CLEVELAND -- After slotting Angel Martínez in the leadoff spot on Wednesday, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt noted a few reasons why he liked the 24-year-old there.
“He’s dangerous from pitch No. 1,” Vogt said pregame. “Angel’s got the power. He's ready to swing and everybody knows it, so you’ve got to make a really good first quality pitch.”
Point taken.
Martínez belted a leadoff home run on the fourth pitch from Angels lefty Reid Detmers, helping the Guardians to a 4-2 win and a three-game sweep -- their first of the season.
Martínez hitting first was one of several interesting wrinkles to the Guardians’ lineup. José Ramírez, who’s off to a slow start, batted second for the first time this season, up from his usual No. 3 spot. With a southpaw in Detmers on the mound, slotting Ramírez in there was an opportunity to get the switch-hitter a guaranteed three right-handed at-bats -- his stronger side.
Chase DeLauter hit third for the first time in the Majors. Leadoff man Steven Kwan, who’s also off to a sluggish start, had the day off, giving him two straight when coupled with Thursday’s off-day.
“Just looking at it,” Vogt said, “it was kind of like, ‘Well, let's attack them with two of our better right-handed hitters right out of the chute.’ I’ve been thinking about looking at Hosey in the two hole and Chase in the three hole for a little while anyway.”
It seemed to pay off. Martínez went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ramírez went 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and two stolen bases. DeLauter went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Martínez noted his mindset did not change hitting leadoff, where he made 18 starts in his career. When Detmers dropped a slider low in the zone, he didn’t miss it. Martínez sent it at 106.3 mph and a Statcast-projected 378 feet over the left-field wall.
“They're really good hitters,” Martínez said of Ramírez and DeLauter. “I know that [pitchers are] going to attack me more in the zone. Just gotta be ready for it.”
Ramírez and Kwan have long driven the Guardians’ offense, but have been producing below their standard in the early going. Ramírez entered Wednesday slashing .210/.337/.370 with six home runs in 44 games. Kwan has slashed .206/.311/.265 in 41 games.
“When you're an everyday player like that,” Vogt said of Kwan, “anytime you get an off-day, it's a good day for you to turn off, get your feet up. Trying to get two days in a row can be really beneficial.”
Vogt noted he isn’t concerned about Ramírez, who entered the day with a 16.1 percent walk rate (which would be a career high) and a 14.5 percent strikeout rate (88th percentile in MLB). His 31.1 percent chase rate entering the day was up from 29 percent in 2025.
“He gets pitched differently than anybody else in our lineup,” Vogt said. “And at times, I think it makes him go out of the zone a little bit more. But he's still taking his walks from time to time. I just don't think he's gotten much to drive. I think pitchers are being very, very careful with Hosey.”
Ramírez drew a four-pitch walk in the first inning and was plunked in a seven-pitch sequence in the third. He grounded out in the fifth and seventh while logging exit velocities of 99.8 mph and 104 mph.
Ramírez has made 1,009 starts hitting third compared to 193 starts hitting second. The Guardians experimented with him hitting second early last year, but ultimately, they moved him back to the three-hole.
Whether Ramírez hitting second becomes a trend against lefties, he could get more pitches to drive if DeLauter (who has an .879 OPS in 40 games) is his immediate protection in the lineup.
Kwan has not been his best self so far this season. Vogt said he has been encouraged by his recent at-bats, pointing to his first-inning single on Tuesday, when Kwan lined a changeup located down and away to left field.
“I think we've seen some really good signs from Kwany during this 13-game stretch,” Vogt said. “Kwany’s working and continuing to play great defense. Kwany is one of our best players. We go and he goes.”
Whether we see Martínez, Ramírez and DeLauter atop the order at any point going forward or any of those guys in those spots, it did the trick for the Guardians on Wednesday.
“We're going to keep evaluating where we want to be with the lineup,” Vogt said. “It changes every day. We make it to beat the starter. It worked today. We'll see where we're at on Friday.”