Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. |
CLEVELAND -- Angel Martínez made a diving catch in center field on Saturday to snare a Ceddanne Rafaela line drive in the third inning of the Guardians’ 7-3 loss to the Red Sox in the second game of a doubleheader. As Martínez rested on his chest in the Progressive Field outfield grass, a smile flashed across his face. Moments such as Saturday’s stand out for a few reasons. Not only is Martínez playing well, but he always seems to be rocking a smile, whether he’s on the field or making his way around Cleveland’s clubhouse. It’s all reflective of the 23-year-old’s comfort level in his second stint in the Major Leagues, and the mindset he carries at the ballpark every day. “This game is really hard,” Martínez said. “It can drive you [crazy]. So you’ve gotta be able to enjoy it and have fun, because when you're a kid, that's all that you want to do: go out to the field and have fun. So why would I have to change now?” The Guardians certainly won’t ask him to change. Martínez radiates positive energy, and he’s been an energizing presence for Cleveland while showing growth in his second big league season. In 16 games, he has a .333/.339/.426 slash line and has played good defense in center field.
Last season, in 43 games, Martínez slashed .232/.298/.338.
“[He’s] a gamer,” assistant hitting coach Jason Esposito said. “The highest compliment you can give somebody is just a good baseball player. He’s really competitive and goes out and competes and works hard.
“... Another great compliment you can give someone is they’re the same person [always]. That smile you see on the field is the same smile you see in the locker room, walking around the clubhouse. As he enters the cage, that's the smile you see.”
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Martínez was in the mix for a spot on the Guardians’ Opening Day roster, before he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on March 21 in a late round of roster cuts. Cleveland recalled him on April 9, after Lane Thomas suffered a right wrist contusion on a hit by pitch.
Martínez noted he didn’t have his best rhythm offensively during Spring Training, specifically against fastballs. His option afforded him an opportunity to work on his timing, and he credited Columbus hitting coach Junior Betances for helping him get on track. His progress has been evident in the early going this season.
Martínez hit .224 against fastballs in 2024, with an 86.5 mph average exit velocity. Entering Tuesday, he was hitting .321 against them, with an 87.7 mph average exit velocity.
“The biggest adjustment I see with Angel is he’s on the fastball,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We know he can handle strikes offspeed, but he's hit some fastballs hard. … He’s one of our better hitters at adjusting to offspeed, but now he's actually hitting fastballs hard, too.” What Martínez has done defensively has been just as impressive. Last season marked the first time he played outfield professionally (298 innings in the Majors), after he came up through the Guardians’ farm system as a middle infielder.
While he’s spent his most time in center this season (112 2/3 innings), he stays ready to move around as he’s needed. And his mentality in staying ready to do so speaks to his maturity level for such a young player. |
“You’ve gotta have your mind opened up to be able to do those things,” Martínez said. “For me, this game is a lot of mental. If you let your mind be free, you're gonna be able to play anywhere and do whatever you want.
“For me to be able to help the team, playing many positions, I love to do that.”
Right now, that help has come in center, and it’s evident Martínez is having a great time.
“He’s having fun,” Vogt said. “Angel’s at his best when he's having fun. And even when he's not, he's smiling.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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The Guardians announced a series of Minor League roster moves on Monday, which included the promotion of first baseman/outfielder C.J. Kayfus from Double-A Akron to Columbus. Kayfus (the Guardians’ No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) came out of the gates red-hot with Akron, compiling a .364/.475/.591 slash line with four doubles, four triples, one homer and 11 RBIs. The 23-year-old was Cleveland’s third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Kayfus posted a .291/.393/.511 slash line in 107 games last season between High-A Lake County and Akron, where he was promoted to on June 3. But over his final 31 games, he slashed .181/.262/.293.
“Last year was a great learning experience for him,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said recently. “He got off to a hot start, but then just the season wore on him. His body lost weight over the course of the season. He had trouble keeping his strength up, and you kind of saw his productivity dip.
“So that was one of our conversations with C.J. this winter. It was, ‘Hey, let's make sure you have a great foundation in the winter. Build your body back up to the point where you can have that type of success. And now, once the season starts, let's think about ways in which you can maintain that strength and power and physicality so the performance can stay consistent for the balance of the season.’”
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MAY BALLPARK PASS AVAILABLE NOW |
Ballpark Passes for May are on sale now. For $54 (including all fees), you’ll get a standing-room only ticket to every Guardians home game in May. Cleveland has 12 games at Progressive Field in May, which includes three-game Interleague series against the Phillies (May 9-11), Brewers (May 12-14) and Dodgers (May 26-28).
Standing-room only sections at Progressive Field include The Corner Bar, Left Field and Right Field Drink Rails, the Miller Lite Home Run Porch, Heritage Plaza and Terrace Garden and Terrace Hall. More information on the Ballpark Pass is available here. |
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