Angel Martinez is having a career-best year for the Cleveland Guardians.
With just a handful of games left to play in the regular season, the Cleveland Guardians’ home run leader isn’t who you’d think it is.
No, it’s not Jose Ramirez, as he’s dealt with a hamstring injury for the majority of the year. It also isn’t Chase DeLauter, even though he had four home runs in Cleveland’s first three games. Kyle Manzardo would have been a good guess at the start of the season, but he’s currently at Triple-A.
The player on Cleveland’s roster with the most long balls this year is Angel Martinez, and that just scratches the surface of the impact he’s had on this team during the 2026 season.
Martinez came into the season as a solid platoon option for the Guardians against left-handed pitching. Hitting southpaws was where the 24-year-old shined during the 2025 campaign.
The switch-hitter has still been one of Cleveland’s best hitters against lefties, but he’s also elevated his game to being an overall threat in the lineup, no matter what pitcher is on the mound.
Martinez, overall, has a .759 OPS this season, which is on track to be a career-high by a wide margin. It also ranks second on the team, only trailing DeLauter’s .820.
Jun 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Angel Martinez (1) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesMartinez has also been one of Cleveland’s best hitters during their final playoff stretch, with a .324/.360/.600 slash line, including 21 RBI over his last 30 games.
These numbers include his two home runs from each side of the plate during Cleveland’s win over the Athletics on Saturday night.
Martinez has done all of this while dealing with injuries throughout the season. He missed over a month earlier with a foot fracture, and most recently sat out a handful of games with flank soreness.
Another layer of Martinez’s impact is how he’s been able to seamlessly move around the outfield and still be largely positive at whatever position he’s been. His arm value is in the 83rd percentile, with his arm strength in the 91st percentile.
“Angel is having a phenomenal year,” manager Stephen Vogt said.
“The injury earlier in the year is unfortunate; Obviously, we missed him. But he’s swung the bat well from both sides of the plate… He's a super dynamic player, and we know that he's multidimensional.”
Cleveland was likely hoping, coming into the season, that Martinez could make an impact in a small role. Instead, he’s carved out a spot as an everyday player while also being a building block for the future.
