The best way for Angel Martinez to impact the Cleveland Guardians' roster is to continue to be successful against left-handed pitching.
At the height of Angel Martinez’s hype as a prospect, he was viewed as a versatile infielder who had the potential to be a high-contact switch-hitter at the big league level.
The 23-year-old hasn't quite lived up to those expectations, but he has experienced some highs and lows throughout the first two seasons of his big-league career.
There is one area where he’s shone: hitting against left-handed pitching. Over the last two years, Martinez has owned a .275/.357/.418 slash line against southpaws.
The Cleveland Guardians need Martinez to continue to thrive in this role for the team’s offense to be at its best, and this will likely be what helps earn the switch-hitter a spot on the roster.
Martinez's disparity in production against left-handed pitching versus right-handed pitching couldn’t have been more apparent during the 2025 season.
Batting right-handed against southpaws, Martinez logged a .791 OPS, which was the second-highest on the team, only behind Jose Ramirez. Batting lefty against right-handed pitching, Martinez’s OPS dropped to .545.
Aug 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesYes, Martinez is still very young, but a platoon role is increasingly looking like the best way for the switch-hitter to make a meaningful impact on the Guardians.
Martinez’s success against lefties in 2026 will especially be important for the Guardians team as a whole. Right now, Cleveland’s lineup against southpaws is a major concern. Last year, the team had a .224/.290/.357 slash line with a .647 OPS when facing left-handers.
Plus, with how Cleveland’s roster is shaking out, no one is on the way to help with those numbers. The Guardians only have four pure right-handed hitters on the 40-man roster: Austin Hedges, David Fry, Gabriel Arias, and Johnathan Rodriguez.
In order for the Guardians’ lineup to overall improve from being a bottom-five offense in MLB next season, they’ll need Martinez to continue hitting off left-handed pitching with success.
Unless Cleveland makes a surprise move to add a right-handed hitting outfielder such as Austin Hays or Miguel Andujar, this role may be Martinez’s easiest path to making the big-league roster out of spring training and seeing consistent playing time next season.