Two Florida State alumni found themselves at opposite ends of the baseball calendar this week — one taking the mound in a winner-take-more ALDS showdown, the other going under the knife to salvage a disappointing season.
Parker Messick: Ace on the Line
The Guardians handed Parker Messick the ball for Game 4 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox with Cleveland's season on the brink, trailing the series 2-1. That alone speaks to the trust Cleveland has placed in the former Seminole — but the outing was a mixed bag.
Messick lasted just 2.1 innings, surrendering two earned runs and striking out five before exiting in a game the Guardians ultimately won 9-5 to force a decisive Game 5. His ERA for the series ballooned to 5.40, a number that doesn't tell the full story of a pitcher who has otherwise been one of Cleveland's most reliable arms.
It wasn't Messick's first postseason hiccup. His Game 1 start had already raised questions, with the offense unable to bail him out in a loss that put the Guardians in an early hole. A Sports Illustrated breakdown noted that while Messick and fellow starter Gavin Williams pitched well enough in the first two games, the Cleveland offense simply stalled behind them.
Heading into Game 4, Heavy Sports flagged two specific concerns rooted in Messick's regular-season history against Chicago — a matchup the White Sox had studied carefully. Those concerns proved at least partially warranted. Still, Cleveland's bullpen and bats picked up the slack, keeping the Seminoles' most prominent October arm in position to potentially see Game 5 action.
For a pitcher in his first full postseason, the learning curve is steep — and Messick is clearly on it.
Cal Raleigh: Shoulder Surgery, Eyes on 2027
While Messick navigated October baseball, Cal Raleigh was already pivoting to next year. The Mariners announced on October 3 that their starting catcher underwent a left shoulder acromioclavicular (AC) debridement procedure. Seattle confirmed Raleigh is expected to be fully recovered before spring training begins — a small but meaningful silver lining for a franchise that had a disappointing 2026.
The surgery adds Raleigh to a growing list of Mariners players rehabbing this offseason alongside Josh Naylor, who had wrist surgery the same day. A Sports Illustrated piece was blunt about the situation: Seattle cannot count on three medical comebacks to repair its 2027 offense. Raleigh, projected as a fixture in the team's Opening Day lineup whenever healthy, remains one of the Mariners' most important offensive pieces — but the pressure on him to carry the load out of the gate next season is something the organization is clearly wary of.
The shoulder issue is believed to have contributed to a rough 2026 campaign for the former FSU backstop, making the procedure not just a recovery but potentially a reset toward the form that made him one of the better catching bats in the American League.
Elsewhere in the 'Noles Corner
Shane Drohan, another Florida State product pitching for the Brewers, appears to be on the outside looking in as Milwaukee projects its NLCS roster against the Dodgers — an early indicator that his postseason role, if any, will be limited.
Taylor Walls (Rays) went 1-for-4 across two games against the Yankees this week, a quiet showing as Tampa Bay navigated its own October slate.
For FSU, the headline belongs to Messick and Raleigh — one fighting for a championship, the other fighting to get healthy enough to chase one next year.
AI-generated summary
