Harsh reality of Cleveland Guardians right field situation emphasized in recent ranking

Like every Major League Baseball team, the Cleveland Guardians have a group of players they can rely upon and a group that leaves something to be desired. The former group consists of key players in their lineup, while the other is comprised of placeholders and replacement level players. Unfortunately for the Guardians, the options available to them in right field fall into the second group.

Cleveland is expected to deploy a combination of Will Brennan and Jhonkensy Noel in right field this season. Ideally, Brennan's overall average bat can pair well with Noel's power potential, providing the Guardians a more than serviceable platoon in right. The only problem is that there are more than a few obstacles they need to clear in order to get to that point, and that is reflected in a recent ranking of major league right fielders.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter put together Ranking Every MLB Team's Starting Right Fielder for the 2025 Season, and Cleveland's outfield duo was not viewed highly. In fact, Reuter views the Guardians' right field situation was ranked as the worst in Major League Baseball. Being ranked low should come as no surprise, but to be dead last is pretty eye-opening. This should serve as a warning sign to those who could not or would not recognize that the Guardians do indeed have a problem here.

Cleveland's entry on this list is not as simple as it seems. Reuter points out that someone besides Brennan and Noel could have been in the mix if not for his latest injury, "The Guardians would love to pass the starting right field job on to top prospect Chase DeLauter at some point in 2025, but he has yet to prove he can stay healthy for any extended period of time.". While DeLauter is yet to make his MLB Debut, he could be the well-rounded everyday right fielder the Guardians could be looking for once he gets his chance. Until DeLauter proves himself worthy of that title or someone else comes along, Cleveland will most likely continue to cycle through players in right field.