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Three Breakout Candidates for the Guardians in 2026

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By J.W. Mulpas | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 10:19 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians had another quiet offseason, much to the chagrin of their fans. No big signings, no headline trades — just a reminder of the reality of a small-market team that has to rely on internal development to stay competitive.

If the Guardians are going to win their third straight AL Central title, it will likely have to come from within the organization—at least for now. They could still make a move before Opening Day, but odds are someone on their current 40-man roster will need to have a breakout 2026 campaign, especially on offense.

Last year, Cleveland ranked 29th in batting average and OPS, dead last in hits, and 28th in runs scored. Bottom line: their bats have to get better. The question is, who’s most likely to take a step forward?

Here are two hitters and one pitcher with the best chance to do that.

Bo Naylor, C

Bo Naylor got hot in September last year. He hit .290 with an elite .258 ISO and a strong 136 wRC+ (100 is league average). It looked and felt like a turning point. Manager Stephen Vogt recently said, “I think the sky is the limit for Bo this year. I think he’s going to pick up right where he left off. I’m really excited to watch him.”

Naylor’s walk rate increased last year, and his strikeouts dropped—he cut his K% by 7.5 points from the prior year. That’s big for a young catcher.

Still, he hit just .195 for the season. Some of that was bad luck: his BABIP dropped 40 points from 2024. But even with that, his expected batting average was only .201. The silver lining? He made more contact, up 6% from the year before. If Naylor can hit .225 and show a bit more pop, it would be a significant boost to the Guardians’ lineup. He turns 26 this month, so 2026 is a pivotal year.

Chase DeLauter, OF

Chase DeLauter is the wild card. He made his MLB debut in the playoffs last year against the Tigers. The issue? He has never played more than 57 games in a season—college or pro. Health has always been the question.

But when DeLauter plays, he produces. He hit .278 at Triple-A last year with an .859 OPS, showing solid on-base skills and power. He made contact nearly 85% of the time, which is elite. The rumor is he’ll start 2026 in the minors, but if he can stay on the field, he should get plenty of at-bats with the Guardians. Roster Resource predicts he’ll bat fifth and play center field. However, Vogt has said Steven Kwan will get some reps in center this spring, which might mean they want to keep DeLauter in the corner outfield spots to try to preserve his health.

Joey Cantillo, LHP

Joey Cantillo is the kind of pitcher the Guardians love. Long levers, elite extension, and legit strikeout stuff. Last year he punched out 108 batters in 95 big league innings as both a starter and a reliever. His xFIP was 3.66 and his strikeout rate was 26.9%. His changeup is nasty—opponents hit just .165 against it, and nearly half the time, they swung and missed.

Vogt said, “We got to see what Joey Cantillo could be as a starter in this league. It was a really exciting year for him and for us.”

But there’s still some work to do. Cantillo walks too many hitters (10.5%), so he’ll need to keep refining his control. Fangraphs projects him to throw 144 innings with a 3.80 ERA this year, which is a solid No. 3 starter. If he can find the zone more often, he could be even better.

Both Vogt and Guardians President of Baseball Ops, Chris Antonetti, have said the goal this year (like every year) is to win a World Series. That might be wishful thinking, but for that to happen, the Guardians will need their existing players to step up. If it’s not Naylor, DeLauter, or Cantillo, it’ll have to be somebody else. Their season depends on it.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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