The Cleveland Guardians appear to have struck gold with Tyler Freeman.
Freeman, a former Competitive Balance Round B draft pick in 2017, is not really a home run hitter.
He isn’t a burner, either.
Oh, and he is a natural infielder.
What would you say if we told you that he is currently thriving as the Guards’ starting center fielder?
Because that’s exactly what he is doing.
Myles Straw had been the starter there the last couple of seasons, but the team needed more offense from the position and removed him from the roster.
Instead, they gave Freeman the chance to play the outfield in the spring and the results have been positive.
Cleveland sports reporter Jason Lloyd notes that the Guardians’ experiment so far is working to perfection.
This Tyler Freeman experiment is working out quite nicely
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) April 2, 2024
In 35 innings, the soon-to-be 25-year-old has a Defensive Run Saved, or DRS, and the eye test suggests he has passed with flying colors so far.
Offensively, he already has a homer and a steal, and is hitting a cool .250/.368/.500 with a 154 wRC+ and a .868 OPS.
He is barreling the ball and hitting it hard very often, he is getting on base, and he is playing good defense.
With hard work, talent, and dedication, Freeman added another outfielder to the Guardians’ impressive organizational depth.
That list includes Jhonathan Rodriguez, Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Estevan Florial, Straw, some exciting lower-levels prospects and now Freeman.
Suddenly, the Guardians went from enjoying virtually no production from their center fielders to considering the position an asset, thanks to Freeman.
The Guardians don’t need Freeman to hit 20 homers or steal 30 bases: they need him to keep hitting the ball hard, getting on base, and playing good defense.
That will make his numbers worthy of keeping his current role.
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