6 Guardians hitters that are not helping themselves in Spring Training

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A delicate approach when evaluating the performance of players in Spring Training. It can be entirely too easy to get wrapped up in a performance that is clearly unsustainable and a product of the environment in Arizona. Additionally, it is just as easy to place too much weight on underperformance during a small sample of games.

There are times when those handful of games taking place in Arizona are more meaningful than they otherwise would. Those would be for players who are on the roster bubble for one reason or another. Players who are in the mix to possibly be a starter on the Major League roster that are currently battling it out with a few others for the position and those who are looking for a fresh start as part of a new organization. Currently, the Cleveland Guardians feature both types of players who are struggling to produce much of anything at the plate in Arizona, and that could result in not being part of the roster plans of the Cleveland Guardians for this season.

It is absolutely important to analyze these situations carefully and understand the context of some over and underperformances, as some may be an anomlay while others are a continuation of previous struggles.

(Note: statistics used are entering play Tuesday, March 12th, 2024)

1. Estevan Florial

It was a chance for a fresh start, with Estevan Florial agreeing to a deal with the Cleveland Guardians. Florial had very few opportunities at the major league level during his time in the New York Yankees organization due to an established outfield mix, and the opportunities he did get were nothing to write home about. It made perfect sense for the Guardians to take a chance on someone who hit 28 home runs and 23 doubles in 101 games for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last season. The problem is that his time in Arizona has not yielded the desired results.

Florial has registered just three hits in 23 at-bats, all singles. Meanwhile, Florial's 10 strikeouts are the second-most on the team and four more than the next player on the list. It is the combination of zero extra-base hits in an extra-base hit-friendly environment combined with his high strikeout frequency, which is concerning. Florial is someone who has always been and will continue to be someone who strikes out a ton, and his 288 strikeouts in his last 202 minor leagues across two seasons are a perfect example of exactly that. Strikeouts can be tolerated as long as a certain amount of power comes with it, but when it doesn't, that is when it is best to to look elsewhere, and that time may be coming very soon.

2. Deyvison De Los Santos

The presence of Deyvison De Los Santos has always seemed a bit odd. A Rule 5 pick by the Cleveland Guardians, De Los Santos has never played about Double-A, and what he has done at that level was not really all that impressive. De Los Santos has .253/.300/.426 slash line with 21 home runs, 18 doubles, and 134 strikeouts in 123 games over two seasons. While the 20 home runs in Double-A last season are noteworthy, the Guardians decided that this was someone that they absolutely had to have in their organization for some reason despite the lack of a lengthy successful track record.

And that brings us to how De Los Santos is performing out in Arizona. De Los Santos has seven hits in 28 at-bats, with his lone extra-base hit (a home run) coming on Monday. While being able to put bat to ball and register any type of hit is encouraging for someone who is just 20 years old, this is a team that needs power in the worst way possible, and this is where a problem arises. Under normal circumstances, a team could just option someone like De Los Santos, allowing him to get more experience in the minors.

The issue is that since De Los Santos is a Rule 5 pick, he must remain on the active roster for the entire season if they wish to keep him in the organization. This puts the Guardians in a tough position. They cannot afford to have De Los Santos occupy a roster spot when he does not appear anywhere close to being ready, and they need offense. They also cannot let him sit and rot on the bench without getting regular at-bats.

Perhaps a different time, place, and circumstances could result in something different, but it is hard to justify De Los Santos making the big league club at this current moment.

3. Gabriel Arias

One of the two frontfunners for the Guardians' starting shortstop gig, Gabriel Arias, has not done much of anything to separate himself from the rest of the pack this spring.

Arias has three hits in 17 at-bats, one of which was of the two-base variety. The fact that Arias has been able to collect an extra-base hit is an improvement over the previous two entries on this list, but not as much as anyone would prefer.

The issue with Arias is that he is someone that the Guardians were going to need to see some improvement at the plate this spring, and that simply has not happened. Arias is currently striking out 31.6% of the time in Arizona, a number that is a slight tick below his rate of 32.8% in 122 games with the Guardians last season.

Striking out a lot is something that is always going to be in Arias' hitting profile. But again, there is a certain minimum offensive requirement for someone who carries a high strikeout rate that Arias falls well short of. This is not to say that Arias will not be in the mix to be Cleveland's starting shortstop, but it may be best for the organization should take a long look at anyone else who plays the position that is not currently an offensive black hole.

4. Johnathan Rodriguez

Another outfield option who seemed like a longshot to make the major league roster, Johnathan Rodriguez, has not been all that impressive in Spring Training.

Rodriguez has failed to tap into his power potential in Arizona, with all four of his hits being singles. This is in addition to striking out in six of his 23 plate appearances for a strikeout rate of 26.1%, which is just below strikeout frequency at Double-A (26.7%) and notably less than his 32.7% at Triple-A last season. Seeing the number at a better rate than his 47-game stint with the Columbus Clippers is encouraging, but it still needs improvement.

Admittedly, the importance of Rodriguez during Spring Training carries significantly less importance than the other names that appear on this list. This would be due to the Guardians' outfield being very full at the moment, making it pretty much impossible for Rodriguez to occupy a spot on the major league roster. Even though there are a couple of uninspiring options among them, none of them are getting bumped for someone like Rodriguez at the current moment.

Barring something unforeseen happening to two or more of Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan, or Ramon Laureano, there is not a path to meaningful playing time in Cleveland for Rodriguez at this time.

5. Jhonkensy Noel

Once a promising up-and-comer in the Cleveland Guardians system, Jhonkensy Noel has stalled out and has since been blocked from getting a chance to break into the majors. This was why it was so important for Noel to have a strong spring, and so far, he hasn't.

Noel has a team-high 11 strikeouts in 23 at-bats while failing to record a walk so far this spring. The other players appearing on this list have at least recorded a couple of walks. The only thing that is preventing Noel's spring from being a complete disaster is the fact he has more hits than anyone else on this list, and more importantly, they are going for extra bases.

The 22-year-old has recorded five hits in 10 games, three of which have been doubles. Noel successfully registering hits while a few others have struggled mightily to do so is something that can be considered a good sign. Even though Noel's average is barely .200 and there is a near 50% strikeout rate, he is doing something that others making appearances here have not been able to.

Unfortunately for Noel, he is stuck in a similar situation as pretty much every outfielder who is not currently on the major league roster currently. Even if Noel were to cut his strikeout rate to an acceptable level and start launching long balls Home Run Derby style, he is still going to be stuck in the minors to start the season.

6. Brayan Rocchio

The other presumed front-runner for the Guardians' starting shortstop position, Brayan Rocchio, has not done much of anything to take that job as his.

Rocchio has gone just 2-20 at the plate during Spring Training. While Rocchio does not strike out at the rate as some of the other players taking part in games in Arizona (two strikeouts in 21 plate appearances), there still has been enough seen at the plate for anyone to feel remotely comfortable.

Going off his track record in the minors, the 22-year-old switch-hitting infielder seems to be more in line with the recent version of the Cleveland Guardians offense rather than the high-strikeout all-or-nothing power bats that appear in this list. While the general lack of strikeouts is definitely something that can be pointed to as a positive, the lack of hits so far is a bit concerning.

If Rocchio is somehow going to win the starting shortstop job to begin the season, he needs to start hitting, end of story. Right now, the Guardians have their two frontrunners being complete non-factors at the plate, and that is a massive problem. Of the two, Rocchio seems to have a hitting profile that can be a consistent bat in the lineup. It is now up to him to prove it.