The Cleveland Guardians made the interesting decision to bring back most of a lineup that finished among the worst teams in runs scored last season. Even with that shortcoming, they managed to win the AL Central for a second straight season.
However, it wasn’t easy, as they had to overcome a historic deficit to do so. That’s why it seemed clear they would look to improve that offense during the offseason.
They didn’t, which leaves the burden on their top prospects to provide a boost. In addition, some returning players need to recapture their previous form.
Among them, Guardians veteran outfielder Nolan Jones has been named as the player with the “most to prove” this spring training.
“Cleveland believes in Jones’ potential; it avoided arbitration with him in November (one-year, $2 million deal). But the club has a bevy of young outfielders vying for playing time this spring, and Jones will look to have a strong camp to begin putting last season behind him,” Tim Stebbins wrote.
Jones already has an interesting history with the Guardians. He was a second-round pick by them out of high school in the 2016 MLB Draft. He did not make his major league debut until 2022, and then was traded to the Colorado Rockies following that season.
Two offseasons later, the Guardians reacquired him in a trade. Last season did not turn out like the Guardians or Jones was hoping, as he batted just .211 with an OPS of .600 and five home runs in 403 plate appearances.
That was a huge drop-off from his first season in Colorado, when he batted .297 with a .931 OPS and 20 home runs in 424 plate appearances. He also had 20 stolen bases, and he led the NL with 19 outfield assists.
If he could reach that level of production again, the Guardians would be thrilled. One projection has him batting seventh as their starting center fielder, while another has him on the bench behind prospects Chase DeLauter and George Valera.
Cleveland thought enough of Jones to re-sign him this offseason, and he put in the work this offseason to justify that decision. He also knows this could be a make-or-break year for him as far as his MLB career is concerned.
If he can earn enough at-bats, perhaps Jones can remain a big part of the Guardians’ plans or become an attractive trade target for someone else.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Says 'Sky's The Limit' For One Guardians Player This Season
