Guardians Betting Big on Youth in the Outfield - and the Pressure’s On
For a team that’s won back-to-back AL Central titles, you’d expect the Cleveland Guardians to be heading into spring training with a little more certainty - especially in the lineup. But despite their recent success, questions are swirling around an offense that struggled to keep pace last season and hasn’t seen much in the way of reinforcements.
The Guardians managed to claw their way to the top of the division last year thanks to a historic late-season surge. But the margin for error is razor-thin, and Cleveland’s front office is taking a bold approach: doubling down on youth.
Two of the biggest question marks heading into camp are in center and right field. Veteran reporter Paul Hoynes recently pointed out that the Guardians don’t have a set rotation or even a true platoon system in place for those spots. That’s not exactly comforting when you’re trying to keep pace in a league where outfield production can swing a season.
Right now, the projected starters are Chase DeLauter in center and George Valera in right. Steven Kwan, the reliable All-Star, holds down left field - no surprises there.
But DeLauter and Valera bring just 16 combined big-league games to the table, and all of those belong to Valera. That’s a steep learning curve, especially for a team with postseason aspirations.
Still, there’s a reason the Guardians are high on DeLauter. He’s their No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, and the front office showed just how much faith they have in him when they let him make his MLB debut in the postseason - a rare move that speaks volumes. There’s real belief that he could contend for AL Rookie of the Year honors if things click.
Joining the youth movement is Travis Bazzana, Cleveland’s top prospect, who’s expected to debut at second base. C.J.
Kayfus, another rookie, is in the mix at DH. That’s a lot of pressure on some very young shoulders.
And while the Guardians’ rotation and bullpen are playoff-caliber, the lineup could be a different story if the kids don’t hit the ground running.
It’s worth noting that Nolan Jones and Angel Martinez - who saw the most time in right and center last season - are still on the roster. Their 2025 campaigns at the plate left plenty to be desired, but they bring valuable MLB experience. If the rookies falter, Jones and Martinez could be called on to steady the ship.
So is it a gamble? Absolutely.
But it’s not a reckless one. The Guardians are threading a needle - trying to stay competitive while giving their top prospects real runway to grow.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and if the young core delivers, Cleveland might just prove the skeptics wrong once again.