5 Cleveland Guardians who have excelled at the plate in Spring Training

The Cleveland Guardians are moving right along in Spring Training, and the regular season will be here in no time. There has been plenty of discussion regarding some of the Guardians players, particularly how the organization is going to handle the situations involving their young promising prospects at obvious positions of need. While plenty can be said about some of these young internal options and the organization's outright refusal to incorporate them as part of the major league roster, that is not what is being tackled here. Instead, this is a highlight of some of the better performances at the plate during their time in Arizona so far.

Much like the previously published ist featuring 6 Guardians hitters that are not helping themselves in Spring Training, players who could or possibly be in play for a meaningful role with the Guardians this season will be identified. Interestingly enough, there is one entry who has turned around his performance enough that he will be mentioned on both lists, with the latter being a positive sign of improvement for him and how the Cleveland Guardians coaching staff and front office plan to put together their roster for the upcoming 2024 season. 

1. Chase DeLauter

How could this list not start off with Chase DeLauter? The 22-year-old has been tearing the cover off the baseball this spring, tied for a team-high 13 hits with Josh Naylor and leading the team with four home runs. Slashing a ludicrous .520/.600/.1.040 with an OPS of 1.640, DeLauter has stood out among not only the prospects in Arizona but the expected major league regulars. This shows just how special of a talent he is and what can be expected of him once he does get the call to the majors.

Let's focus on that last part - once the organization calls him up to the majors. The expectation is that the Guardians plan to keep DeLauter in the minors to get somewhere in the range of 200-250 at-bats. While it is understandable that the organization wants to ensure that he develops and progresses properly, in addition to getting playing time on a daily basis. However, the playing time issue could have been taken care of if they were willing to give DeLauter a genuine chance at making the Opening Day roster over someone such as Estevan Florial, someone who has not taken advantage of the opportunity given to him this spring. Anyway, DeLauter will be in Cleveland eventually. Let's just hope that the Guardians are still in the thick of the division race at that point.

2. Kyle Manzardo

Another interesting player who should be with the major league team sooner rather than later and who has been impressive this spring is Kyle Manzardo.

Taking part in his first Spring Training with the Cleveland Guardians organization, Manzardo has been one of the better hitters in Arizona. Collecting eight hits in 21 at-bats, two of which were doubles. There is a lot to be encouraged about from Manzardo's performance this spring, as it appears the Guardians have someone who can come in and contribute right from the jump. The problem is that it is going to take some time for that to happen, as Manzardo has been assigned to minor league camp.

Being moved from major to minor league camp is not all that surprising, considering that Manzardo struck out seven times in 23 plate appearances. A 30% strikeout rate is hardly ideal and definitely something that is going to need to be improved upon moving forward. But there is a reason why Cleveland acquired Manzardo from Tampa Bay last year, and it is not because he is someone who is multiple years away. It is due to the belief he can be a contributor in the near future. Some improvement in the strikeout department, and Manzardo will be up in the majors, sharing time with Josh Naylor at first base and designated hitter in no time.

3. Angel Martinez

This was a performance that no one saw coming, and if you say you did, well, you're lying.

Angel Martinez seemingly came out of nowhere to put together one of the better performances at the plate this spring. Martinez has 11 hits in 26 at-bats with two doubles, two home runs, and one triple. With 21 total bases, Martinez ranks second in that category behind Cleveland Guardians' spring leader Chase DeLauter (26).

Even though Martinez is still behind a couple of others in the pecking order for the starting shortstop gig, it may not be too long before he gets his chance in the majors. The Guardians just have to exhaust a few other options first in Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio. Those two will be given more than enough time for the organization to get as much information on them as possible before exploring other options.

In the meantime, Martinez will be awaiting his turn and putting together a lengthier resume in the minors in an effort to prove that he is more than worthy of being considered for playing time with the Guardians. All it takes is a little bit of success combined with a lack thereof from someone else in the majors, and Martinez gets his shot.

5. Brayan Rocchio

As it was alluded to at the beginning of this list, Brayan Rocchio is the one player who initially appeared on the 6 Guardians hitters that are not helping themselves in Spring Training that has now turned things around.

Once a dreadful 2-20 at the plate, Rocchio now has 10 hits in 37 at-bats, quite an impressive turnaround for someone who looked like they were actively taking themselves out of the running for the starting shortstop job with the major league club. The main difference between Rocchio and the others appearing on the underperforming list is that Rocchio limited his strikeouts, while others were accumulating them at alarming rates. Rocchio has still not recorded an additional strikeout since then and has managed to tally five extra base hits along the way, one of which being of the home run variety.

It is still down to Rochio and Gabriel Arias to battle it out for that spot to start the season, and with his recent uptick in play, Rocchio appears to be fully in the driver's seat while Arias continues to struggle during Spring Training. A timeshare of sorts could still be in order as the Guardians could utilize what is expected to be a vacant designated hitter spot that can be used to give players days off in the field while still keeping their bats in the lineup. Being deployed in a utility role is not ideal for either player, but it could be a way for the organization to gather more information before definitely deciding which player is going to be an everyday starter.