By the Numbers: How Angel Martínez Has Taken a Major Leap in 2026

The Cleveland Guardians may have found their next superstar, as outfielder Angel Martínez has emerged as the next power-hitting, all-around player to follow in José Ramírez's footsteps.

May 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) walk towards the dugout before the start of a baseball game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Angel Martínez is putting the rest of MLB on notice.

The hottest hitter on the Cleveland Guardians has begun the season with a strong nine home runs, belting three this past weekend in a home series against the Cincinnati Reds.

When diving into just how big of a leap he has made from the 2025 campaign to the current one, it's obvious that Cleveland may have found it's next superstar. At 24 years old, the future looks incredibly bright for a player who is beginning to draw praise as a young José Ramírez, who is likely just years out from a Hall of Fame induction.

May 13, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Angel Martinez (1) celebrates after scoring during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Across the board, from the power to his switch-hitting consistency, Martínez's growth as a hitter is eye-popping, all while he maintains reliable fielding.

The Numbers Are Exciting

No matter what you look at, improvements are seen.

In 2025, his xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Avg Exit Velo, Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, Chase% and BB% were all ranked in the 10th percentile or lower. His xwOBA and xSLG specifically were in the 1st percentile, showing just how poor he was at the plate.

But in 2026, while some of those statistics remain low, others have taken massive leaps.

His xwOBA and xSLG are all above the average line, with his power now in the 71st percentile, ranking him as one of the better power-hitters in the league.

In xBA and Barrel%, he also is in the 60th percentile and above.

The Daily Guards Presented By @FanDuel Is LIVE! Guardians' Angel Martínez Making ALL-STAR Case, Gavin Williams Adapting Pitching Arsenal, Guardians Earn Series Win In Ohio Cup Opener & So Much More! https://t.co/PVaH6yfgfQ

— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) May 18, 2026

Instead of being an unimpactful hitter, he has begun to display traits of value at the plate. His Whiff%, which shows if he is swinging and missing often, tells a story that he's rarely missing. He currently ranks in the 82nd percentile, his highest batting percentile.

Fortunately, all while his play at the plate is impressive, his fielding has stayed reliable. He is currently valued in the 93rd percentile in Arm Strength and in the 86th percentile in Range (OAA). Spending time in left, right and center field, Cleveland hasn't seen a dip in production, no matter where he is positioned.

Martinez Flashing Big-Time Power

While all of his numbers are impressive, none stand out more than the number of home runs he is bashing.

In 2024, he smacked three, in 2025, he smacked 11, but in 2026, he has leveled up. Through the first 44 games of the season and 157 appearances at the plate, the switch-hitting youngster has nine deep shots. That's a measly two less than his entire total from last campaign.

Angel Martínez is electric. 107.9 mph, 407-foot two-run homer.

He's got nine home runs in 44 games. He had 11 in 139 games last year. pic.twitter.com/pEtHdeJ8ey

— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) May 17, 2026

While there is still plenty of season to go, he's on pace for well over 25 home runs, which would mark the first time in over a decade that a Cleveland outfield has surpassed 20 in a single season.

And for someone to say that Martinez would be the one to end such a drought before the year began, they'd be called crazy.

It's also not just his home-run hitting, but doubles as well.

He's on pace for over 30 doubles by the end of the campaign, currently sitting on eight. Last year, he smacked 23.

Many of his numbers and projected season-ending marks are inflated due to recent play, but if he can even live up to such expectations somewhat, the Guardians are going to be in good hands.

Switch-Hitting

Reliable.

That's what Martínez is from both sides of the plate.

Through 103 plate appearances from the left side against right-handed pitchers, he's batting .269 with 25 hits, seven doubles and seven home runs. That type of efficiency is good enough for 18 RBI.

From the opposite side of the plate, batting as a righty against left-handed pitchers, he's posting similar marks. While he has had more limited chances, coming in at 54 plate appearances, he does still have a .260 batting average with 13 hits, one double and two home runs.

Just last year, he was a far less reliable hitter from the left side of the plate, batting .197. The work he did in the offseason to become a more dynamic batter has translated to in-game action.

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The most exciting part about this all-around breakout for Martínez is that the advanced metrics signal that this isn't entirely fluky.

Rather than just getting lucky stretches, he is consistently smacking baseballs around the diamond, no matter the situation, spot in the lineup or side of the plate he is on.

And considering where he was just a campaign ago, Martínez's leap is becoming one of the best stories this season for the Guardians.