The Cleveland Guardians’ outfield has been a topic of discussion over the last few seasons, and not for good reasons. Cleveland’s offensive struggles have been a glaring hole on the roster over, and much of those shortcomings have come from the outfield position group.

Outside of Steven Kwan, Cleveland’s center and left fielders have just met expectations. Even with Kwan and his struggles, the Guardians posted a 77 wRC+ in 2025, the second-worst in MLB.

Even with all of the shortcomings, Cleveland’s outfield might actually be in a good spot heading into next season.

To start, two of the Guardian’s most promising prospects, both outfielders, are finally with the big-league team.

George Valera

George Valera finally got the call in September of last season and didn’t disappoint in his opportunity. In his first 41 MLB at-bats, Valera had an OPS of .748, and he even hit a go-ahead home run at the beginning of Game 2 of the ALWS.

For a Cleveland lineup that needs more pop to it, Valera could be part of the answer.

Chase DeLauter

Of course, you can’t talk about the outfield without bringing up Chase DeLauter, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented prospects in Cleveland’s farm system and has true star potential.

DeLauter should be in the Opening Day lineup in 2026 after making his big-league debut in Game 2 of the ALWS last October. 

Fans have been hearing about DeLauter since he was drafted back in 2022. Yes, he’s suffered multiple injuries throughout his minor league career, but has also registered a .888 OPS across all levels in he farm system.

DeLauter has All-Star potential; it’s all about staying healthy. 

CJ Kayfus, Petey Halpin

After DeLauter and Valera on the depth chart should come CJ Kayfus and Petey Halpin.

Kayfus should be in the lineup quite a bit, but he’ll split time between first base and the outfield. Even though it took a while for him to find his groove in the big leagues, Kayfus finished with a .888 OPS in September.

Halpin is definitely more of a defensive and speed-minded outfielder, but certainly still a player with upside potential. In 2025 at Triple-A, Halpin had a 

Without an outfield core of Steven Kwan, DeLauter, Valera, Kayfus, and a combination of Petey Halpin, Jones, Angel Martinez, and Jhnonkensy Noel to round out the backup spots, this is an outfield with a high ceiling, albeit a low floor, too. 

Adding one more veteran outfielder, preferably a right-handed hitter, would still be a wise move for the front office, considering the team’s needs and DeLauter and Valera’s injury history. 

But even if the Guardians don’t, there’s a lot to be excited about for the outfield in 2026.