Cleveland Guardians' Nolan Jones has shown some encouraging results early in spring training.
Nolan Jones was arguably the top player on Clevleand Guardians who had the most to prove coming into spring training. H’s truly fighting for a spot on the team’s big-league roster, and his tenure with the organization could come to an end.
Jones has played in two games so far this spring and has given the Guardians plenty of reasons to be hopeful he can have a bounce-back 2026 season. In six at-bats, Jones has already recorded two hits: one double and one mammoth three-run home run.
Also, Jones has only struck out once, which was an encouraging sign that he’ll make more contact this year after running a strikeout rate of 28 percent a year ago.
Even though Jones only had a handful of plate appearances, it's nice that he’s seeing some results.
Stephen Vogt said that he feels Jones has come into camp with a different demeanor than last year, in the best way possible. The outfielderis playing more freely and comfortably.
Nolan, we're seeing somebody who's very free right now,” said Stephen Vogt. “He puts a lot of pressure on himself, and last year didn't go the way he would have loved it to go. To get a couple of results this early in camp, it just kind of solidifies the work you put in all winter and can be something to build off of.”
If Jones can recapture even a little bit of the player he was in 2023, when he hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases, the Guardians would more than welcome that production to the lineup.
Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Nolan Jones (22) hits a 3-run home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesIt’s no secret that Jones struggled last year, but the Guardians don’t want to give up on him yet, especially since he didn’t get a full offseason with the organization last winter.
“He's been talking with Grant Fink and the other hitting coaches all winter,” said Vogt. ”He went to driveline and did some independent work, but stayed in great communication with us. So there's a lot of alignment there, and that can be really, really special going into a year.”
There’s still a long way to go before the Guardians need to finalize their big-league roster heading into 2026, but based on the work Jones did over the winter and the early returns in spring training, it seems like he’s determined to get back on track this year.
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