Cleveland Guardians 2026 Opening Day roster. Who's in the outfield?
A few late circumstances forced a trio of late decisions. Here's who is expected to make the Guardians' 2026 Opening Day roster.
A rough finale for a starting pitcher and a few injuries shuffled the Guardians ' Opening Day roster plans. The Guardians set their initial roster March 24 ahead of their March 26 season opener against the Mariners in Seattle. Here are the 26 players with which the Guardians will break camp .
Catchers (3): Bo Naylor, David Fry, Austin Hedges Austin Hedges took a pitch off his hand in one of the last Cactus League games, but president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted via Zoom that he's good to go to start the regular season. Infielders (6): Jose Ramirez, Brayan Rocchio, Kyle Manzardo, Rhys Hoskins, Gabriel Arias, Daniel Schneemann The middle infield to open the season will likely look different at some point in 2026, as former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana is banging down the door to the major leagues, assuming he can stay healthy.
Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins figure to see plenty of at-bats between first base and the designated hitter spot. Outfielders (4): Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Angel Martinez, CJ Kayfus George Valera starting the season on the injured list and Nolan Jones struggling through a rough spring training led to both Chase DeLauter — who was among the Cactus League's hottest hitters — and CJ Kayfus both making the Opening Day roster. Jones was unclaimed on waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A.
Stuart Fairchild could potentially join him in Columbus. Steven Kwan could see time in center field and/or left field, giving manager Stephen Vogt a little more flexibility. Starting pitchers (5): Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick Logan Allen was lit up in his most recent spring training outing, which might have played a role in Parker Messick grabbing the fifth and final spot in the rotation to open the season.