The 2025 season is still very young and there are a lot of things that every team in baseball, including the Cleveland Guardians, have to figure out. One situation the Guardians still have to figure out is their outfield, particularly center field, and one player in particular has done enough early on to warrant an extended look. That player? Angel Martinez.
Martinez has gotten some run in center field while Lane Thomas has been sidelined with a wrist injury, and he has done enough in just a handful of plate appearances to at least warrant a conversation about his usage. With five hits in 11 plate appearances, Martinez has matched Thomas’s hit total in one third of the opportunities.
Even though Martinez has played in just three games for the Guardians, the fact that he is getting hits while Thomas struggled to do so cannot go unnoticed. Cleveland needs production from their complementary players who make up the bottom part of their lineup, and Martinez has been able to provide what is needed. Thomas, on the other hand, has been a near-complete non-factor at the plate before going down with an injury.
This is not to say that Martinez should outright replace Thomas, but his little run at the plate could be the catalyst this team needs to do the right thing regarding their roster construction. Martinez could take over as the primary option in center field while Thomas shifts over to right field where he belongs.
As a switch-hitter, Martinez would have the matchup advantage at the plate no matter what hand the opposing pitcher throws with. Meanwhile, Thomas could share time in right field with whoever the Guardians decide to partner him with, ideally a left-handed option such as Nolan Jones in the short term and possibly Chase DeLauter later in the year. This would remove Jhonkensy Noel from seeing time in the outfield, but that would be for the best, as he should primarily be a first base/designated hitter/bench bat anyway.
Considering that the season is still just beginning, now is the time to experiment with alternative options at certain positions when given the opportunity. Martinez has done his part by performing when called upon and now is the time to see if he can handle a larger workload to find out if he can be a long-term solution in center field for the Guardians.
