Cleveland Guardians Outfield Is Elite In Critical Area

The Cleveland Guardians have needed more offensive production from their outfield for the last few seasons.

However, this group has still been a key piece to the team's success, even if they haven't been getting on base or driving in runs at a high clip.

The Guardians arguably have the best defensive outfield in baseball, and that was on full display in their series opener against the San Diego Padres.

Both Gavin Sheetz and Luis Arraez tried stretching singles into doubles but faced the same fate: jogging back to the dugout after being thrown out by a Cleveland outfielder.

So far in 2025, the Guardians are the only American League team with multiple outfield assists in 2025.

Plus, since the start of 2022, Cleveland has led MLB with 98 outfield assists, per the Guardians.

During that stretch, Lane Thomas leads baseball with 34 outfield assists, Steven Kwan is tied for fifth with 27, and Nolan Jones ranks eighth with 25.

Jhonkensy Noel, who made his debut in 2024, may not be one of the leaders in this category, but he did rank in the 76th percentile in arm strength during his rookie season.

Mar 30, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) and center fielder Lane Thomas (8) and right fielder Nolan Jones (22) celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Focusing on defense may not be the flashiest or most exciting thing for a big-league player to work on, but it's important nonetheless.

The more respect Cleveland's outfield gets from baserunners, the less the opposing team will test the Guardians' arms, keeping runners out of the scoring position.

Stephen Vogt said after Monday's game that his team works on defense every day with outfield coach J.T. Maguire, and this work is clearly paying off.

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