So far, to start the 2026 MLB season, plenty of members of the Cleveland Guardians have lived up to their expectations, and some have just fallen short, but there is a group of players exceeding any sort of expectations that were put on them coming into the year.

The Guardians certainly have a pack of players who have been pleasant surprises one month into the season, and have played a key part in Cleveland getting off to a good start.

Angel Martinez has been one of the key storylines so far in 2026, and for good reason. After a two-year sample size, it really looked like the Guardians have a good idea of the type of player Martinez would be at the big-league level, but he’s in the midst of a breakout season for Cleveland.

Martinez has clearly taken a step in his development this year and currently has a .282/.325/.526 slash line with a 134 OPS+, including four doubles and five home runs.

Considering that Martinez came into the season with a career .630 OPS in two seasons, what he’s been able to do at the plate so far has been a great surprise for the Guardians’ lineup.

Parker Messick impressed a lot of people last September when he called up for his first big-league stint. However, many expected him to face some rookie regression, not build off it. 

With that in mind, Messick has not only been Cleveland’s best starting pitcher one month into the season, but he’s also been one of the top pitchers in all of MLB.

The 25-year-old owns a 1.76 ERA (6ER / 30.2IP) and a 0.88 WHIP in five starts. Even though Messick’s fastball doesn’t have the best velocity, he’s still been able to strike out 25.4 percent of the batters he faced while only walking 7.1 percent, all while limiting hard contact.

Messick always had the potential to be a quality arm in Cleveland’s rotation, but right now, there’s an argument he’s the team’s ace, and not many expected this to happen so quickly, if at all, coming into the season.

Daniel Schneemann came into the season with a spot on the roster thanks to his Gold Glove-caliber defense anywhere Stephen Vogt chose to put him on the diamond. That run prediction alone made him a valuable player, but the offense has turned him into an everyday player.

Schneemann’s .989 OPS currently leads the Guardians. Yes, that’s higher than Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Steven Kwan.

Is Schneemann’s offensive production sustainable? We’ll see. However, his surprising offensive start has certainly been a positive early on in 2026. 

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