Ever since they decided to trade Gold Glover Andrés Giménez, second base has been kind of a controversial position for the Cleveland Guardians.
The team held a competition for it in spring training, with Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann being crowned the winners.
Arias has been amazing since his demotion last summer and has accumulated some gaudy numbers in Triple-A and winter ball.
Doing it at the highest level, in the big leagues, was the biggest test, though.
He didn’t get off to the most promising of starts, and people were losing their patience after years of teasing and not delivering.
Well, the versatile infielder burst out of a four-game hitless streak with a key three-run home run and two additional hits on Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
“Final: Guardians 7, Royals 0. Gabriel Arias went 3-for-4 with a 3-run homer, and Angel Martínez went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs and ended the game with a diving catch in center. Cleveland is 7-6,” Guardians insider Tim Stebbins posted on X.
Final: Guardians 7, Royals 0
Gabriel Arias went 3-for-4 with a 3-run homer, and Angel Martínez went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs and ended the game with a diving catch in center.
Cleveland is 7-6.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) April 12, 2025
As you can see, his three-run shot against the Royals was crucial in the divisional victory.
Arias has quietly brought in some stability to the second base position, at long last.
He is now hitting .256/.318/.436 with a .754 OPS, two homers, four runs, and five RBI.
Since making his MLB debut in 2022, his highest OPS has been .640 in his rookie year.
He is currently well above that mark.
Yes, he can be inconsistent, and yes, he has a long way to go before fans can trust him as a reliable contributor.
However, the Guardians were patient and kept giving him starts, and he kindly paid that patience with a game-winning performance.
NEXT: Guardians Analyst Warns About The Importance Of Beating Division Rival
