The Cleveland Guardians defied the odds in 2025.<\/p>\n
From coming back down from a 15.5-game deficit for first place in the AL Central, to appearing in the MLB Postseason, the Guardians grinded through a tough season to make something out of nothing. The front office called up various prospects to get their first appearances in the big leagues, with some looking solid and others needing a bit more time to develop.<\/p>\n
But through it all, the team debuted various different lineups to try and find the most efficient bats.<\/p>\n
However, it never worked out the way they wanted it to. The Guardians finished the 2025 campaign with the second-to-worst <\/a>batting average in the league at .226, in on-base percentage at .293, slugging percentage at .373 and OPS at .669.<\/p>\n The coaching staff will obviously have to make some changes and adjustments with hopes of bouncing back in 2026.<\/p>\n Projecting the starting lineup for Opening Day<\/p>\n The Guardians’ outfielding corps needs a revitalization in the upcoming season. That unit, outside of left fielder Steven Kwan, was incredibly inefficient, mainly with whoever was in right field. <\/p>\n There’s no doubt that, unless a surprise trade occurs<\/a>, Kwan will be back in left field for the Guardians. He’s coming off an impressive campaign that was spotlighted by yet another Golden Glove and national fielding award<\/a>, all while finishing as the second-best batter on the team with a 3.7 bWAR<\/a> and a batting average of .272.<\/p>\n Alongside Kwan, the Guardians should look to give the keys over to a few prospects to see what they can do with a full season of development.<\/p>\n When it comes to the infield, there are only a few players who’ve had their spot clinched moving into the upcoming campaign, one of which is Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez. He’s coming off yet another season that saw him in the running for an AL MVP honor, while also being a Silver Slugger at third base.<\/p>\n Since 2021, Ram\u00edrez has been in the MVP race each year, marking an impressive display of consistency and reliability. Outside of Ram\u00edrez, shortstop Brayan Rocchio and catcher Bo Naylor are the only two who have their spots locked down as of now. <\/p>\n 1. Left Fielder- Steven Kwan<\/p>\n 2. Right Fielder- George Valera<\/p>\n 3. Third Baseman- Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez<\/p>\n 4. Center Fielder- Chase DeLauter<\/p>\n 5. First Baseman- Kyle Manzardo<\/p>\n 6. Second Baseman- \u00c1ngel Mart\u00ednez<\/p>\n 7. Catcher- Bo Naylor<\/p>\n 8. Designated Hitter- C.J. Kayfus<\/p>\n 9. Shortstop- Brayan Rocchio<\/p>\n Both Valera and DeLauter should slot into the lineup fairly easily, especially with their power and ability to mash the ball at the plate. They are both young, impressionable prospects, meaning they need to get the most amount of time with Kwan and Ram\u00edrez to develop as much as possible. Kayfus, who’s listed down as the designated hitter, could also get looks in the outfield.<\/p>\n Manzardo deserves the reins of first base, especially considering the 23-year-old’s power hitting. He hit 27 home runs in 2025 and also tacked on 70 RBIs<\/a> in his first full season in the majors. He slotted into the designated hitter role well this past season, something he will probably also do in 2026.<\/p>\n The rest of the infield has some work to do.<\/p>\n