How Guardians Outfielder Nolan Jones is Trying to Fix His Struggles at the Plate

Nolan Jones' time as a member of the Cleveland Guardians may be drawing to a close.

But this wasn’t how anyone expected it to unfold.

During the 2026 offseason, the front office and coaching staff invested in Jones with hopes that he could bounce back in the upcoming campaign and rediscover the form that once made him one of the most intriguing young hitters when he was in Colorado.

Guardians hitting coach Grant Fink recently spoke about what work Jones did to try to become a better player at the plate.

Guardians hitting coach weighs in on Jones

"Nolan spent his offseason at Driveline," Fink said. "The entire goal was to try and get him to figure out the timing on the fastball more. He came out and hit a homer on his first at-bat [of spring training]."

That game Fink is referencing came in the Cactus League opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, where Jones belted a 421-foot home run in the fifth inning. That blast put three runs on the board, helping secure a victory for Cleveland.

Following that game, however, Jones hasn't been able to replicate such efforts.

"He's had some struggles over the last week and a half," Fink said. "But ultimately, he's trying to just get his best swing off more often in games, and we're seeing that sporadically..."

"He's had some struggle over the last week and a half. But ultimately, he's trying to just get his best swing off more often in games, and we're seeing that sporadically..."#Guardians hitting coach Grant Fink on how Nolan Jones can find the conviction at the plate that Stephen… https://t.co/CmquIc6EQ2 pic.twitter.com/lcrTJa17t1
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) March 10, 2026

Fink's statement on getting him to swing more often may be why he leads the Guardians in strikeouts this spring training. Through 26 at-bats, he has struck out 13 times to just one walk, all while having just one hit since the Cactus League opener.

“I mean, everybody wants to get hits," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "I don't care if you're facing your kid in whiffle ball in the backyard. You want to get a hit. I think for Nolan specifically and a number of our players, getting every other day reps and doing all these things, you start to put more and more pressure on yourself as the calendar days start to flip over. We can't do that."

"Go out and get your work in, be ready to go. Go out there and be convicted in what you're doing.”

For a major leaguer, hitting the fastball is important, especially when it's the most common pitch batters will see. If Jones can start to gain back confidence and knock it, he'll likely become a better hitter across the board.

Among players with more than 20 at-bats, Jones is tied for the second fewest hits alongside CJ Kayfus, who has three hits in 20 at-bats. The only player performing worse in this limited sample is utility man David Fry, who has just two hits in 21 at-bats.

However, this isn't that surprising for Fry, who's still trying to become more comfortable at the plate following a horrific injury at the end of the 2025 campaign.

The once top-hitter in the league is in the same conversation with a young, inexperienced prospect and a player who hasn't been able to stay healthy over the past year.

In 2025, Jones struggled mightily, hitting just .211 from the plate, all while striking out 113 times to just 39 walks. He also only knocked 21 extra-base hits in 355 at-bats. That's a start difference from what he had posted just two years prior; he had nearly 50 extra-base hits and an incredible .297/.389/.542 slashing line with an OPS of .931.

Despite the setbacks of 2025 and the early struggles of 2026, the adjustments Jones has made could still pay off. His clear recognition of what needs improvement also highlights just how self-aware he is about the current state of his career.

Cleveland fans can only hope that this continued effort from the coaching staff will pay off, and the once top prospect can rediscover what made him such a threat at the plate as a member of the Rockies.

If not, the outfield on Opening Day may see a few new faces.