How Angel Martinez Helped Change the Narrative Surrounding the Guardians This Spring

The Cleveland Guardians knew they needed to address the outfield heading into the 2026 campaign.

But they ended up doing it in a way not many people expected.

Instead of going out and signing blockbuster free agents or trading a handful of prospects in a league-altering move, the team looked internally. The coaching staff spent the offseason building up the players it had on the roster, while weeding out those that weren't fit to sport the navy blue and red by Opening Day.

Fortunately, that plan worked out, as multiple players broke out in the 2026 MLB Spring Training window, punching their ticket onto the major league roster to begin the upcoming campaign.

And a player who helped end the notion that the Guardians had a poor-hitting outfield is 24-year-old Angel Martínez.

The talented switch-hitter is coming off a spring stint where he recorded a team-high 40 at-bats, slashing one of the better marks on the team at .350/.395/.850 for an OPS of 1.245. He not only showed consistency with 14 hits, but also flashed power, something that stood out back in 2025, with six doubles, one triple and four home runs.

While he was never really in a position to drive in runs, recording just six on the spring, if given a chance to bat towards the middle of the lineup more, he certainly would've ended up in double figures.

Martínez's breakout this spring has been incredibly important for Cleveland, especially if his play can carry into the 2026 campaign. He will end up pairing nicely alongside the reliable defense of Steven Kwan and the untapped power of Chase DeLauter.

The 2025 Issues for the Guardians' Outfield

Last season, one of the Guardians' major struggles was the outfielding group.

Outside of Kwan, who finished the year with a batting average of .272, the Guardians' outfielders were incredibly inefficient while at the plate. Over the course of the season, they sent out nearly 10 other players to try and find a groove, with the likes of Will Brennan, Jhonkensy Noel, Lane Thomas and even Daniel Schneemann spending time in the open grass, just to name a few.

No matter who sported the corners, or locked down the middle, there was only a single player who batted over .220, Martínez, while the rest bounced around the high .100s and low .200s.

Veteran Nolan Jones, who spent the most amount of time in the outfield of any player other than Kwan and Martínez, finished the year slashing .211/.296/.304 for an OPS of .600. Unfortunately, his struggles at the plate carried into this spring, before he ended up being outrighted to Columbus to try and find a groove at Triple-A.

The front office also ended up moving on from three players who were a part of that platoon, allowing Brennan, Noel and Thomas to leave in free agency, while Jones and Johnathan Rodríguez were sent to the minors.

If the front office's decisions on each don't show just how poor last year's group was, the overall statistics will as well.

The outfield as a whole ranked 28th in the league in runs per game, 29th in batting average and on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging percentage.

Many questioned the front office's decision not to go out and search for external help, understandably so, but with Martínez playing so well and the emergence of DeLauter, this year's group may have a chance to put to rest the recent narrative surrounding Cleveland's outfield play.

The first chance for Martínez and the rest of the squad to suit up for the Guardians in regular-season action is in just a couple of days, with the team taking on the Seattle Mariners to open up 2026 on the road. The two sides will play on Thursday, March 26, at 10:10 p.m. EST.