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Guardians spring training 2024: Angel Martinez, Tyler Freeman, Kyle Manzardo hitting well
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- Guardians spring training 2024: Angel Martinez, Tyler Freeman, Kyle Manzardo hitting well
Spring training stats can be a funny little thing. For those in Northeast Ohio shoveling snow off their cars this morning, they are the first sign that baseball, finally, is back — at least, you know, somewhere.
It's one thing that former Guardians manager Terry Francona always harped on each spring, and he's certainly not alone: you can't just sort spring stats by batting average or ERA and pick the Opening Day roster .
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If two players are battling for a starting job out of camp, like situations the Guardians have at shortstop , in center field and in the bullpen , one hitter might face a pitcher who is only working on his fastball that day and go 4-for-4 with two home runs, while the other contender simply had a scheduled day off. In a sample size with only 30-40 at-bats, that can skew the numbers for the entire spring.
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That also doesn't mean it can be ignored, only that context is key. It's, of course, still noteworthy to follow Prospect X or Veteran Y who is playing well each spring, as invariably, every year, there will be players who effectively force their way onto the Opening Day roster or at least increase their standing in the team's plans. Baseball managers will simply give reminders that it must be taken with a measure of caution.
Here's a look at three Guardians players who are turning heads this spring, and in some cases, maybe playing their way into larger roles or bigger plans down the road.
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Angel Martinez has been the standout of Guardians 2024 spring training camp thus far
The Cleveland Guardians' Angel Martinez reacts after hitting a double against the Chicago Cubs on March 3 at Sloan Park.
Oh, another talented middle infield prospect in the Guardians minor league system pushing his way to the majors? You don't say.
The Guardians have had an abundance of young, controllable players in the middle of the diamond for some time, and Angel Martinez is another one on that list, and he is perhaps opening some eyes.
Through Sunday, Martinez was hitting .478 (11-for-23) with a 1.413 OPS, two home runs, two doubles, a triple and seven RBIs. It's only 23 at-bats, but Martinez has been tearing the cover off the ball.
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Martinez is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Guardians system by MLB Pipeline, and in terms of middle infielders he's probably behind both Brayan Rocchio and Juan Brito (which is before considering Gabriel Arias and maybe Tyler Freeman as well).
Making the Opening Day roster might be a tall order, but a spring like this, coupled with him continuing to swing the bat well at Triple-A, he might be able to play his way onto the major league roster at some point in 2024.
Tyler Freeman battling for utility role on Guardians Opening Day roster, and maybe more
Cleveland Guardians' Tyler Freeman celebrates his three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 29, 2023, in Detroit.
Tyler Freeman looks like he'll make the Guardians roster — somewhere. It's just a matter of where, and how often he receives at-bats.
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Freeman is a potentially a candidate to win the primary shortstop job, but Arias and Rocchio are contenders as well, and the team has been clear about Freeman seeing plenty of time in the outfield this spring to add a level of defensive versatility.
He could play his way into a semi-regular role in center field, if he can prove he can handle the position defensively, while also bouncing around to the infield, effectively piecing together his role in the lineup a few days a week here, a few days a week there.
"Whenever I called him this winter to talk to him about, just, 'Hey, what do you think about bouncing around?' And he just said … 'Yeah, whatever you want, I'm ready,'" Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. "And I think having that outlook on it, that type of personality, that type of mental fortitude, and of course the ability to play those positions, I think he has what it takes to do it."
Through his first 25 at-bats, Freeman's hitting .320 with a .393 on-base percentage, one home run, one double, four RBIs and three stolen bases.
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If he keeps hitting like that, the Guardians will find a spot for him somewhere.
Kyle Manzardo, acquired in Aaron Civale trade, hitting well for Guardians in spring training 2024
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Kyle Manzardo hits a home run during spring training against the New York Mets, March 12, 2023, in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Kyle Manzardo is likely to play a key part in the Guardians 2024 lineup. The question is if he breaks camp with the team or if he waits for his promotion to the majors during the season.
Manzardo, the trade return in the Aaron Civale deal at last year's trade deadline , is off to a solid start this spring, although in an even smaller sample size than that of Martinez or Freeman, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with two doubles and two RBIs.
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Guardians hitting coach Chris Valaika dropped quite the name — 'He looks like Wade Boggs to me'— after seeing Manzardo in the batter's box early in camp this year. His place in the team's plans is pretty much secure, but the Guardians will certainly like to see how he's gotten off to a good start this spring.
His poise at the plate, more than the numbers, have stood out to Vogt.
"I think it's just the consistency of his at-bats, whether he starts and gets three or he's coming off the bench getting one, he puts together a professional at-bat every time out," Vogt said. "I think somebody that young, with that limited of playing time last year, just speaks to his calmness at the plate."
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Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians spring training 2024 standouts include Freeman, Manzardo
