Guardians Slugger Has Been A 'Pleasant Surprise' To Start Season

The biggest question for the Cleveland Guardians coming into the season was who would be their starting second baseman after trading Andres Gimenez over the winter.

Ultimately, Gabriel Arias has seen most of the playing time in the position. After some disappointment earlier in his career, Arias looked like a different player through the season's first month.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently identified Arias as one reason for Guardians fans to be excited early in 2025 and called his offensive production a "pleasent surprise."

"Arias may prove to just be a bridge from Andrés Giménez to Travis Bazzana, but the 25-year-old could force the Guards to find a way to keep him in the lineup over the long haul if the first month of the season is any indication of what's to come," wrote Kelly.

Gabriel Arias throws a ball to first base — Apr 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Gabriel Arias (13) throws to first for an out during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

If, as Kelly mentions, the Guardians promote Travis Bazzana (or even Juan Brito) at some point this season, they could still keep Arias in the lineup thanks to his versatility.

The 25-year-old has experience playing every infield position and even logged some innings in right field a few years ago, too.

He's already made three starts at third base and four starts at shortstop this season.

Through the first 23 games, Arias is hitting .270/.321/.486 with an OPS of .807, including eight extra-base hits. His OPS+ is currently at 133, which is the fifth-best on the Guardians.

Gabriel Arias gets the @CleGuardians on the board with this opposite-field 3-run homer ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/wHM6uyGMlk
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2025

Arias has always had a lot of natural talent and untapped potential. The 2025 season was a make-or-break year for the team because it was out of minor league options.

So far, Arias has seized this opportunity, and he is proving he should continue to be an everyday player no matter who else the Guardians add to the roster as the season continues.

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