The Cleveland Guardians are in dire need of outfield assistance.
The Cleveland Guardians are in dire need of outfield assistance.
Steven Kwan is firmly set as the starting in left field, and he is a Gold Glover, an above-average hitter, and a good runner.
However, the Guards have a terrible 44 wRC+ through Friday’s games, particularly right throughout the outfield.
In baseball, that is the second-worst mark.
Their center fielders have provided a 58 wRC+, also the second-worst number for the position.
Soon, something must be done.
Lane Thomas, the starting center fielder, is preparing to return from a rehab assignment.
However, he wasn’t very reliable while fit, and although Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones have occasionally performed better than average, they are far from reliable.
Petey Halpin is rapidly emerging as a possible candidate after having a stellar season in Triple-A Columbus.
Halpin is 22, homered for Columbus on Friday and is on a tear in his last 13 games.
“Halpin over his last 13 games: 21-52, 13R, 5(2B), 2(3B), 2HR , 6RBI , 6BB, 3SB. AVG .404, OBP .466,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
For the season, Halpin is sporting an impressive 127 wRC+, with a .289/.367/.474 line, with three home runs and four stolen bases.
He is hitting the ball harder than ever and creating a line that is far above average, even though he is striking out about 30% of the time.
Because Halpin is already on the 40-man roster, bringing him up shouldn’t be too difficult, which may help him get some sympathy from the organization.
He is only a phone call away if they think he is ready for a shot.
To remain in the spotlight, he is undoubtedly doing more than enough.
