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Guardians Skipper Has Seen Critical Change In Surprise Slugger
Apr 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Gabriel Arias (13) hits a double during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Guardians Skipper Has Seen Critical Change In Surprise Slugger

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated May 1, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Cleveland Guardians were literally out of options with Gabriel Arias coming into the season.

Arias had to make the big league roster in some capacity coming out of spring training, or his future with the organization would have been unknown, as he's out of minor league options.

Arias not only won the job to get the bulk of the playing time at second base following the Andres Gimenez trade, but the 25-year-old has looked like a new player and become one of Cleveland's best surprises to start the season.

The right-handed hitter has made some noticeable changes to his batting stance, but Cleveland's skipper has also seen one critical change in Arias's mindset.

"Gabby is staying in his plan. I think at times in the past, Gabby would just kind of go up there and swing to swing. He's really locked into where he wants to hit the ball, and he's making things happen," said Stephen Vogt earlier this week.

"We all know the power. We all know the ability to drive the baseball, but he's finding ways to get on base. He's having great at-bats. He's sticking to his plan, knowing his strengths, and that's really led to Gabby having this early success."

Through the first 28 games of the season (91 at-bats), Arias has a slash line of .264/.313/.462 with an OPS of .775, which are career-highs across the board.

These stats include six doubles and four home runs.

The Guardians needed someone to step up to be a consistent threat in their lineup, and so far, Arias has done just that.

Hopefully, the slugger will continue this game plan throughout the season, which Vogt identifies as key to Arias' success.

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This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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