This Needs To Be Cleveland Guardians Outfield Plan Moving Forward

The Cleveland Guardians need to explore a Will Brennan-Lane Thomas platoon in right field, given their batting splits.

Apr 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan (17) fields a fly ball to centerfield during the ninth inning by the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians are still looking for answers out of their outfield, even after trading for a proven major league bat at the deadline. Outside of Steven Kwan, no one has proven that they’re ready to be an everyday player.

It’s time for Stephen Vogt to adopt a different plan and go with a true platoon in right field with Will Brennan and Lane Thomas. Both players would benefit from their preferred matchups, which would help Cleveland’s offense in the long run. 

Will Brennan is in the midst of a hot streak but has struggled from the plate at times this season. However, he has found some success against right-handed pitching, posting a .255/.316/.404 slashline. Plus, all eight of his home runs have come against righties as well. 

Aug 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Lane Thomas (8) throws the ball to the infield in the tenth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The same can’t be said for Brennan’s production against lefties. But Cleveland’s latest trade acquisition can help fill in those gaps.

While Brennan may struggle against southpaws, Lane Thomas thrives against them. He’s hitting .316/.395/.889 against lefties this season, which includes three home runs and ten extra-base hits. 

Center field gets a little more complicated with the Guarxians recently optioned Angel Martinez, and this roster move also means that a true Brennan-Thomas platoon may be hard to achieve. While Martinez was struggling from the plate over the last few weeks, bringing him back up to be the primary center fielder at some point this season feels like the best way to extend the lineup on offense. 

Cleveland still has Tyler Freeman and Daniel Schneemann, who can play the outfield, but they have lost some of their consistency from the beginning of the season. While Martinez is in the minors, the days when either Brennan or Thomas play in center field is the perfect time for Jhonkensy Noel to get at-bats as Cleveland’s right fielder. “Big Christmas,” as some call Noel, has given Cleveland some much-needed pop in the lineup, and he deserves more playing time. 

Steven Kwan is in left field, a Brennan-Thomas platoon is in right field, and bringing Martinez back into the fold for center field is easily Cleveland’s best option in the outfield moving forward.