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Guardians 2026 spring training storylines to watch, questions to answer
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- Guardians 2026 spring training storylines to watch, questions to answer
The Guardians begin their quest for a three-peat in the division.
After pulling off a historic comeback to stalk and then hunt down the Detroit Tigers for the American League Central crown a year ago, the Guardians open spring training camp in Goodyear, Arizona, as defending division champs, but not as favorites entering the 2026 season. That distinction belongs to those same Tigers, who just made a massive splash on the free agency front by signing starting pitcher Framber Valdez.
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Yes, the Guardians put together an unprecedented run in August and September, but they were also a team that at one point was 15.5 games behind the Tigers, leaving them in likely a three-horse race for the division in 2026, along with the Tigers and Kansas City Royals.
Here are the top storylines to watch during this Guardians spring training camp.
Can Travis Bazzana and/or Chase DeLauter break camp with the major league club?
The Guardians know they need to improve an offense that ranked 28th in baseball last season. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has directly acknowledged it , not that he needed to after the Guardians had to grind through a series of low-scoring, one-run wins all year.
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Jose Ramirez is a perennial MVP candidate . Steven Kwan is a perennial All-Star candidate. Outside of those two, the Guardians are desperately asking someone to step up.
On the free agent market, the Guardians ended up either instantly priced out for the top-tier options, or made to be second choices due to playing time concerns for the players the front office could afford. Thus, they're relying heavily on a few of their top prospects , all of whom are expected to make major imprints on the 2026 lineup, assuming they're healthy.
Chase DeLauter made his MLB debut in the playoffs. Travis Bazzana is the No. 1 overall selection from the 2024 draft class. Both should spend most of the season in the majors, but it remains to be seen if they can force their way onto the Opening Day roster. It's looking like both will open with Triple-A Columbus, but those two are perhaps the top two players to watch this spring, as they could be an indicator for the reinforcements the lineup needs.
Mustard and other fans cheer as Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) is welcomed back to the dugout after his home run during the eighth inning of Game 2 of the American League wild card series at Progressive Field, Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Who can bolster the Guardians lineup?
The lineup was so poor for a contending team in 2025, it deserves two sections here.
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The Guardians can't solely rely on prospects to do the heavy lifting. That responsibility will also fall to some of their younger veterans.
Bo Naylor had a hot September, the result of some midseason swing changes. Kyle Manzardo had some nice stretches in the No. 4 spot behind Ramirez. CJ Kayfus (who has dropped the periods in his first name) has a path to plenty of at-bats. David Fry is a year removed from elbow surgery. George Valera had some big swings late in the season. Brayan Rocchio would be fine if " Playoff Rocchio " could arrive in March instead of September.
The lineup is brimming with room for improvement. It just has more questions than answers right now for a team that's averaged 90 wins the last two seasons.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen (26) talks to catcher Bo Naylor (23) during a game against the Detroit Tigers on July 5, 2025, in Cleveland.
Who is the odd man out in the starting rotation?
The Guardians converted to a six-man rotation in September and then went on a historic run. But that type of setup isn't exactly as doable for a full season, so someone from that group will be the odd man out once Opening Day arrives (unless an injury solves that question for them, which often happens to be the case).
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Gavin Williams , Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi and Parker Messick will all battle for a rotation spot. Williams and Bibee are safe as the one-two atop the rotation in some order. Cantillo has the makings of a rising asset and is out of minor league options. From there, how the remaining three pitchers are looking at the end of camp might be the determining factor between Allen, Cecconi and Messick.
Who rounds out the bullpen?
The Guardians enter camp with nine pitchers as front-runners for eight spots, and a non-roster invitee or two often work their way into the conversation each spring.
The odd man out from the rotation could also open the season in the bullpen to create even more traffic, though they could opt to maintain their rotational depth. Teams often need double-digit starters to get through a full season.
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Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa, Shawn Armstrong, Tim Herrin, Colin Holderman, Peyton Pallette and Connor Brogdon figure to be the top nine in the pecking order to open spring camp, all vying for eight spots.
Pallette is a Rule 5 selection and Brogdon is out of minor league options, so if all are healthy and pitching well deep into camp, the Guardians will be forced into some decision-making.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) and catcher Bo Naylor (23) celebrate after a win over the Detroit Tigers on July 9, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan.
Will there be a resolution with Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz?
When Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were sidelined for their alleged roles in a sports betting scheme, both pitchers were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Players' Association.
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But it basically left the Guardians in the middle, still paying each pitcher his respective salary. It would have resulted in more than $2 million total.
As spring camp begins, both pitchers remain on paid leave as they await trial related to federal charges filed against them. Clase and Ortiz face up to 65 years in prison related to those charges. Major League Baseball has yet to hand down any additional punishment as a result of their own investigation into the situation, but that could be coming before Opening Day.
In terms of on the field, the Guardians are operating as if they will remain without Clase and Ortiz.
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians top spring training storylines before Opening Day 2026
