone. The new slider grip is in place to create more downward movement.

"It's got a little more depth, as we just wanted something that's, hey, it's coming off as a fastball and it's going to take off and do something else," Cantillo said. "It's going to come out like a heater. So just continuing to work on it, add to it a little bit, and it's been encouraging."  (Ryan Lewis - Akron Beacon Journal - Feb. 19, 2026)

2021: Cantillo missed some time with an oblique injury.

July 30-end of 2022 season: A shoulder issue ended his season after his July 30 start.

"Joey could have pitched at the end of the year, but we were very conservative with him,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said. “We continued to ramp him up while we were playing in the playoffs, and anticipate that he will be fully healthy in 2023.”