The Cleveland Guardians have one of the biggest feel-good stories of the season.
Tyler Naquin is trying to work his way back to the majors.
This time, however, he’s doing it on the mound instead of the outfield.
Naquin spent four years with the team, playing in their outfield from 2016 to 2020.
With that in mind, the 34-year-old veteran opened up on his transition and what it’s been like to take the mound now (via Lake County Captains):
“Honestly, it was a very, it was a very short brief moment. I was in a parking lot where I was training with Clay Tillman. Just kind of looking, just chatting it up in the truck and I said, ‘You know why don’t we just try to pitch now?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ So we grabbed a glove and started playing catch. I mean, it was as simple as that. Being able to throw any pitch at any time is definitely a weapon, just from facing elite pitchers for a long time. It’s a comfortable feeling, especially being on the other side. Like, now I know, if I’m landing stuff, I’m now in control. I’m not reactionary. Obviously, some pitches will be based off other pitches and set-up pitches, and stuff like that, but it’s a good feeling being out there,” Naquin said.
after 8 years in the outfield, he’s taking the hill.
the comeback all of Cleveland is rooting for.
tyler naquin.
🎥 watch the full interview on our youtube: https://t.co/NDiBak72jx pic.twitter.com/mLZbzDKHmE
— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) August 8, 2025
Of course, it’s never simple to make this type of adjustment, which is why Naquin has been working tirelessly to master his craft, and he’s getting better by the day.
Given his strong arm, it’s not much of a surprise to see him throwing some heat.
He ranked in the 90th percentile in arm strength for most of his career, and he made some huge throws as an outfielder.
Now, with nearly 1,700 at-bats in his career, he certainly knows a thing or two about being on the other side of the ball, and that should come in quite handily as a pitcher.
Naquin began the season at the Arizona Complex League before taking his talents to the High-A Lake County Captains early in July.
He’s logged seven appearances there with a 2.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, five strikeouts, and four walks in 9.0 innings.
He still has a long way to go before getting back to the majors, if ever, but he’s certainly trending in the right direction right now.
NEXT: Guardians' Playoff Chances Make Notable Jump Since July
