What Will The Guardians Outfield Look Like In 2022?
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The outfield is one part of the Guardians’ roster that still has many questions as the team gets closer to Opening Day. Looking at who is on the 40-man roster as of now, this is what it could look like.
Center Field
Myles Straw
It is best to start with the easiest one, which is Myles Straw being the starting center fielder for years to come. Straw was acquired from the Houston Astros at the 2021 trade deadline for reliever Phil Maton and solidified his spot in center field. Over the 60 games he played with Cleveland, Straw was productive on offense with an average of .285 and an OPS of .739 while stealing 13 bases as well. However, the defensive side is really where Straw shines.
In 2021 Straw ranked in the 68th percentile in outfield jump and 96th percentile in sprint speed, meaning he is fast and covers a lot of ground out in center field. There are no real holes in Straw’s game both on offense and defense, making him a great long-term fit for the Guardians.
Left Field
Oscar Mercado, Amed Rosario, George Valera
The corner outfield positions are where the options start to get interesting. In 2021, there were a number of players who saw time in left field, starting with Eddie Rosario on Opening Day. This fit never seemed to click and after Rosario was traded, Oscar Mercado finished the year in left hitting .224. Heading into 2022 Mercado is the safe option to start at left field, but this will be in a platoon role. Manager Terry Francona has already said that Amed Rosario will split time between shortstop and left field this season, putting him into the platoon rotation with Mercado. While Rosario may provide more offense, Mercado is still the better defensive option for the position.
If the organization commits to their youth, George Valera is another player that could see some time in left field. Valera has been turning heads this spring on the defensive side and showing why he deserves playing time at the major league level. If Valera does get some time in the big leagues, it probably would not be until later in the season due to his service time situation.
Right Field
Josh Naylor, Bradley Zimmer, Daniel Johnson, Franmil Reyes
One thing is clear about the right field position, the Guardians want a bat there. Josh Naylor was the primary right fielder in 2021 until he went down with a devastating ankle injury in late June. After the injury, Harold Ramirez, who is no longer with the organization, and Bradley Zimmer held down the position for the rest of the year. Zimmer showed flashes of power such as his couple of 400-foot home runs, but this spring has not been kind to him. Zimmer has struck out eight times on 13 plate appearances and overall looks to be uncomfortable at the plate.
Going into 2022, Naylor will look to retake right field when he is ready after his rehab. Before he is ready Daniel Johnson is a contender to help out and it is also worth nothing Franmil Reyes played right field for the Padres and appeared in the outfield in 11 games for Cleveland.
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