The article on Jones tried hard to put a positive spin on his efforts, but I'm afraid it's not convincing to anyone, including Fink and Vogt and really most importantly Jones himself who leads the team and perhaps the league in selfdoubt.

"The once top-hitter in the league is in the same conversation with a young, inexperienced prospect and a player who hasn't been able to stay healthy over the past year.

"

Jones was never "the top hitter in the league". He was in 2023 a very successful hitter and promised much more.

Angel Martínez is not asking for a Guardians outfield spot, he’s taking one

Published: Mar. 13, 2026, 11:29 a.m

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — There’s a moment every spring when a player stops being a question mark and starts being an answer. For the Guardians in 2026, that moment belongs to Angel Martínez — and it’s happening in real time, in full view of everyone in the Cactus League.

On the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes dissected the outfield competition taking shape in Arizona, and the conversation kept returning to the same name. Martínez. His numbers are legitimately hard to process: through 27 plate appearances, he’s hitting .417 with a 1.398 OPS, and the extra-base hits have been a constant fixture of every game report. But it’s not just what he’s doing at the plate — it’s the way it’s reshaping the Guardians’ entire outfield picture heading into opening day.

Noga didn’t dance around it on the podcast. He delivered the kind of blunt, declarative take that cuts straight through spring training noise:

“Angel Martínez is making a case right now and he’s saying, ‘I’m going to have one of those outfield spots and there’s nothing you could do about it,’” Noga said.

That’s the whole story in one sentence. When a player’s performance crosses from impressive into undeniable, the conversation shifts. It’s no longer about whether Martínez can be in this lineup — it’s about how everyone else fits around him. That’s a remarkable place for a player to be in March.

The most telling detail from Thursday’s game wasn’t Martínez’s double. It was where the Guardians put him on the field — and Hoynes made sure to highlight what that means.

“I thought it was really kind of significant,” Hoynes said. “Before the game, Stephen Vogt talked about Martínez getting tested in left and right field field. They ran him out there in left field last night and Steven Kwan was back in center field. That looks more and more like a permanent move.”

Vogt is explicitly testing Martínez in corner positions. Steven Kwan is back in center field. That’s not a spring training experiment floating in the air — that’s an opening day alignment quietly taking form in the desert. The Guardians say they’re still flexible, but the evidence is stacking up fast.

Noga reinforced that read, pointing out that recent lineups are starting to feel less like roster exploration and more like genuine previews

“Yesterday’s lineup was a lot more representative of maybe what we might see come opening day,” Noga said.

Here’s where the conversation gets especially rich. Martínez’s emergence isn’t just a simple good-news story — it creates a genuinely complex puzzle for Vogt to solve. Noga raised a key nuance: Martínez is a switch-hitter, but he’s not equally effective from both sides of the plate. His right-handed bat is the stronger weapon, which opens the door to a platoon scenario.

If George Valera — who Hoynes noted is now able to move freely after his surgically repaired knee — earns a spot on the roster, he could handle left field against right-handed starters while Martínez sits, preserving his impact for matchups where he’s at his best. Then there’s Chase DeLauter in right field, continuing to come out of games healthy and building his own case.

Three legitimate corner outfield candidates. One centerfielder in Kwan. A manager with decisions to make. This is what a team with real depth looks like in March — and Angel Martínez created this whole puzzle just by refusing to cool off.

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Slade Cecconi is pitching like a true No. 3 starter — and the Guardians’ rotation race is about to get very interesting

Published: Mar. 13, 2026, 11:31 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sixteen strikeouts. A 1-0 shutout. Done in 2 hours and 12 minutes. That’s not what you expect from a March night in the Arizona desert — but it’s exactly what the Cleveland Guardians delivered against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, and on the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes broke down what it all could mean for the 2026 season.

The short answer? It means a lot.

The performance of the evening belonged to starter Slade Cecconi, who kept building on one of the most quietly impressive spring training runs in the Cactus League. The stats through four outings speak for themselves, and Hoynes made sure to spotlight them on the podcast:

“Cecconi looked great,” Hoynes said. “He continued a really strong spring. He leads the team in strikeouts and innings pitched.”

That’s the profile of a legitimate No. 3 starter. With Tanner Bieber and Gavin Williams anchoring the top of the rotation, Noga made the case on the podcast that knowing what you’re getting from Cecconi every fifth day could be the difference-maker for this club. He was up to 67 pitches Thursday night — right on track for the 90-to-100-pitch target starters need to hit before breaking camp.

Guardians pitchers make quick work of Brewers, piling up 16 strikeouts in 1-0 spring training win

And the story didn’t end with Cecconi. The bullpen stepped in and kept the foot on the gas. Cade Smith needed just seven pitches to work through the fifth inning. Eric Sabrowski issued a walk but then struck out the side. Will Dion picked up his second save of the spring. When all was said and done, Guardians pitchers had combined for 16 strikeouts.

That’s not a fluke.

What made the conversation on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast so compelling wasn’t just Thursday’s numbers — it was the bigger picture Hoynes painted around them. This isn’t a one-game story. It’s a streak:

“The last 8-10 starts they’ve all been like this no matter who’s been pitching,” Hoynes said. “Even Williams pitched on Wednesday’s off day in a minor league game, went five innings through 70 pitches. It reminds you of how this rotation pitched in September when they got on that roll with the six man rotation. They just of handed the baton off to the next guy and they were carbon copy starts of one another.”

Carbon copy starts. Baton handed off. That’s a phrase that should excite every Guardians fan, because anyone who watched this team down the stretch last year knows exactly what that rotation looks like when it locks in. The Guardians were borderline unhittable in September — and right now, that same kind of momentum is quietly building in Arizona.

As if the pitching wasn’t compelling enough on its own, the rotation competition adds another layer of intrigue. Logan Allen is back from the World Baseball Classic and rejoining the mix. Parker Messick threw four scoreless innings in his last outing. Multiple arms are making strong cases for a five-man rotation that only has so many openings.

As Hoynes noted on the podcast, “this competition to see who makes a five man rotation is probably going to go right down to the end of camp.” That’s the kind of depth problem every contender wants. When pitchers are throwing this well and still fighting for roster spots, the whole staff rises.

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Carl Willis Sends Strong Message About Guardians

March 13, 2026

By Mike Battaglino

Carl Willis just can’t seem to stay away from the Cleveland Guardians. The longtime pitching coach not only found his way back to the organization but also continues to put off retirement to remain with the team.

The 65-year-old is back for his 16th with the Guardians, and his ninth straight during this second stint. He was previously with Cleveland from 2003 to 2009 under manager Eric Wedge, returned in 2018 under manager Terry Francona, and is embarking on his third year under manager Stephen Vogt.

Speaking at spring training, Willis sent a strong message about the Guardians and what the organization means to him.

“I want to talk about the players,” Willis said. “All I’ll say is this: I love this organization. I love the game.”


A former major league relief pitcher for nine seasons, he won the World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1991. He also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers in a career spanning 1984 through 1995.

He joined the Cleveland organization as a minor league pitching coach in 1997 and worked his way up to the major league staff. In his time away from Cleveland, Willis spent time with the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.

He has been the pitching coach for five AL Cy Young Award winners, a list that includes CC Sabathia in 2007, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Shane Bieber in 2020 for Cleveland; Felix Hernandez in 2010 for Seattle; and Rick Porcello in 2016 for Boston.

However, one of his best coaching jobs may have come last season, when he retooled a pitching staff without Bieber, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and which eventually lost Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz to an MLB gambling investigation. Gavin Williams transformed from a sub-.500 starter to a potential Cy Young Award winner himself, and Cade Smith took over and became one of the top closers in the game.

In addition, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, and Parker Messick all improved to levels that have each of them competing for spots in this year’s starting rotation.

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Why the Guardians' First Three Series Could Shape the Rest of The 2026 Season

The Guardians begin the campaign with three tough series' against the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs

Cade Cracas

Mar 12, 2026

There won't be much wiggle room for the Cleveland Guardians to begin the 2026 MLB season.

They'll be thrown directly into one of the tougher opening stretches in baseball, facing three playoff-calibre teams in the first three series.


How the Guardians perform during that stretch will play a significant role in how the team's confidence moves into the rest of the campaign.

On Thursday, March 26, Cleveland will kickstart the new season with a four-game road series against the Seattle Mariners, before traveling south down the West Coast to face the two-time defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for three games.

Fortunately, they'll then return to The Land for the home opener against the Chicago Cubs, slated for Friday, April 3, with first-pitch set for 4:10 p.m. EST.

Right away, that's a big challenge for the Guardians to attempt to overcome.

If the Guardians can come away with even five to six wins over the first 10 games of the season, it'll be a major success. Each of these teams is going to show just how competitive the Guardians are going to be able to be in 2026.

Season Opener Against Seattle

The Mariners have slowly but surely become more consistent over the past couple of campaigns. Back in 2025, they finished 90-72, marking the fifth straight year with 85 wins or more.

While they lost in the ALCS, they're still a team to beat in 2026.

They return a core group of stars in catcher Cal Raleigh, outfielder Julio Rodriguez and outfielder Randy Arozarena. Those three combined for nearly 500 hits, 87 doubles, 119 home runs and 296 RBI last season.

On the mound, they'll also still have their top three starting arms in ERA, WHIP and WAR from 2026.

Cleveland's young roster is going to be tested quickly, and it won't get any easier just a series later.

Onto the Defending Champs

Well, it's hard to say this team got worse.

If anything, they got a lot better.

The front office of the Dodgers was able to lock down three key players: right-handed pitcher Edwin Díaz, outfielder Kyle Tucker and infielder Miguel Rojas.

Díaz was the top arm on the market, posting a 1.63 ERA and 0.874 WHIP across 62 games last season. Rojas announced 2026 will be the final campaign in his MLB journey, signing a one-year deal with the defending champs. He will likely serve a bench role again with the club.

Tucker, on the other hand, is another big pickup for the offense. His four-straight All-Star honors and career slashing line of .273/.358/.507 shows just how good he really is.

The Dodgers did lose right-hander Kirby Yates, but his subtraction from the roster should have very little of an impact.

After all, the Los Angeles Dodgers still boast a star-studded roster that has surpassed 100 wins in three of the last five seasons, with the other two campaigns still resulting in World Series championships.

Cleveland should be ready for the pitching of Los Angeles, which is something that could immediately rattle the young and somewhat inexperienced bats.

A Surging Young Team

Returning to Progressive Field after an incredibly tough start to the year on the West Coast will be a nice breath of fresh air for the Guardians.

However, the Cubs are certainly capable of making noise in the National League and will be no pushover, especially early in the year.

After going 92-70 last season, they got a bit better in the offseason, adding first baseman Alex Bregman and righty Edward Cabrera.

Bregman's known for finding success, having won two World Series titles, all while also snagging individual fielding and batting awards.

While they did lose Tucker, who's with the Dodgers now, the roster is still very well-rounded. Youngster Pete Crow-Armstrong will be the team's X-Factor, and after looking incredible in the World Baseball Classic, he'll likely begin the MLB season with plenty of confidence and momentum.

It's tough to see these three teams that Cleveland will face add so many valuable players to either the plate or the mound, while the Guardians themselves stayed very quiet during the offseason.

The only hope is that the 2025 "Guards Ball" mentality can roll into the upcoming campaign and help guide them to some early-season magical wins.

The Guardians will no doubt learn an awful lot about themselves during those first few series of the 2026 campaign.

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Why George Valera Should Make the Opening Day Roster for the Cleveland Guardians

Valera slashed .220/.333/.415 for an OPS of .748 in his limited time in the major leagues last season.

Cade Cracas

2 hours ago

The Cleveland Guardians have a couple of tough decisions to make over the coming weeks.

As the 2026 MLB regular season slowly approaches, the major league roster will have to continue being cut down to meet the required mark of 26 for Opening Day. While many roster spots seemed to be locked down already, primarily due to past experience or really strong spring trainings, the outfield has been highly contested.

Countless players deserve a shot in the big leagues, but one player who's routinely impressed in his limited opportunities is outfielder George Valera.

The former top minor league prospect has had an excellent spring, slashing .292/.333/.500 for a .833 OPS in 24 at-bats. He's knocked seven hits, two doubles and a home run for four RBI, all while also drawing a respectable two walks.

This isn't something new for Valera. He's always been one of the top talents in the Guardians' organization, but he's fallen to the wayside numerous times.

Now, it seems inevitable that he'll earn a call-up to be a staple in Cleveland's outfield for the 2026 campaign.

His Strong Finish to 2025

After working his way through the system, he spent most of 2025 getting healthy, before playing in nearly 30 games with Triple-A Columbus. He flashed speed and power, hitting six doubles, two triples and three home runs.

That was enough for the front office to say "why not" and give him a late-season call-up.

And it paid off.

Valera slashed .220/.333/.415 for an OPS of .748 in his limited time in the major leagues last season. In total, he played just 16 games. One of the best parts is that his power translated with four extra-base hits, while his eye didn't waver. He only struck out 13 times to seven walks, a mark that isn't too shabby for a player finally getting his shot at the highest level of the game.

He also looked solid in the field, playing 32 games in right field with a perfect fielding percentage. He recorded five putouts in five chances.

With how rough the Guardians outfield looked in 2025, it seemed that Valera was providing a bit of fresh play and youthful spark.

His Competition for an Opening Day Spot

There aren't many left in spring training competing against Valera.

Prospect outfielder Kahlil Watson was recently optioned to the Columbus Clippers. He was putting up stellar numbers in spring training, but the Guardians' front office seemingly believes he needs a bit more time to develop and build consistency.

Out of the rest of the outfielders remaining, Steven Kwan and Angel Martinez seem to be the only two locks. They've been staples in the big leagues, with Martinez being the team's No. 1 center fielder last season. He's likely to get the nod for Opening Day, mainly due to familiarity.

If they are both set, the remaining starting spot and two bench spots are left to Valera, veteran Nolan Jones and prospects Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin and CJ Kayfus.

Jones, who's had a really rough spring with just three hits, seems to be the odd man out. He's routinely struggled to find consistency since joining the organization prior to the 2025 campaign, making him one of the first options for release.

After him, it comes down to health for DeLauter, and which one of Halpin and Kayfus has the biggest immediate impact on the major league roster. DeLauter is excellent when healthy, mashing three extra-base hits, while Halpin's speed and pinch-running abilities make him valuable. Kayfus has been somewhat thrown to the side, mainly due to the signing of Rhys Hoskins, who will likely back up Kyle Manzardo at first base.

The 25-year-old Valera is far and away a better player than each of them at this point in time.

With one option remaining, if he struggles to begin the campaign, he could be dropped down to the minors to find his rhythm. But at least for now, he looks like he'll be reliable.

There also aren't many players like Valera who've dedicated themselves to grinding through one single team's minor league system, making it increasingly valuable that he's so familiar with the organization.

He deserves a shot to anchor right field for the big league roster, or even left field if Kwan moves to center, as the Guardians look to lean into its youth for the 2026 campaign.

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Magnus Ellert



Spring Training Standouts for the Guardians

Evaluating the stars of February and March

by Quincy Wheeler

Mar 13, 2026, 10:48 AM CDT

The Guardians have some players who are doing well in Spring Training, so let’s talk about that.

The usual caveat applies here that in-game performance in Spring Training is a dangerous game. You never know exactly what is meaningful, what is not meaningful, and what is somewhere in between. With that said, here are some players catching my eye this Spring:

Pitchers:

Slade Cecconi - 3.15 FIP, 9.95/2.13 K/BB/9 - Cecconi has come into camp looking a lot more confident in his new, Guardians-inspired pitching repertoire/pitch shapes than he did last year, and seems primed for improvements across the board.

Cade Smith - 0.96 FIP, 12/0 K/BB/9 - Despite missing the first part of camp with neck soreness, Smith looks absolutely locked in as the team’s established closer for 2026.

Magnus Ellerts - 0.63 FIP, 13.5/0 K/BB/9 - Folks, if Ellerts has corrected at least some of his walk issues he will be in the major league bullpen sooner rather than later because he has electric stuff and can hit 100 mph. He has the highest perceived velocity in Guardians’ camp this spring at 95.9 mph.

Daniel Espino - 0.65 FIP, 13.5/0 K/BB/9 - Ah, if he can only stay healthy… he looked special as always.

Jack Jasiak - 0.20 FIP, 15.43/0 K/BB/9 - Jasiak has been eating hitters alive with his sweeper. Can that continue? I guess we will see.

Peyton Pallette - 0.96 FIP, 21/6 K/BB/9 - Pallette has popped with some great velocity and pitch movement. We’re all rooting for him to make the Opening Day roster and stay with the club.

Erik Sabrowski - 1.38 FIP, 20.25/6.75 K/BB/9 - Sabrowski remains absolutely nasty for no good reason.

Will Dion - 2.05 FIP, 7.11/0 K/BB/9 - With Austin Peterson hurt, it’s important that Dion looks like a potentially viable fifth starter.

Connor Brogdon - 3.05 FIP, 10.29/2.57 K/BB/9 - Brogdon should get a chance to show he belongs with Hunter Gaddis likely building up for the season after experiencing forearm tightness.

Tim Herrin - 3.63 FIP, 10.8/5.40 K/BB/9 - Herrin has been building on some positives late in 2025 to show he belongs back in the bullpen.

Tanner Bibee - 3.15 FIP, 7.82/0 K/BB/9 - Bibee has very obviously been working on throwing strikes and getting his pitch mix right… stop throwing that four-seamer so much, Tanner.

Gavin Williams - 3.38 FIP, 10.13/1.13 K/BB/9 - Williams looks like the Opening Day starter and anchor to the rotation the Guardians need him to be.

Shawn Armstrong - 2.63 FIP, 11.25/4.50 K/BB/9 - Reliable veteran doing reliable veteran things.

Jack Leftwich - 0.90 FIP, 12.270 K/BB/9 - Leftwich is working his way into that long-man role and looking potentially viable there if called upon.

Some underlying numbers also look great for Joey Cantillo and Colin Holderman, they just need to hone in on control and command.

Hitters:

Bo Naylor - 258 wRC+, 16.7/16.7 K/BB% (his OPS in the WBC is a shade below .700, which isn’t great but not bad, either).

Chase DeLauter - 188 wRC+, 5/10 K/BB% - If he’s healthy, the kid just HITS.

George Valera -108 wRC+, 25.9/7.4 K/BB% - This can play vs. RHP.

Petey Halpin - 176 wRC+, 20.8/16.7 K/BB% - No way that Halpin can maintain this walk rate, but if he could cut his strikeouts closer to this and play great defense, he will be an excellent strong-side platoon centerfielder.

Ralphy Velazquez - 155 wRC+, 7.1/7.1 K/BB% - Ralphy definitely opened some eyes this Spring. He is getting steady “First Baseman of the Future” talk, but hopefully will make himself a left-field option.

Kahlil Watson - 213 wRC+, 31.3/12.5 K/BB% - Watson was a camp darling and you can see his approach was “swing the bat” and he made a lot of quality contact… but also had a lot of whiff.

Brayan Rocchio - 144 wRC+, 18.2/12.2 K/BB% - Rocchio has looked quiet, confident and effective at the plate. Him being an above average hitter would be a huge boon to this lineup.

Milan Tolentino - 185 wRC+, 14.3/33.3 K/BB% - Tolentino is not going to be a good major league hitter unless a miracle happens, but he is at least making himself look like he can do a Gabriel Arias approximation if the team FINALLY moves on there.

Jaison Chourio - 144 wRC+, 18.8/0 K/BB% - Good to see Chourio get some solid contact, but he’ll obviously need to take some walks to build back up his prospect status

Angel Martinez - 250 wRC+, 14.8/7.4 K/BB% - Angel has looked more confident in center and his K/BB% is what you want to see, along with - obviously - some good hitting. I think Angel has probably secured the 4th outfielder spot on the Opening Day roster, and good for him.

Juan Brito - 104 wRC+, 29.2/20.8 K/BB% - Just on the edge of missing this list, Brito had a couple terrible games defensively at third base, but has looked fine at second base. Really wish they’d give him a shot at Opening Day there and move Rocchio to short, but it looks like we are getting Arias at short and Rocchio at second for a while. Ah well.

As we’ve said several times, if the Guardians can finish camp mostly healthy, it will be a successful spring training. But, so far, with a couple weeks left, the team has also seen plenty of performances to be encouraged about as far as 2026 is concerned. Which of the names above has you most excited? Let us know in the comments below.

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Guardians Coach Notices Rare Trait In Top Prospect

March 13, 2026

By Mike Battaglino

There is perhaps nothing more enticing in baseball than a prospect who displays raw power at the plate. That is why the Cleveland Guardians and their fans are so excited about Ralphy Velazquez.

Just 20 years old, but standing 6-foot-1 and listed at 240 pounds, his potential is mesmerizing. Ranked as the organization’s No. 4 overall prospect by MLB.com, his big league debut can’t come soon enough.

Velazquez made quite an impression at spring training, batting .385 in nine Cactus League appearances, and hitting coach Grant Fink noticed a rare trait in his game while facing more experienced pitchers.

“When [Ralphy Velazquez] was here, it felt like every time he came to the plate, he was in complete control against some really good arms,” Fink said. “That’s rare to see and we think it’s a good sign for the future.”

Velazquez was selected as a catcher out of high school in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The Guardians quickly moved him from that position to take better advantage of his prowess as a left-handed hitter.

The move has paid off handsomely. Last season, Velazquez led the High-A Midwest League with 17 home runs, and he was promoted to Double-A, where he finished the year with five homers and a .330/.405/.589 slash line in 28 games for Akron.

Now in minor league camp, he is likely to play this season for Triple-A Columbus, and the Guardians will be hoping that he can continue to show that type of development as he moves up the ladder. With Cleveland expecting big things from Kyle Manzardo at first base this season, and with veteran Rhys Hoskins also on hand, there is no need to rush Velazquez to the majors.

But it may also be difficult to keep him in the minors for long, especially if the Guardians get off to a slow start on offense after finishing last season ranked among the worst teams in MLB. Boasting a great deal of young talent, it is hard not to envision a lineup featuring Velazquez, Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana wreaking havoc on pitchers at some point in the not-too-distant future.

That day will come, be it in 2026 or later, and when it does, Velazquez may turn out to be the most electrifying player of them all.

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Guardians Front Office Gives High Praise to Talented 2025 First-Round Draft Pick

Jace LaViolette was selected 25th overall in the 2025 MLB June Amateur Draft out ofTexas A&M University.

Cade Cracas

1 hour ago

When Chase DeLauter joined the Cleveland Guardians out of James Madison University back in 2022, the belief was that he was a generational player.

He has good size, athleticism and speed, all while translating each of those traits into high-level plate at the plate and in the field. It was, and still is, hard to believe there are many that match up to what he offers.

But in the 2025 MLB June Amateur Draft, the Guardians front office found another diamond in the rough whose physical traits surpass those of DeLauter: Jace LaViolette.

To begin 2026, LaViolette has ramped up his involvement within the organization while working hard to showcase why the team selected him so highly.

Guardians assistant general manager James Harris talked about what has made the 22-year-old so impressive.

Have you seen him? No. Oh, you've got to see him," Harris said to members of the media in a recent press conference. "So, big boy, of course, hits the ball hard, was with us most of the camps in the offseason. He, last I checked, was the second fastest person on campus behind Fairchild."

Comparing LaViolette's speed to that of Fairchild's is eye-grabbing. At 6'6", 230 pounds, LaViolette shouldn't be able to move that fast. For comparison, Fairchild is 5'11", 205, marking a stark difference in the two's statures.

"Imagine that big body running that fast, that athletic," Harris continued. "He walked into our one-on-one meeting the other day, and I was like, I got nothing for you, Jace. Let's get you some experience, and because people are going to learn to attack you."

Across three years with Texas A&M, he never hit below a 1.000 OPS, averaging a slashing line of .285/ .432/.651 over the course of that time. He hit 35 doubles, five triples and 68 home runs for over 200 RBI.

He also was a great fielder in college, a characteristic of his game that he heavily values.

“I would first talk about my defense before anything else,” LaViolette said. “I pride myself on any ball that's hit out there, just don't let it touch the grass. That's how I talk about it, and then obviously I like to hit the ball a long way.”

While he's flown under the radar since being drafted, he's going to immediately have a chance to show the Guardian faithful just how good he is in the upcoming campaign.

"I think the reason that you haven't heard a lot about him is that we haven't played very many games," Harris said. "I think we're only in like day four of minor league games, but he's been special since he's been here. And a leader at that."

There are countless outfielders itching for a major league spot heading into 2026, which will draw most of the eyes towards that competition, but just as intriguing is how quickly LaViolette will leap his way through the minor league system.

His path forward is expected to follow that of DeLauter, who took less than three seasons to make his debut in the big leagues.

He'll likely start the campaign in High-A with the Lake County Captains, with the ability to get to Double-A if he impresses by the end of the campaign.

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Angels’ power too much for Guardians in 5-3 spring-training loss

Updated: Mar. 13, 2026, 8:16 p.m.|Published: Mar. 13, 2026, 7:08 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Joey Cantillo and Kolby Allard couldn’t keep the ball inside Diablo Stadium on Friday afternoon, and it cost them in a 5-3 Cactus League loss to the Angels in Tempe, Arizona.

Jorge Soler and Jo Adell each hit two-run homers off lefties Cantillo and Allard in the win. The Guardians spring-training record is 10-10-1, while the Angels are 10-12.

Cantillo, competing for a spot in the rotation, struck out six in 4 2/3 innings, but allowed three runs on three hits. He walked one in 74 pitches.

The game did not start well for Cantillo. He walked Zach Neto to open the first inning. Then he balked Neto to second and watched him steal third. Nolan Schanuel’s single made it 1-0.

Cantillo retired eight straight after the single, but Schanuel opened the fourth with an infield hit and Soler followed with a homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

The Guardians had chances against starter Grayson Rodriguez, who walked four and allowed two hits in 4 2/3 innings, but they couldn’t get a big hit.

They finally made it 3-2 in the sixth. Johnathan Rodriguez, who has had a quiet spring, singled home one run and Dayan Frias doubled home another to make it 3-2.

But the Angels were not done. Allard relieved Cantillo with two out in the fifth. He ended the inning despite walking two straight batters. Soler opened the sixth with a double and Adell followed with a homer to left to make it 5-2.

The Guardians tried to rally in the ninth. Ryan Cesari and Joe Lampe singled to start the inning, but Travis Bazzana, just back from the World Baseball Classic, struck out.

Yaikel Mijares walked to load the bases, but Anthony Martinez and Jaison Chourio struck out to end the game.

Rule 5 right-hander Peyton Pallette continued to make a case for himself by pitching a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout. He has not allowed a run in four appearances this spring, striking out eight in four innings.

The Guardians managed just five hits in the loss.

Next
LHP Logan Allen (0-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (0-0, 9.00) and the Padres on Saturday in Peoria, Ariz. at 4:10 p.m. ET. WTAM/1100 will carry the game.

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Slade Cecconi happy to bring one more pitch under a new roof: Guardians takeaways

Updated: Mar. 13, 2026, 8:38 p.m.|Published: Mar. 13, 2026, 8:05 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If one equates pitching to building a house, Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi has just added a new roof.

Cecconi, who threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts Thursday night in a 1-0 Cactus League win over Milwaukee, did so with the help of his cut fastball. It’s a pitch he threw only 2.7% of the time last year, according to Statcast, but he has embraced it this spring.

“Yeah, we put a new roof on the house,” Cecconi told reporters in Goodyear on Thursday night, referring to the cutter. “I mean it’s great. It’s a pitch I can throw pretty equally to righties and lefties. It’s effective to both sides, which has really helped.”

Cecconi has gone from telling himself he needed to work on the cutter, to making it part of his repertoire.

“I needed to work on this pitch and (I was) leaning on it,” he said. “Now it’s become a pitch that is out-performing everything else I’m throwing. We are no longer working on it. We are saying this is part of the identity now.”

Cecconi throws six pitches: a four-seam fastball, slider, curve, sinker, changeup and cutter. Last year the opposition hit .289 against the four-seamer, .229 against the slider, .141 against the curve, .290 against the sinker, .276 against the changeup and .200 against the cutter.

“I’ve kind of eliminated the changeup just because of the way it performed last year,” said Cecconi.

He’s replaced it with the cutter, and he’s been happy with the results so far.

“We’re just throwing better pitches,” he said.

The Guardians sent Josh Naylor to Arizona in December of 2024 for Cecconi and a Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick. He made 23 starts for them last season, going 7-7 with a 4.30 ERA.

This spring he’s 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts. He’s struck out 14 in 12 2/3 innings and should be in line to start the third or fourth regular season game against Seattle on March 28 or March 29.

Bumps and bruises

Utility man Daniel Schneemann was scratched from Friday’s lineup against the Angels after twisting his right ankle in a pre-game workout. Prospect Milan Tolentino moved from third to shortstop to replace him.

Schneemann, who added muscle and weight during the offseason, is hitting .320 (8 for 25) with two RBI in nine games this spring.

Manager Stephen Vogt complimented Schneemann Friday morning before the injury.

“Schnee is valuable in so many ways,” said Vogt. “He has the ability to go play six spots on the field with above average defense, while giving you competitive at-bats and then some from the left side.

“It’s a piece that most teams would love to have. You can trust him anywhere on the field.”

Schneemann was a Gold Glove finalist last year as a utility player.

Hunter Gaddis, meanwhile, was scheduled to throw 15 to 20 pitches off the mound Friday. He’s recovering from a sore right forearm and is still questionable for the season opener on March 26. Gaddis has made one appearance this spring, throwing a scoreless inning against the Cubs on Feb. 27.

Welcome back

Several Guardians players and coaches returned to Goodyear in the last few days after participating in the World Baseball Classic.

Travis Bazzana (Australia), Stuart Fairchild (Chinese Taipei), Logan Allen (Panama), Dayan Frias (Colombia) and Ryan Prager (Israel) and assistant pitching coach Brad Goldberg, pitching coach for Team Israel, were all back in camp.

Guardians still playing and coaching in the WBC include Bo Naylor and Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson for Canada and pitchers Matt Festa and Dylan Deluca for Italy. Sandy Alomar is coaching first base for Puerto Rico, while Rouglas Odor is coaching third base for Venezuela.

The WBC is down to the quarterfinals with Team USA facing Canada and Korea facing the Dominican Republic on Friday with the winners advancing to the semifinals on Sunday.

On Saturday, it’s Puerto Rico vs. Italy and Venezuela vs. Japan with the winners advancingto the semifinals on Monday. The championship will be played Tuesday in Miami.

Finally

On Wednesday’s off day, right-hander Gavin Williams threw five innings and 71 pitches in a minor league game. Vogt said he hit 97 mph and looked good. Tanner Bibee and Williams are in line to start the first two games of the regular season on March 26 and March 27 in Seattle.

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Stephen coming off first pro season: 'This is an exciting year for me'

6:54 PM CDT

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Khal Stephen got a phone call at 5:30 a.m. on July 31 of last season, while he was with the Blue Jays’ Double-A New Hampshire affiliate in Bowie, Md. His next few hours were a whirlwind.

Stephen learned he was being traded to the Guardians, and that it was a 1-for-1 deal for Shane Bieber.

“Obviously it's a cool situation to be in,” said Stephen, who is ranked as the Guardians' No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, of being traded for Bieber. “It's a unique situation to be in. Definitely something that is a big part of my career now. I'm just trying to be positive about it all.”

Stephen will be forever linked to Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner and a longtime staple in Cleveland’s starting rotation. But the 23-year-old is charting his own path as a promising prospect in the Guardians’ farm system.

As Stephen embarks upon his first full season in the Guardians’ organization, he’s excited to continue pushing toward the big leagues, which isn’t that far out of his reach.

“All of us here think about how we're going to get there, what that journey looks like,” Stephen said. “Obviously I feel like this is an exciting year for me.”

Stephen’s journey with the Guardians dates to 2024; they scouted him extensively while he was pitching for Mississippi State and wanted to select him in the MLB Draft. But Toronto ultimately landed him in the second round with the No. 59 overall pick.

Stephen showed why the Guardians were so high on him in ‘25, when he made his pro debut. In 22 games (including 21 starts) he logged a 2.53 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP with 110 strikeouts and just 20 walks over 103 innings. He rose from Single-A to High-A to Double-A over the course of the season.

Stephen was sidelined by a right shoulder impingement when the Guardians acquired him, but he made four starts with Double-A Akron. Though he allowed eight earned runs in 11 1/3 innings, six came in one start in which he recorded just one out.

All things considered, Stephen noted that he enjoyed a smooth transition post-trade.

“A lot of it's just like keeping baseball, baseball, and not trying to feel like you're in a different world,” Stephen said. “It was a lot of moving, but it wasn't a lot of changing who I am or them trying to change me. It was just them being there for me to put my best foot forward.”

Stephen describes himself as a command guy who fills up the strike zone. His mix includes a four-seam fastball, a slider and a splitter. He worked on the splitter during Spring Training last year, as an arm-side alternative to the “poor” changeup he threw in high school and college.

“I feel like it's becoming a weapon for me,” Stephen said.

Stephen was pretty polished when he joined the Guardians. He's listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, and his fastball sits around 94-95 mph. Of course, there’s work left to do before he reaches the Majors. He’s working on the shape of his slider to make it a more reliable secondary pitch. The continued progress of his splitter will go a long way toward having the multi-pitch arsenal necessary for a starter.

The Guardians even think Stephen’s heater (which is his best command pitch) could have a bit more velocity in the tank. Overall, there’s a lot to like here.

“He’s a real mature guy that takes his development seriously,” Guardians assistant GM James Harris said. “He had come from a good organization in Toronto. He had played in the SEC. … All those things come together to fit within our development system.

“With pitching, it's so much of a partnership. Players come to the table with what they believe they should work on, and we support a majority of that. Sometimes we make suggestions. But with him, he had already started down that path.”

Stephen still has a few check boxes to reach in his development; he hasn’t pitched in Triple-A yet. But he’s on an upward trajectory and could become the latest success story in the Cleveland Pitching Factory.

Stephen is excited to be part of that developmental pipeline as he pushes to earn his place in the Majors.

“I ultimately want to make it there and stick there and stay there for a long time,” Stephen said. “I'm excited for this season and being able to prove how I'm going to get there and how I'm going to stay there.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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With increased bat speed, Kwan looks poised to take off at plate

March 10th, 2026

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- In the first inning on Saturday against the Padres, Steven Kwan hit a Michael King changeup to the left-center field gap. The line drive (which had a 99.2 mph exit velocity) touched down and got by diving center fielder Bryce Johnson, resulting in a triple.

“That was a great signal for us,” Guardians assistant hitting coach Dan Puente said. “It's been some time since he’s driven that ball to that part of the field. Most of the damage has come to the pull side.”

It was proof of concept to the work Puente and Kwan did together over the offseason, which included a focus on enhancing the Guardians’ outfielder’s bat speed. Or, as Kwan -- who went 1-for-3 in Tuesday afternoon’s 5-4 loss to the Giants at Goodyear Ballpark -- put it, going “back to the well.”

Kwan did not have the season he wanted offensively in 2025. He was slowed by a right wrist issue after making an awkward slide into second base in late May. He got a cortisone shot during the All-Star break that helped his wrist feel 100 percent, but his production dipped as the season progressed while he struggled to find the feel in his swing.

Over 156 games, Kwan slashed .272/.330/.374. His .704 OPS and 96 OPS+ each marked new career lows.

“I didn’t have this North Star or this compass to lead myself back to,” Kwan said. “I think that was a little naive of me to just be like, ‘Oh, I know my swing and I know how to get there.’ ... I didn’t have enough knowledge on my swing as I should have.”

Kwan’s wrist is in a good place this spring, and the feel in his swing is back. But he was not going to rest on those factors improving alone heading into 2026. He went through a program with Puente this winter to increase his bat speed -- which ranked in the 1st percentile last season (63.7 mph).

A bat speed program entails swinging a heavier bat until a hitter’s body grows accustomed to it, switching to a light bat afterward, and then back to a regular bat. The idea behind the program is simple: With a higher bat speed floor, a player has a greater chance of batted balls getting through the infield or landing in the outfield when they don’t get their best swing off.

“He does a lot of things already super well,” Puente said. “He makes tons of contact. The whiff rate is really, really, really low. He's elite, elite, elite at that. So how can we maximize his strengths, but also bring up some of those areas where he's not as strong?”

For a hitter like Kwan, a higher bat speed floor can be crucial. As Puente alluded to, Kwan had the second-highest contact rate in the Majors (91.3 percent) in 2025, among hitters with at least 1,000 swings, behind only Luis Arraez (94.7).

Kwan said his bat speed this winter peaked a bit higher than where it was heading into 2024. That season, Kwan flirted with hitting .400 in the first half, and he ultimately slashed .292/.368/.425 over 122 games missing time with a left hamstring strain and mid-back inflammation. Kwan’s final figures in 2025 were at least somewhat circumstantial, but his work with Puente could break a bit of a trend.

“What we stumbled upon was,” Kwan said, “in an offseason where I’m trying to be like, ‘OK, I had a good year. Let’s stay there. Let’s be consistent.’ The year after was kind of rockier than I would have liked. Whereas, if I had a year I didn’t like, it’s like, ‘OK, we need to build off of this. We need to gain some steps here.’ Those end up being really good offseasons.”

Count this winter as one of those offseasons.

Kwan belted a pair of home runs in Monday’s 6-2 win over the Royals, and he’s hitting .292 (7-for-24) with a 1.060 OPS this spring. Cactus League results are not predictive of regular season results, but we know what Kwan is capable of.

With the work Kwan put in this winter, it’s intriguing to think about what his regular season could look like.

“Kwany is such a hard worker,” Puente said. “He's such a tremendous worker, super intelligent. He's always partnering with us, trying to be the best version of himself.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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Shane Bieber trade: Part 2 ... Guardians edition

Terry Pluto

Published: Mar. 14, 2026, 9:00 a.m.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Guardians brought Khal Stephen to meet with a few media members on Thursday.

Stephen is the pitcher Cleveland received in the Shane Bieber deal with Toronto last July.

While listening to Stephen talk about being traded to Cleveland, I thought about this being the kind of trade that needs to work for the Guardians.

Bieber was coming off Tommy John elbow surgery. He had even pitched for Cleveland in 2025 when the deal was made. Bieber was close to being healthy. He pitched seven innings in the minors for the Guardians, allowing two runs.

Bieber went to the Blue Jays, helping them make the playoffs (4-2 record, 3.57 ERA). Then he was a major factor in helping the Blue Jays reach the World Series. He had a 3.82 ERA in the postseason and picked up a victory in Game 4 of the World Series.


Bieber’s decision

Then Bieber surprised some people who watch MLB contracts when he picked up his player option for $16 million in 2026.

Bieber had turned down several contract offers from Cleveland over the years. Bieber was represented by Drew Rosenhaus, the famed football agent who was expanding into baseball. Bieber was his first major client on the diamond.

They wanted to reach free agency and see what kind of contract that would bring on the open market.

With that opportunity, they took the one-year option to stay with Toronto. It seemed to be a curious decision.

When Bieber reported to spring training, he was dealing with “forearm fatigue.” It remains a problem. He has yet to pitch in a preseason game. The latest report is he’s “throwing off flat surfaces,” meaning it’s not off the mound.

Bieber’s history

Bieber won the 2020 Cy Young Award. When healthy, he was a superb pitcher for Cleveland (2018-24) with a 62-32 record and a 3.22 ERA.

The drawback was arm problems.

He missed nearly three months in 2021 with a sore shoulder.

He missed another three months in 2023 with elbow inflammation.

He made two starts to open the 2024 season, then had Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. That ended his season.

When the Guardians signed him for 2025, they knew he’d need at least part of the season to recover from surgery.

The trade

The Guardians traded Bieber to Toronto on July 31, 2025. Their record was 54-54. They were nine games behind Detroit in the A.L. Central Division.

The Guardians also lost Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase to MLB’s sports gambling investigation. It was hard to believe they’d end up in the playoffs.

They decided to see if Bieber could be used to bring back a prospect.

That person turned out to be Stephen, a Class A pitcher in the Toronto farm system.

“I got a call at 5:30 in the morning,” he said. “With a couple of phone calls, I found out who was in the deal. There is a reputation for pitching (Guardians). Just being a part of this is exciting.”

The back story

“We had eyes on him in the (2024) draft process,” said Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman. “We got to know him pretty well. The Blue Jays jumped up and got him before us. We kept an eye on him as he progressed (in the minors).”

Stephen had an 8-3 record and a 3.28 ERA at Mississippi State in 2024. He was first-team All-SEC and also was an All-SEC academic selection. His major was finance.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Stephen has a fastball in the 92-95 mph range. Being bright with the mind of a finance major helps him with all the data the Guardians have available.

The 23-year-old had a 9-1 record and a 1.72 ERA in Class A last season for the Blue Jays. It was his first pro year. Stephen had some minor shoulder problems at the end of the season, but says he’s healthy now.

“He is a big power righty,” said Forman. “He is a really mature guy. We’re excited to see what he can do.”

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George Valera dealing with minor injury, Guardians send 2 pitchers to minors

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

Updated: Mar. 14, 2026, 1:34 p.m.|Published: Mar. 14, 2026, 1:24 p.m.


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Scribbles in my Guardians notebook:

1. George Valera will be out for at least a few days as he deals with a mild left calf strain. Valera is in position to make the opening-day roster. He is hitting .292 (7-for-24) this spring with a homer and four RBI. The injury doesn’t appear to be serious.

2. The Guardians want to be careful with Valera, who has dealt with a lot of injuries in his career. He does have a minor league option but the Guardians want to see what the 25-year-old can do in the majors. He was promoted to Cleveland on Sept. 1, 2024. He hit .220 (.748 OPS) with two homers in 18 regular-season games with Cleveland. In the postseason, he homered in Game 2 vs. Detroit. He was 2-for-7 in the postseason.

3. Steven Kwan was supposed to start Saturday’s game vs. San Diego, but he is dealing with a sinus problem and he’s not in the lineup. Kwan is hitting .355 (.948 OPS) this spring with a pair of homers.

4. The Guardians sent pitchers Will Dion and Steven Perez to minor-league camp. Dion is a 25-year-old lefty. He had a 2.84 ERA this spring. Dion had a 4-8 record with a 4.09 ERA at Class AAA last season. Perez is a 24-year-old lefty. He pitched two innings this spring. He had a 3-2 record with a 2.20 ERA between Class A and AA last season.

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