Joseph Lopaka Cantillo Bio
Joseph Lopaka Cantillo (born December 18, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024 and has quickly established himself as a promising young arm in the Guardians organization. Cantillo was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2017 before being traded to Cleveland in 2020. He plays wearing number 54 for the Guardians.
Early Life and Background
Cantillo attended Kailua High School in Kailua, Hawaii. He demonstrated exceptional baseball talent throughout his high school career and committed to play college baseball at the University of Kentucky. In 2017, his senior year of high school, Cantillo was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for the state of Hawaii. He posted impressive numbers that season, compiling a 5-1 record with a 1.24 earned run average (ERA) as a pitcher while also batting .517 at the plate.
Path to Professional Baseball
The San Diego Padres selected Cantillo in the 16th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, using the 468th overall pick. He signed with the organization for a $302,500 signing bonus. His professional career began shortly after signing, as he joined the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres and made his professional debut on the mound.
Joseph Lopaka Cantillo Career
Minor League Development (2017–2023)
After signing with the Padres in 2017, Cantillo made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres. He appeared in multiple games during the 2018 season back in the Arizona League, where he went 2-2 with a 2.18 ERA over 11 appearances including nine starts. He struck out 58 batters across 45 and one-third innings during that campaign. He also made one appearance toward the end of the year for the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Single-A Midwest League.
The 2019 season proved to be a breakthrough year for Cantillo in the minor leagues. He returned to Fort Wayne and dominated the competition, earning Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors three times and taking home Pitcher of the Month recognition for June. He compiled a 9-3 record with a remarkable 1.98 ERA while striking out 128 batters over 98 innings across 19 starts with Fort Wayne. His performance earned him a promotion to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the High-A California League in August 2019. He made three starts with Lake Elsinore before being shut down for the remainder of the season due to reaching his innings limit.
Cleveland Guardians Era (2020–Present)
On July 31, 2020, the Padres traded Cantillo along with Austin Hedges, Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Gabriel Arias, and Owen Miller to the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in exchange for Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen, and Matt Waldron. The 2020 minor league season was canceled entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Cantillo did not appear in any professional games that year.
He began the 2021 season on the injured list with abdominal soreness and was activated in late August, joining the Akron RubberDucks of the Double-A Northeast. Cantillo pitched only eight innings for the year, going 0-2 and allowing four runs. He returned to Akron for the 2022 season and was placed on the injured list with a shoulder injury in early August, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign. Over 14 games including 13 starts, he went 4-3 with a 1.93 ERA and 87 strikeouts across 60 and two-thirds innings.
On November 15, 2022, the Guardians selected Cantillo’s contract and added him to the 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. He returned to Akron to open the 2023 season. Cantillo was promoted to the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, on May 18, 2023. He was selected to represent Cleveland at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game. In 26 games including 24 starts between Akron and Columbus, Cantillo posted a combined 7-4 record and 4.07 ERA with 146 strikeouts across 119 and one-third innings of work. He was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to begin the 2024 season.
MLB Breakthrough (2024)
Cantillo was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on July 28, 2024. He made his MLB debut that same day as Cleveland’s starting pitcher against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his debut appearance, he pitched three and one-third innings, allowing three earned runs and three walks while recording three strikeouts. Over nine games including eight starts for the Guardians during the 2024 season, Cantillo went 2-4 with a 4.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 38 and two-thirds innings.
Notable Achievements and Season Highlights
Cantillo opened the 2025 season in Cleveland’s bullpen and was optioned back to Columbus in May, with the organization planning for him to return as a starter. After starter Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB due to an ongoing investigation into gambling-related activities, Cantillo was called up to the Guardians as a starting pitcher on July 3, 2025. He was optioned to Columbus for two-and-a-half weeks in August to continue developing as a starting pitcher, returning to Cleveland on September 3. Cantillo finished the 2025 season with a 5-3 record and a 3.21 ERA while recording 108 strikeouts in 34 games. He earned American League Rookie of the Month honors for September 2025, posting a 1.55 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 29 innings across five starts that month.
Joseph Lopaka Cantillo Career Statistics
Through June 26, 2026, Cantillo has established himself as an effective major league pitcher with a solid win-loss record and impressive strikeout numbers. His career trajectory shows consistent improvement from his early minor league days through his breakout 2025 season.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Win-Loss Record | 13-10 |
| Earned Run Average | 3.76 |
| Strikeouts | 237 |
Joseph Lopaka Cantillo Family
Family Background
Cantillo comes from a diverse family background. His father serves as a naval officer and is of Italian and Irish descent. His mother is a nurse and of Guyanese descent. The baseball connection runs deep in his family, as he was named after the legendary Joe DiMaggio, one of the most iconic figures in baseball history.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a significant step forward in Joseph Lopaka Cantillo’s professional career. After beginning the year in Cleveland’s bullpen, he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus in May as the organization mapped out a development plan for him as a starting pitcher. His flexibility within the Guardians system demonstrated the team’s confidence in his ability to contribute in multiple roles.
When the Guardians needed a starting pitcher following Luis Ortiz being placed on administrative leave, Cantillo answered the call and was promoted on July 3, 2025. He spent a brief period back in Columbus in August to continue refining his skills as a starter before returning to Cleveland in September. His consistency throughout the season translated to a 5-3 record and a 3.21 ERA across 34 appearances.
Cantillo’s standout month came in September 2025, when he was named American League Rookie of the Month. During that stretch, he posted a 1.55 ERA and recorded 28 strikeouts in 29 innings across five starts. His ability to miss bats and limit opposing hitters positioned him as a key piece of Cleveland’s rotation moving forward. With his combination of youth, stuff, and pitchability, Cantillo has emerged as a promising building block for the Guardians’ future.