The Cleveland Guardians still don’t have a lineup built around thunder, and the numbers make that plain. They enter Wednesday ranked 27th out of 30 MLB teams in home runs with 152. But underneath that familiar lack of punch, there’s a real shift happening - and it’s showing up in the youngest part of the roster.
Cleveland is now the only team in MLB with at least four players 25 years old or younger who have reached 13 or more home runs in the 2026 season, according to Guardians Prospective. Angel Martinez, 24, has 17.
Travis Bazzana, 24, has 15. Chase DeLauter, 24, has 15.
Brayan Rocchio, 25, has 13.
That matters because none of those players is close to a finished product. They’re still in the part of the curve where growth is expected, and their power ceilings haven’t been fully tapped yet.
Rocchio’s bat is not built around over-the-fence damage, but a 13- to 15-homer profile can still play when the rest of his game holds up. Martinez looks more like a 15- to 20-homer hitter, which gives him a solid power floor for a young regular.
Bazzana brings a higher ceiling. The expectation there is that he could settle in around 25 homers a year once he’s fully adjusted to big league pitching.
DeLauter is the one who stands out most in terms of raw power. He already has 15 homers in his first MLB season, and the swing quality and explosiveness point to a player who could eventually reach 30.
That kind of upside comes with a catch, though: it depends heavily on staying on the field and avoiding injuries.
And the depth of the power push doesn’t stop with that four-man group. The Guardians have more hitters in the organization who could get to 25 homers a season if everything breaks right.
Kyle Manzardo already did it in 2025. Ralphy Velazquez has serious pop and could become a star when his chance arrives.
CJ Kayfus, George Valera, Jace LaViolette, and Nolan Schubart all bring power as well and are waiting for an opportunity.
Little by little, Cleveland is trying to leave the slap-hitting label behind.
In Other News...
Guardians Clinched But Boston Still Holds A Huge Playoff Swing
The Guardians have already locked up their third straight trip to the postseason, thanks to a 1-0 win over the Red Sox that assured Cleveland a seat in October. What comes next still matters plenty, though, because the clubs final seeding and first-round path are tied to how Boston fares in a doubleheader against the Cubs.
A noreaster forced that makeup day into the schedule, and MLB is even weighing whether one of the games needs to be shifted to Tropicana Field. For Cleveland, the math is simple enough: Bostons results will help determine whether the Guardians get to host the ALDS or are headed to the Wild Card series, leaving the bracket picture unsettled for at least another day. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Arm Is Back In Limbo At The Worst Time
Xzavion Curry is back in roster limbo after the Mets designated the former Guardians right-hander for assignment to clear space for waiver claim Philip Abner. Curry had spent most of his time with New York this season working in a long-relief role, logging 21 1/3 innings in the majors while also making appearances for Triple-A Syracuse.
Now the question is whether another club sees enough to put in a claim, or whether Curry clears waivers and gets pushed toward a more complicated next step. If he goes unclaimed, he can reject a minor league assignment and become a minor league free agent in the offseason, leaving his immediate future hanging at a time when every bullpen spot matters. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Reached October On A Fenway Swing Fans Wont Believe
Angel Martinez gave Cleveland the jolt it needed at Fenway, sending a 319-foot homer into the night and lifting the Guardians to a 1-0 win over the Red Sox. The victory punched their ticket to the postseason and kept them one game ahead in the AL Central, with the division still within reach as the final stretch tightened.
For a club that has leaned on run prevention all season, the formula held up again in Boston. Clevelands pitching staff blanked the Red Sox from start to finish, and the kind of slim-margin win that can define October left the Guardians with both a playoff berth secured and a division race still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]