Three Guardians hitters who have to step up after frustrating 2025 season

The Cleveland Guardians' 2025 campaign highlighted a critical imbalance on the team's roster, as they had a stellar pitching staff that held its own throughout the season paired next to a barely-adequate offense that consistently undermined the team’s ability to win.

While there are plenty of hitters on the roster who will need to step up if the Guardians want to make a deep run into October in 2026, these three young hitters stand out as the top options who need to take the next step.

The Guardians are going to need more from Kyle Manzardo, Gabriel Arias and Chase DeLauter in 2026

Kyle Manzardo

Although Manzardo hit 27 home runs last season, he needs to refine his approach at the plate. His approach is similar to that of Gabriel Arias in that he struggles with a high strikeout total and a low walk total. That said, his lack of discipline hurts a little bit less since he provides so much pop at first base.

If Manzardo can push his walk rate up and maintain that power, he can become the consistent 30+ homer threat at first base the organization has long envisioned while providing indispensable thump in the middle of the order. Manzardo's already shown he has the power needed to thrive in MLB; it's just up to him to get better in the other facets of the game.

Gabriel Arias

Arias' place on the Guardians' roster (and in the team's future in general) all hinges on his offensive development. While he's stellar in the field and has a ton of defensive versatility, he hit just .200 last year with 162 strikeouts and only 27 walks.

That production profile makes it seem like his future is as a utility infielder rather than an everyday starter. Arias’s path to being an integral part of a deep playoff run is clear; he needs to cut down on the excessive swing-and-miss and focus on driving the ball to the gaps. If he's able to do that, then he'll be able to become a true everyday weapon at the bottom of the lineup.

Chase DeLauter

Lastly we have DeLauter, who represents the best hope for an immediate and significant offensive injection. Although his MLB career currently consists of just two postseason games, he's slated to be a big part of the outfield in 2026 and hopefully be a solution to the franchises long-running struggles in the outfield.

DeLauter’s scouting report is exceptional, as he has an outstanding combination of size, power, and plate discipline that allows for him to consistently make hard contact without chasing outside the strike zone.

If the Guardians want to make some noise in October then DeLauter will need to stay healthy and show off the kind of power that helped him climb through the minors. If he's able to do that, then he could single-handedly reshape Cleveland's struggling offense.