Guardians outfield aims for return to ‘golden’ form: 2023 MLB season preview
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Unproven and under-the-radar at this time last year, Guardians outfielders emerged as a unyielding force in the field and at the plate, reaping postseason accolades and driving increased expectations for 2023.
Steven Kwan, Myles Straw and Oscar Gonzalez grew into a cohesive and productive unit for manager Terry Francona and his staff, with Kwan igniting the offense from his leadoff spot and Gonzalez coming up with big hits late in the season and in the playoffs. Straw’s consistent defense allowed him to stay in the lineup even when his batting average faltered, and was recognized when both he and Kwan earned Gold Glove Awards in November.
With a year of experience playing together and playing in high-pressure situations, Cleveland’s outfield looks to recapture the magic that carried the Guardians to the brink of a postseason upset against New York and lead the club back to the playoffs in 2023.
Below is a position-by-position look at the outfield, the franchise’s depth at each spot and what to expect this season.
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Kwan’s ability to see a high number of pitches per at-bat and to put the ball in play in a variety of situations paid off early last season, and his approach allowed him to grow into more power later in the year. His whiff rate and strikeout percentage were among the best in baseball. Kwan should continue to progress at making hard contact, where he ranked in the bottom 1% of the league last year, per BaseballSavant. As a leadoff hitter, Kwan batted .311 with a .798 OPS and 67 RBI.
Kwan’s career stats: .298 AVG, 52 RBI, 6 HR, .772 OPS, 9.4% K.
Phone call away: Richie Palacios was one of the final cuts from Cleveland’s major league roster at the end of spring training. An excellent pinch-hitter, Palacios needs to improve his speed, which ranks in the 63rd percentile and his arm strength, which ranks in the 61st percentile according to BasebalSavant.
Fire down below: Connor Kokx, a speedy outfielder who spent last season at Lake County, batted .300 in eight big league exhibition games with a .817 OPS and four runs scored during spring training.
Straw opened last season hot, batting .291 in April after signing a five-year contract extension. But he faded after a month of May that saw him hit .178 with an uncharacteristic 12 strikeouts in 90 at-bats. Straw’s defense kept him in the lineup: he finished second in defensive runs saved (17) among major league center fielders and led the AL with 12 outfield assists. Though his sprint speed is in the 94th percentile, Straw struggled to make hard contact. He became the first qualified hitter to go an entire season without a home run since Ben Rever of Minnesota in 2012.
Straw’s career stats: .247 AVG, 96 RBI, 5 HR, .635 OPS, 17.4% K.
Phone call away: Roman Quinn, a non-roster invitee with a reputation for playing solid defense, surprised at training camp with some early pop, smacking three home runs and driving in eight.
Fire down below: Petey Halpin, a 2020 third-round pick, hit .262 with a .731 OPS in 105 games at Lake County last year. He collected a pair of hits in 10 at-bats during Cactus League play.
Gonzalez burst onto the scene with 25 hits in his first 15 major league games, a club record. He also showed a powerful right arm, cutting down three base runners at the plate in his first 30 games. Despite missing all of July with an abdominal strain, he finished 12th in the entire AL in second half average (.301). The question facing Gonzalez in 2023 is whether or not he can continue to control the strike zone and not chase off the plate, giving him a chance to come through with big hits. He colleceted the game-winning or go-ahead RBI in three of the club’s four postseason wins.
Gonzalez’s career stats: .296 AVG, 43 RBI, 11 HR, .789 OPS, 19.6% K.
Phone call away: Cleveland’s No. 3 overall prospect, George Valera, had his big league spring training cut short when he aggravated a hand injury during an at-bat early in camp. He hit .221 in 42 games with Columbus last season with nine home runs and an 23 RBI.
Fire down below: Jonathan Rodriguez hit 26 home runs and drove in 26 while batting .269 between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron last year. He has as much raw power as anybody in Cleveland’s farm system.
Brennan will get plenty of at-bats as the only backup outfield option who can play all three positions. All the 2019 eighth-round pick has done is hit at every level he’s played. Before earning his promotion to the big leagues last year, Brennan tore up the International League by hitting .316 with an .838 OPS and nine home runs to go along with 68 RBI.
Brennan’s career stats: .357 AVG, 8 RBI, 1 HR, .900 OPS, 8.9% K.
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