The Angels have been searching for a long term answer at third base since Troy Glaus was followed by Chone Figgins . That duo held the hot corner at the Big A for 11 seasons but since then it has been a revolving door.
Anthony Rendon was signed to hopefully provide an answer but spent most of his Angels career injured, his contract an albatross to the franchise. Following Rendon the Angels signed Yoan Moncada to consecutive one year deals that did not pan out well.
Denzer Guzman was not on most fan's radars at the beginning of the 2026 season. He began the year in AAA but is now holding down third base for the big club and making a good first impression. Can Guzman be the long term answer at third base?
Generally better known for his glove, Guzman made some adjustments to his approach at the plate and took off offensively in 2026. In 28 games in May he crushed the ball to the tune of a .382/.447/.655 slash line in 110 at bats.
Guzman had 15 multiple hit games while posting an OPS of 1.102. 18 of his 42 hits were for extra bases. He was simply on fire at the plate.
Knowing the glove would play and now believing in the bat, the Angels called him up to Anaheim.
Sep 26, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Denzer Guzman (13) hits an RBI double against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Starting in AAA Guzman was identifying and punishing fastballs very well. That trait has carried over to the big leagues. Denzer has elite strike zone coverage and is spraying fastballs to all field.
Against heaters, the youngster is batting .312 with an expected slugging percentage over .500. He makes solid contact and has the bat speed to react to a fastballs thrown throughout the strike zone as evidenced by his tidy 16.4% whiff rate.
Defense has been a major issue for the Angels. Ranking near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, the club routinely extends innings for opponents by not making plays that should be made.
Guzman was rated the top defensive infielder on the Angels farm and has done nothing to dispel that notion in Anaheim. Scouts rated his defense a 55 (better than average) and his arm a 60 (plus).
Defensively, Guzman is known for having quick, fluid hands that both pick the ball cleanly and tranfer to a throwing motion quickly. His balance is solid which sets him up to make strong, accurate throws.
On the defensive end, Guzman is likely the best defensive third baseman the club has had in a long, long time.
Sep 27, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Denzer Guzman (13) throws to first base for an out against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This is a common obstacle for young players in Major League Baseball. Velocity is one thing but the spin and control at baseball's top level is unmatched. Plenty of AAA pitchers throw fastballs with similar velocity as the pitchers in MLB. But they command of the breaking stuff is what separates the upper echelon from the rest of the pack.
Against breaking pitches Guzman is struggling. He is hitting just .182 while whiffing 38.5% of the time. As he continues to struggle against breaking pitches, expect to see pitchers start attacking him with more breaking balls.
Major League Baseball is not a place full of guys looking to make friends. Pitchers are going to feed Guzman breaking stuff until he proves he can handle it. The good news is Denzer has already demonstrated an ability to adapt earlier this year.
Also, the Pacific Coast League is full of high altitude parks including the Angels home in Salt Lake City. Angels prospects almost certainly go through the same thing Colorado Rockies players do when returning to altitude. For the Rockies the term is the "Coors Field Hangover." Essentially, pitches break much more at sea level and it takes the eyes and brain several repetitions to adjust.
However, the history of baseball is also filled with prospects who got off to a great start, had pitchers adjust against them, then failed. Time will tell which camp Guzman falls in and he will get that time this season.
Ultimately, I think Guzman will settle in as a solid player at the hot corner. He will just have to take some lumps along the way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/angels/onsi as Has Breakout Rookie Denzer Guzman Solved the Angels' Third Base Problem? .
