The Cleveland Guardians badly need outfield help.
Steven Kwan is firmly entrenched as the starter in left field, and he is a Gold Glover, an above-average hitter, and an excellent runner.
Across the outfield, in right, the Guards have gotten a horrible 44 wRC+ through Friday’s games, though.
That’s the second-worst mark in baseball.
Their center fielders have yielded a 58 wRC+, also the second-worst mark for the position.
Something needs to be done soon.
Starting center fielder Lane Thomas is in a rehab assignment, getting ready to return.
He wasn’t very solid when healthy, though, and while Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones have flirted with above-average performance for stretches, they are anything but consistent.
Petey Halpin, having an excellent campaign in Triple-A Columbus, is quickly shaping up as a potential option.
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.
Halpin over his last 13 games:
21-52 13R 5(2B) 2(3B) 2HR 6RBI 6BB 3SB
AVG .404
OBP .466 https://t.co/Vt8BckWgd3— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 17, 2025
For the season, Halpin is sporting an excellent 127 wRC+, with a .289/.367/.474 line, with three home runs and four stolen bases.
Yes, he is striking out close to 30 percent of the time, but he is hitting the ball harder than ever and producing a well above-average line.
Something that could help Halpin get some consideration in the organization’s eyes is the fact that he is already a part of the 40-man roster, so calling him up shouldn’t be so complicated.
Whenever they consider him ready to get a shot, he is just a call away.
He is certainly doing more than enough to stay on the radar.
NEXT: Report: Guardians Had Interest In Mets Star
