3 former Guardians who impressed with current club on Opening Day 

While the Guardians have plenty of players who spend a good portion of their career in Cleveland, they also have periods where they shuffle through players on the roster, which can lead to them having a variety of former players who go on to put together productive careers elsewhere. 

So, with Opening Day in the books, here’s a look at three former Guardians who started 2026 on the right foot. 

The Guardians had a variety of former players do well on Opening Day 

1B Jake Bauers, Brewers 

It may be hard to believe considering how rough Bauer’s time in Cleveland was, but he’s quietly become a solid everyday player for the Brewers. 

The 30-year-old first started his third season in Milwaukee with a bang, as he went 2-for-5 in the Brewers’ Opening Day win over the White Sox with a huge three-run home run.

His big blow came in the seventh inning when he launched a towering three-run home run in the seventh inning off Chicago reliever Jedixson Paez to increase Milwaukee's lead. 

Bauers, who plays primarily as a first baseman at this point in his career, had to pivot to playing left field on Thursday thanks to Jackson Chourio’s injury, and he answered the call. He started in left before moving to first base later in the game. 

Bauers finished the spring with a .462 batting average and seven home runs in 15 games, so he was going to be on the Brewers’ roster regardless. But Chourio’s injury opened up a clear path for him to get more playing time, and he took advantage. 

OF Ramón Laureano, San Diego Padres 

Another former Guardian who found success after leaving Cleveland, Laureano played well for the lowly Orioles last year before being traded to the Padres at the deadline. 

He played so well in San Diego that the Padres exercised his $6.5 million team option for 2026, and he got off to a solid start on Thursday with a solo home run against the Tigers. 

The Guardians designated Laureano for assignment midway through 2024 after his struggles became too much to ignore, but he’s done a good job building a solid career out since. 

The bad news for him is that his home run came in a loss, as the Padres lost 8-2 to the Tigers in  a game that was dominated by Detroit rookie Kevin McGonigle. 

Still, Laureano’s 423-foot home run was a great sign when it comes to the rest of his 2026 season. 

SS Francisco Lindor, Mets 

It’s hard to believe, but this will be Lindor’s sixth season with the Mets, which equals the number of seasons he spent in Cleveland. 

And he kicked that season off with a productive day at the top of New York’s lineup, as he worked three walks and came around to score on all of them in the Mets’ 11-7 drubbing of the Pirates. 

While the Mets didn’t give Lindor $341 million for him to go 0-for-2, he’s the perfect table-setter for a dangerous Mets lineup that chased Paul Skenes in the first inning.

Lindor’s earned MVP votes in each of the past four seasons and is coming off his first All-Star season with the Mets. Simply put, he’s one of the best position players in the National League. 

He should be a catalyst at the top of the Mets’ lineup all season.