The Cleveland Guardians still have decisions to make with their starting lineup.
It certainly feels like, at this point in the offseason, the roster the Cleveland Guardians are bringing to Goodyear is the same one that’ll travel to Washington for the first series of 2026 against the Seattle Mariners.
It's time to start determining how the pieces fit together and what Cleveland’s lineup could look like come Opening Day.
Right now, the Guardians’ projected starting lineup, according to FanGraphs, against right-handed pitching looks like this:
- LF - Steven Kwan
- RF - George Valera
- 3B - Jose Ramirez
- 1B - Kyle Manzardo
- CF - Chase DeLauter
- 2B - Gabriel Arias
- DH - C.J. Kayfus
- C - Bo Naylor
- SS - Brayan Rocchio
Apr 20, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) greets first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) crossing home plate on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesThere aren’t a ton of shocking predictions or standouts from this projection. The players in this lineup are almost the same as a prediction made by GuardiansRoundtable last week.
The key difference is Gabriel Arias getting the start at second base in FanGraphs’ projection. Arias definitely has a chance to make the roster heading into the season, but it’s a position that he must earn.
Stephen Vogt has already said they plan to move Arias around the diamond in a utility role to give other players an opportunity at the up-the-middle spots. That reality, on top of Arias never breaking out at the plate through big-league seasons, means that he’ll be under plenty of pressure to perform during spring training.
If it’s more of the same Arias during training camp, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Juan Brito finally get a chance to prove himself at the MLB level.
The other big question Cleveland must answer heading into the season is who will hit second, right behind Steven Kwan and in front of Jose Ramirez. This spot in the lineup was a major issue for the Guardians in 2025. As a group, Cleveland’s two-hole hitters logged an OPS of .594, the worst of any spot in the lineup.
George Valera’s power makes him an intriguing player to have hitting behind Kwan, but his swing-and-miss tendencies could become an issue at the top of the lineup. Chase DeLauter is another interesting candidate to hit second.
There are a number of ways Vogt could draw a lineup on any given night, but the one FanGraphs is projecting feels very similar to what fans can expect to see through the first month or so of the regular season.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.