Angel Martinez Belts Two Moon Shots For Guardians in First Multi-Homer Outing

Martinez is one of the few members of the Cleveland Guardians who have consistently hit well to begin the 2026 campaign,

Apr 21, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It's hard to argue that the Cleveland Guardians would have won Friday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays if it wasn't for outfielder Angel Martinez.

The 24-year-old has begun the 2026 campaign on a hot note, providing the Guardians with reliable plate play each time he is in the lineup.

On Friday, April 24, the Guardians took on the Blue Jays from the Rogers Centre, downing them in a slugfest, 8-6. After Daniel Schneemann started off the outing with a solo home run to kickstart the scoring, Martinez complimented his game with his first career multi-homer game, slugging two deep balls to give the Guardians an early edge.

"Yeah, Angel went back to the two-strike approach that he had in spring training early in the year, and it paid off for him," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "I mean, two two-strike homers tonight. We know what he's capable of. Great at that 11-pitch homer. Might have been one of the best at-bats I've seen, just to work the count, work the pitches, foul off, fight for the next pitch, and then get one you can handle.

"Huge night for Angel. Great play. You know, move him to left after playing center the whole game. Great play off the wall to keep that to a single. So, great, great night for Angel."

It's not just his offense that makes him so valuable but his defense as well. Just a couple of weeks ago, Martinez was making diving plays in left field for the Guardians, helping hold on to leads on the defensive end.

He has still not committed an error this year, all while making 39 total putouts and posting a .989 fielding percentage.

Offensively, on the campaign, Martinez's slashing line has bumped up to .284/.329/.541 for an OPS of .870. From both sides of the plate, he has become an incredibly efficient bat, something that was a question mark heading into the new year.

He now has four doubles and five home runs, good enough for 14 RBI.

"You know, obviously, there's less chase than there was, you know, last year," Vogt said about Martinez. "He's able to handle fastballs and off-speed, and use the whole field. I think you watch him take batting practice. He's working on driving fastballs to the opposite field, and that's going to help you get to the inside part of the ball...

"So Angel's really starting to mature in his approach."

While Martinez helped lead the Guardians' scoring, Schneemann and others also helped guide the team at the plate on Friday night.

Although there was a loss on Saturday, evening the series at 1-1, Friday showed that the Guardians have what it takes to handle some of the better teams in baseball, especially when switch-hitters like Martinez are confident at the plate.