Angel Martinez is making a strong early case to be part of Cleveland’s young core. Through the Guardians’ first four series of the 2026 season, the 24-year-old has put up a.895 OPS with two doubles and one home run.
That start matters because Martinez is already established at the big-league level despite making his MLB debut in 2024, and he is still younger than Chase DeLauter, George Valera, CJ Kayfus and Juan Brito. He is also one year older than Travis Bazzana, a reminder that Cleveland’s next wave is still packed with upside. Martinez has nearly 700 career plate appearances, which gives his fast start some real weight.
Stephen Vogt said Martinez “worked tremendously hard” all winter, and said the club saw that work “a little bit in spring.” The numbers back up the manager’s view. Martinez posted a 35.7 percent chase rate and a 17.1 percent strikeout rate through those first four series, a combination that suggests he has been doing more than just hunting pitches early in counts.
The Guardians spent the offseason trying to create more opportunities for that group, which also includes DeLauter, Kayfus, Valera, Brito and eventually Bazzana. Martinez fits that plan in a different way: he is not the newest name in the room, but at 24 he is already the one with the most big-league proof.
The question now is whether this is the start of a fuller breakout or just the latest sign that Cleveland has another young regular on its hands.
