Guardians Continue Decade-Long Streak With Opening Day Lineup

Opening Day is here, and with it, the first Cleveland Guardians lineup of the 2025 season.

There are some familiar faces in Cleveland's lineup card who have been integral parts of the team over the last few seasons: Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Carlos Santana (for a third stint), to name a few.

However, one position the Guardians haven't been able to lock down over the last decade and a half is right field.

Jhonkensy Noel will start on the right side of Cleveland's outfield for their first game of the year, continuing a 14-year streak of a different starting right fielder on Opening Day.

Here's a quick recap of what the last 10 and a half years have looked like.

2025: Jhonkensy Noel
2024: Ramon Laureano
2023: Will Brennan
2022: Steven Kwan
2021: Josh Naylor
2020: Domingo Santana
2019: Tyler Naquin
2018: Lonnie Chisenhall
2017: Abraham Almonte
2016: Collin Cowgill
2015: Brandon Moss
2014: David Murphy
2013: Drew Stubbs
2012: Shin-Soo Choo

Nolan Jones catches a ball — Aug 4, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Nolan Jones (33) catches a fly ball hit by Houston Astros center fielder Mauricio Dubon (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Maybe Noel will be the answer for the Guardians' outfield for the foreseeable future, or they'll have another new right fielder take the diamond for the first game of 2026.

Either way, it'll be Big Christmas and Nolan Jones taking most of the reps in right field to start the season.

Noel is coming off a rookie season in which he hit .218 with an OPS of .774. The slugger also hit 13 home runs in 179 at-bats.

Jones had an injury-filled 2024 season but hit 20 home runs and even stole 20 bases in 2023 when he finished as a Rookie of the Year finalist.

Hopefully, this duo can provide Cleveland with some solid offense from the position this season.

That's been something the Guardians haven't been able to accomplish for clearly a long time.

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