GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If you’ve been itching for the start of the 2026 Guardians’ season, manager Stephen Vogt is right there with you.
“I’m ready for practice to be over,” Vogt quipped on Friday. “I want to watch baseball.”
The practice-only portion of Spring Training is complete. The Guardians will return to play on Saturday, when they kick off their Cactus League slate with split-squad action vs. the Reds and on the road against the Brewers.
There are five weeks of Spring Training games ahead of us, but as things get underway, here are some of the top storylines and things to watch.
A new center fielder
You likely won’t see it in Game 1, but Steven Kwan will see time in center field this spring. The Guardians have a flurry of outfielders under consideration for their Opening Day roster, and want to evaluate who could comprise their best alignment. That may mean Kwan, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner in left, slides over to center on occasion (or more) this season, to provide Vogt flexibility with the corner spots.
Kwan playing center this spring indicates he’ll be an option there during the regular season. That means the Cactus League will be crucial as he reacquaints himself with the position, where he's made 152 appearances in the Minors but just eight in the Majors.
Kwan in center is just one wrinkle to the larger outfield camp competition. He’s the only outfielder you can pencil into the mix. Cleveland will get long looks at Chase DeLauter (No. 2 prospect, No. 46 overall), George Valera, Nolan Jones, Angel Martínez, Johnathan Rodríguez and non-roster invitee Stuart Fairchild -- all of whom will get reps in left -- among others.
“If you’re an outfielder in our camp,” Vogt said, “you’re probably going to touch multiple outfield positions.”
Who’s in the rotation?
The Guardians are reverting back to a five-man rotation this season. The one thing we can safely assume is Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams will be their first two starters, in some order. Who comprises the final three spots (between Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick) is what Cleveland must determine the next five weeks, and the competition will quickly commence.
Allen and Cantillo will take the ball Saturday, vs. the Reds and Brewers, respectively, and Messick, Bibee, Williams and Cecconi are tentatively scheduled to follow from Sunday-Wednesday. Don't read too much into the initial order. It may be Allen’s only outing before he departs camp to join Panama for the World Baseball Classic, and Cantillo has been in Arizona longest among the starters getting ramped up.
Cecconi may be on solid footing following a 2025 debut with Cleveland, in which he recorded a 4.30 ERA over 23 starts. The question may boil down to which of the three lefties is the odd man out. Cantillo is out of Minor League options, Messick has three and Allen has one.
ABS in action
The Automatic Ball-Strike system was featured during Spring Training last year, but not the regular season. It’s coming to MLB full-time in 2026, and you may get plenty of chances to see the Guardians’ hitters and catchers use it in the Cactus League as they prepare for its arrival on Opening Day.
“We want our guys to challenge often during Spring Training,” Vogt said. “It's going to help them know where the zone is. It's going to help them know where their zone is, because they're all learning a new strike zone.”
The Guardians have been training for the new normal this week. Hitters have had opportunity to challenge pitches during live batting practice sessions. They received instant feedback from team staffers stationed behind home plate with live access to the strike zone on whether an offering was correctly called.
An extended look at Bazzana
Travis Bazzana (the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect and No. 20 overall, per MLB Pipeline) is in big league camp as a non-roster invitee. He was limited to 84 games this past season by injuries to each of his obliques, and will likely open the season with Triple-A Columbus. But the Guardians want to get a long look at him, certainly given his time missed last year.
Bazzana will leave camp on Feb. 26 to join Australia in Japan for the World Baseball Classic. In the meantime, expect him to receive plenty of playing time. He will play at least three of the first four days, Vogt noted, as Cleveland looks to get him built up for the Classic.
“We’ll see Travis when he’s here, and we’ll see him when he gets back,” Vogt said. “I’m really excited just to get to watch him play.”