Guardians musings at spring training's midpoint: Gavin Williams, Steven Kwan and more

New York Times

06-03-2025

A batch of thoughts on the Guardians as we reach the midpoint of spring training …
The hot take I'm ready to back is …
… Gavin Williams will be the ace of the staff in 2025, and not because Tanner Bibee regresses. (Writer's note: This entry was written before Williams overpowered the Angels in his second spring start on Tuesday, so the take is even more daring, or something like that.) He had a weird 2024 season. He was injured. His stuff wasn't sharp when he returned. He threw a new cutter thingy that sometimes resembled his slider, but harder. He had a winter to study what worked and what didn't, and now it's time for him to unleash the talent of a Kilimanjaro-sized pitcher who was a first-round pick, a top prospect and a ravishing rookie.
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The position battle I can't stop thinking about is …
… second base. It's not just about who ultimately wins the starting gig, but who else deserves playing time? Let's say Gabriel Arias wins the job. Does he start at second base seven days a week? Does Tyler Freeman shuffle into the lineup on occasion? How long of a leash does Arias have? How well does Juan Brito need to play in Triple A (if he starts there) to earn a big-league look? Where does Angel Martínez fit? Can Travis Bazzana eventually force his way into the conversation this summer? There's room for two utility players on the Opening Day roster, so what is a crowded competition might not be simplified for a while. But the Guardians sure wish someone would win the job, rather than someone be anointed the starter by default.
The guy who's already changing my opinion of him is …
… Brayan Rocchio. The Guardians are banking on his emergence in a continuation of the confident, patient shortstop who smacked singles and doubles to the gaps in October. He looks like the same player this spring, the one who had some prospect evaluators salivating a couple years ago. In 2023, The Athletic's Keith Law ranked Rocchio the No. 22 prospect in baseball and wrote: 'I still see All-Star upside here, a shortstop who saves a few runs a year with his glove and adds a ton more with .280-.300 averages, adequate walk rates and 15-20 homers a year.' Rocchio approaching that description doesn't seem impossible.
The injury that's just such a bummer is …
… Chase DeLauter's sports hernia surgery, which could keep him out eight to 12 weeks. When the best news is, 'Well, at least it wasn't his [insert oft-pained body part],' that's a troubling sign. DeLauter has appeared in only 96 games since the Guardians selected him in the first round in the 2022 draft. He could have been vying for an early-season opportunity in right field. Instead, he'll again play catch-up. They need him to prove he can stay on the field before they print his name in ink on the outfield depth chart.
Medical update on OF Chase DeLauter pic.twitter.com/yELlw0amin
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 4, 2025
The guy I want to see more of, but I'm not sure how he fits is …
… Johnathan Rodriguez. If only he were a lefty who could mash righties, instead of the other way around. As it stands, to earn an extended look, he probably needs Jhonkensy Noel to falter or Carlos Santana or Kyle Manzardo to suffer an injury. And that's before David Fry returns from elbow surgery and steals some DH at-bats.
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The guy with vomit-inducing spring numbers that don't bother me one bit is …
… Luis Ortiz. Sure, you'd love to see pitchers, well, not surrender seven runs on nine hits in their first four innings of spring action, but Ortiz looked much better in his second start and, really, there's nothing here worth worrying about unless he's still getting walloped in two months. Ortiz throws a slew of hard stuff that darts in different directions — a four-seamer, a sinker, a cutter and a slider — and he's aiming to build off a breakout season. Now he's working with a coaching group that tends to squeeze the most out of its pitchers. In time, it's a union that should prosper.
The roster battle I'm most confused by is …
… the No. 5 starter spot. Logan Allen has looked sharp thus far. Triston McKenzie looked sharp in his first outing, and then walked five and recorded only two outs in his next. Kolby Allard and Vince Velasquez are in camp on non-roster deals. Would they accept assignments to Triple A? Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi are in that awkward phase of still needing some development but also needing to face big-league hitters. It's possible one of these pitchers winds up in the Opening Day bullpen. There's a lot to sort out, and we're a long way from achieving clarity, though history tells us the Guardians will need most or all of these starters at some point in 2025.
The crazy thought I'm pondering is …
… whether Steven Kwan could be a top-five MVP finisher. We agree he could hit .300, right? He's never not won a Gold Glove Award. He can swipe some bases. And last year, he leveraged his greatest asset — 'shorter limbs,' he said — to yank more inside fastballs into the seats. He might have hit 20 homers if he didn't miss 40 games because of injuries.
So, that's a well-rounded player who could sit near the top of the WAR leaderboard, a place many MVP voters look when mulling their ballots. There's plenty of competition — this league also hosts Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson and José Ramírez, after all — but there are ingredients here for Kwan to establish himself as one of the league's better players. And, no, his spring stats don't mean a thing, but they are a nice reminder that Kwan is a safe bet to rack up hits in the Cactus League, the American League, interleague or 20,000 leagues under the sea.
Fun fact: Steven Kwan has won a Gold Glove in every season he's been a professional.
The 2024 All-Star grabs the #8 spot on The Shredder's list of the best left fielders in the game. #Top10RightNow pic.twitter.com/Mc5hIFBa79
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2025
Two hitters who look great through rose-colored, spring training glasses are …
… Lane Thomas and Kyle Manzardo. (Wow, what a reach, two guys who figure to bat in the middle of Cleveland's lineup). The Guardians need both to boom in 2025. Thomas is in a contract year, and a guy with his skills — power, speed, better swing decisions in recent years — could be worth a Brinks truckload if he can put it all together. Manzardo controls his own destiny from a playing time standpoint. His bat could make him indispensable. After breaking through as a rookie last year, he said being in camp as a sophomore is 'a lot more chill,' which is precisely what you'd expect to hear from a mustached masher. Manzardo and Thomas were two key contributors in October and they're off to an encouraging start this spring.
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The unheralded player I can't wait to watch more of is …
… Doug Nikhazy. The Guardians might have enough starting pitching depth at Triple A to consider shifting someone to the big-league bullpen, and if the club needs a lefty to pair with Tim Herrin, perhaps Nikhazy might fit. It helps that he can shuttle between Cleveland and Columbus. The longstanding knock against him was his command, but he trimmed his walk percentage to 10.8% last year from 15.4% in 2023. He also posted a 2.98 ERA and limited hitters to a .192 average, and the Guardians rewarded Nikhazy for his efforts by inviting him to Progressive Field to throw to Guardians hitters as they awaited the ALDS. 'That was important to me,' he said, and he added that he doesn't feel like he's out of place in the big-league clubhouse this spring. He doesn't seem out of place on the mound, either, as he's logged four hitless innings.