2 Guardians players who will be unexpected surprises, 2 who will be bitter letdowns

The start of the baseball season means plenty of things. For some fans, it means the start of a 162-game marathon that ends with the joy of making the postseason. But for others it signifies the start of a season that may be over by the time the Fourth of July rolls around. 

While the Guardians will likely be competitive for a majority of the 2026 season, they still have plenty of players on their roster who are anything from a sure thing. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at two Guardians who could do better than expected this season along with two who will fail to meet expectations. 

Two Guardians who will punch above their weight and change opinions about them in 2026 

OF Angel Martínez

Is this the year that Martínez finally figures it out as an outfielder? After playing on the grass by necessity in 2024 and struggling in center field last year, Martinez has seen a lot more time in the corners at the start of this season and it’s translated to some success so far this year.

He entered play on Tuesday hitting .300 with a double and stolen base through four games. 

Stephen Vogt and the Guardians’ front office is clearly enamored with Martínez, and he’s been able to make that infatuation worthwhile so far this year. 

No one is asking Martínez to be a slugger, but if he’s able to cut down on the swing-and-miss that’s plagued him throughout his career then he may turn into a mainstay at the bottom of the Guardians’ order. 

RHP Connor Brogdon 

While Brogdon isn’t the flashiest arm in the Guardians’ bullpen, he’s quickly becoming one of the most trusted ones. 

After picking up a win on Opening Day, Brogdon recorded a save two days later against the Mariners and would have been tasked with picking up the save against the Dodgers on Monday had Cade Smith’s struggles continued. 

It was easy to overlook Brogdon in the offseason since it seemed like he had already been lapped by some of the other relievers the Guardians signed, but he’s another player who clearly has some fans in the front office. 

Two Guardians who will let fans down in 2026 

SS Gabriel Arias 

Who could have seen this coming? 

After struggling immensely last season, Arias has been even worse at the start of this season. He entered play on Tuesday hitting just .071 (1-for-14) with six strikeouts. It’s been uncompetitive at-bat after uncompetitive at-bat. 

And it would be one thing if the Guardians didn’t have anyone who could fill Arias’ spot, but they have both Juan Brito and Travis Bazzana waiting in the wings at Triple-A.

His time on the roster may last a bit longer due to the fact he’s out of options, but the Guardians are going to need to make some kind of decision about him soon.

1B Kyle Manzardo 

Manzardo’s not a bad player. Chances are he’s still going to play a huge part in any potential success the Guardians have. But it’s been a rough start to the season for Manzardo. 

The 25-year-old has gone 2-for-18 through five games this season with 10 strikeouts. Although Manzardo has always struggled with strikeouts (25.4% strikeout rate last season), he’s had far too many at-bats this season that have ended with him walking back to the dugout with his bat in his hand. 

He’s not going anywhere, but if he keeps struggling then it’s hard to believe that Rhys Hoskins won’t eat into his playing time.