5 Guardians players who are holding the team back in 2026 with no end in sight

Although the Cleveland Guardians have had plenty of things go right for them so far in the 2026 season, they’ve arguably had just as many things go wrong. 

Those limitations have been on clear display this week, as they dropped the first two games to the Chicago White Sox and fell to second place in the American League Central. 

Luckily for the Guardians, there are some clear avenues for how they can upgrade their roster for the second half of the season. 

With that in mind, here are five underwhelming Guardians who have been holding the team back.  

These are the Guardians players who have kept them from running away with the AL Central this season

Gabriel Arias 

Arias made his return to the Guardians’ active roster last week when José Ramírez went on the injured list. It hasn’t gone well. 

He entered play today having gone 4-for-22 in the six games he’s played in since making his return, and just had a five strikeout game that also put him in Stephen Vogt’s doghouse thanks to his lack of hustle running to first base. 

Although Arias has always had all the tools needed to succeed in MLB, he’s never been able to put it all together, and this year has been no exception. 

Part of the reason why Arias has played so much since returning from the IL is because the Guardians don’t really have another replacement for Ramírez outside of the struggling Daniel Schnemann, but it’s getting to a point where it’s time for Cleveland to seriously consider another option for the hot corner. 

Stuart Fairchild 

Last night Fairchild stepped up to the plate in the eighth inning with a chance to turn the game around for the trailing Guardians. But, instead of racking up his first signature Guardians moment, Fairchild saw six pitches from White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb before striking out on a fastball down the middle. 

That kind of at-bat has become the norm in Fairchild’s at-bats, as he’s gone 3-for-19 in his time with Cleveland with 14 strikeouts and seven walks. His patience and eye have been great, but his swings have left a lot to be desired. 

Fairchild was added to Cleveland’s roster when Steven Kwan went on the bereavement list, and he’s been able to stick around since thanks to the Guardians’ bevy of injuries. 

Although Fairchild’s time on the roster is likely nearing its end soon (so long as there are no more injuries), his struggles since being added to Cleveland’s roster haven’t gone unnoticed. 

Rhys Hoskins 

The Guardians’ partnership with Hoskins seemed like a match made in heaven given he could provide them with some much-needed right-handed thump while the Guardians would be able to provide him with an avenue to rehabilitate his image. 

But it’s been a bit of a nightmare so far. 

While Hoskins has been able to help with the Guardians with his unrivaled plate discipline (97th percentile in walk rate), he hasn’t done much of anything else. 

Not only has that thump not been there (only 39.7% of the balls he’s put in play have registered as hard-hit), but he’s also striking out in 29.8% of his plate appearances. His expected batting average of .168 is one of the worst marks in baseball. 

Jeff Passan already floated Hoskins’ name as a potential trade candidate for the Guardians’ but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him placed on waivers if this keeps up. 

Tim Herrin 

After starting the year strong, Herrin has posted a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings since May 12 and has become a clear liability in the middle of Cleveland’s bullpen. 

And even though Erik Sabrowski’s return means that there’s less pressure on Herrin’s shoulders, any outing from him is pretty much guaranteed to put a knot in your stomach. 

Herrin’s likely to stay on the roster no matter what because of the Guardians’ lack of left-handed options, but it’s hard to imagine the Guardians being a true contender so long as Herrin and the bullpen continues to struggle. 

Steven Kwan 

While Kwan’s been a bit better since the Guardians moved him out of the leadoff spot, his struggles have still held down Cleveland’s lineup this year. 

Kwan entered play today with a .206/.320/.255 slashline in 72 games, which has been good for the fifth-worst wRC+ (70) in baseball. 

He’s posted a .340 on-base percentage in 30 games since being moved out of the leadoff spot, but the Guardians’ lineup was built with the assumption that’s he be peppering hits all over the field at the top of the lineup as opposed to being a bit of a black hole in the middle of it. 

Kwan needs to turn things around, otherwise he’s in danger of being non-tendered at the end of the season. 

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