This Outfielder Could Be Guardians' Playoff Secret Weapon

The Cleveland Guardians could use Will Brennan in key moments during the playoffs.

May 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Will Brennan (17) celebrates after hitting a walk off three run home run during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The recipe for winning in the playoffs isn't a secret. That said, it's easier said than done. The teams that always go far in October are the ones that get hot at the right time. Just look at the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers from just a year ago.

One Cleveland Guardians player is finding success at the perfect time and could be the team's secret weapon in the playoffs. That is outfielder Will Brennan.

Brennan had a pretty mediocre season in 2024, and there's nothing wrong with that. The 24-year-old finished the year with a .264 batting average, a .697 OPS, and a 97 OPS+. Brennan would go through stretches where he got super hot at the plate but just as quickly got cold, too.

Thankfully, Brennan is going into the playoffs on one of these hot streaks, hitting .351/.385/.405 over the last 15 games of the season.

But that's only part of what makes him a secret weapon for the Guardians. The other piece of this is his ability to come off the bench and impact a game that could be the difference-maker for Cleveland.

Pinch-hitting is not an easy task. Typically, it happens late in a game when a player has been sitting on the bench for hours at a time and is in a high-leverage situation. Brennan was easily one of the Guardians' best pinch hitters last season, and that could come into play in a postseason game.

Brennan appeared in 16 at-bats as a pinch hitter during the regular season. In those appearances, his slash line was .462/.563/.692, and his OPS was 1.255. This includes one home run and four RBI.

Apr 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan (17) hits a home run during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The postseason is filled with substitutions, situational hitting, and manager pinch-hitting in big moments. Brennan may not start every game in the ALDS, but Stephen Vogt knows he has a bat on his bench that can