Myles Straw was a fantastic defensive center fielder and could run like the wind.
He couldn’t hit, though, so the Cleveland Guardians decided to move forward with Tyler Freeman, a career infielder up until that point, as their regular center fielder in spring training.
Freeman has had his ups and downs, but he is already showing much more power and offensive upside than his predecessor.
In fact, he is also proving to be a capable fielder in center.
All things considered, the Guards have to be happy with the switch.
On Friday against the Oakland Athletics, he showcased his improving power and his impressive athleticism in center field, all in one game.
In the top of the second inning, he did this on a ball hit deep into the outfield:
Tyler Freeman, centerfielder.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/9K29EgShX6
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 19, 2024
He took a good jump and ran the right route, so credit to him for doing what a centerfielder is supposed to do.
The athletic sliding catch was a bonus: in all fairness, not every centerfielder can make that play.
Then, in the bottom part of that frame, he did this:
Tyler Freeman, power hitter.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/rNBjmt41xr
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 19, 2024
The quick wrists and bat control were top-notch: he did the best he could with the pitch he was presented with, and the contact quality was good enough for the ball to leave the yard.
Freeman is not lighting the world on fire, but has three doubles, three home runs, 10 runs, 10 RBI and a .703 OPS.
That’s much, much better than what the team had been getting from its centerfielders in the last two years.
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