6 Guardians hitters that are not helping themselves in Spring Training

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.