When the Guardians have needed a spark lately, they’ve found it in a pair of young Angels.
Angel Genao and Angel Martínez both played a key role in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Toronto, giving Cleveland exactly the kind of lift it has been hunting: one player who can change a game off the bench, and another who looks built to hit somewhere in the lineup every day. The bigger question now is simple enough - how do the Guardians squeeze more at-bats out of both of them?
Genao supplied the loudest swing of the night. The 22-year-old rookie, who made his major league debut only on August 5, started Tuesday on the bench and waited for his chance.
It came in the seventh inning, when he entered as a pinch hitter for Travis Bazzana. On the first pitch he saw, he crushed a 426-foot home run onto the home run porch at Progressive Field.
That blast marked the first pinch-hit home run by a Cleveland rookie since Jhonkensy Noel in 2024, and the first by a switch hitter since José Ramírez did it in 2015.
“He goes in and delivers immediately,” Noga said on the podcast. “This is really the role that Chris Antonetti was talking about. You know, a guy who can come in and contribute off the bench and have an impact.”
Genao added more than just the home run. In the ninth inning, he turned in a spinning, whirling stop-and-throw to first base that drew audible appreciation from the dugout.
Nathaniel Lowe was smiling after the play, and it was easy to see why. The Guardians have been buzzing about Genao’s talent, confidence, and work ethic, and Tuesday gave that talk some real weight.
Martínez kept his own strong run rolling. He finished with two more hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth. Among Guardians who have been with the team since the start of the season, he now leads the club in home runs with 14.
His recent stretch has been especially sharp. Since Aug.
1, Martínez is slashing .388 with seven doubles, three home runs, 17 RBIs, and a .923 OPS. Those numbers would look even better if not for the five weeks he missed earlier this year because of a broken foot.
“He is an everyday player,” Noga said of Angel Martínez, pivoting to the other half of the story. “You’ve got to find a spot for him because this guy, he just makes things happen and he’s really taken a step forward this season with the confidence and just knowing that he’s going to be in there on a regular basis.”
Hoynes added a blunt take on what the lost time may have cost Martínez: “If he had stayed healthy, you know, what would his numbers be right now? It’s an impressive season already, but it would be probably even more impressive.”
With September tightening up, the Guardians are looking for situational power and lineup depth. Right now, two Angels are giving them both.
In Other News...
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Both players are back in the big leagues with new clubs after making those September rosters, with Naylor joining the Milwaukee Brewers and Brito landing with the Cincinnati Reds. Brito has already made his Reds debut, while Naylor earned his call-up after a productive run in the minors, a reminder that even after leaving Cleveland, both still have a chance to turn their seasons into something more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
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Bieber has not been able to pitch while he works through the injury, but the setting still matters for a player whose Cleveland chapter lasted so long. Through 11 outings this season, he has a 4.37 ERA, a reminder that his present in Toronto has not yet matched the certainty he once brought to the Guardians. Even so, the return to Cleveland is the kind of moment that tends to stir memories first and leave the bigger questions for later. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Suddenly Have A Real Opening To Finish This Off
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For Cleveland, the question now is whether help from within will arrive in time to matter. Top prospect Ralphy Velazquez has put together a strong minor league performance, giving the organization a potential source of extra thump for the stretch run, but the Guardians have not made the move to bring him up. With the division still open and the margin still slim, every bit of offense could loom large in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]