Cleveland Guardians Promising Hitter Looks Like A New Player

Gabriel Arias has always had plenty of natural talent on offense and defense. However, he's never been able to consistently tap into that during his previous stints with the Cleveland Guardians.

The good news is that everything could be changing. The former top prospect won Cleveland's second base job, and it looks like he'll get most of the reps there to start the season.

The 25-year-old has had his ups and downs, but he looks like a new and different ballplayer in 2025.

So far to start the season, Arias is hitting .250/.333/.393 with an OPS of .726 in 28 at-bats. His power has always been a strength, and Cleveland's second baseman has demonstrated that with a double and a home run.

But the most encouraging part of Arias's start has been his plate approach and discipline. When he steps into the box, he truly looks like a new hitter with a fresh game plan.

Arias's career strikeout percentage is 32.0, but it has dipped to 27.3 percent at the start of 2025. Yes, it's still high, but it's also somewhat expected, given his skill set.

The most encouraging part of Arias's start is that he's clearly letting pitches come to him. Each of his extra base hits has been taken to the opposite field, which goes against his previous career trend of being a pull hitter.

He's also already walked three times this season. (He only walked six times in 153 at-bats in 2024.)