The Cleveland Guardians are set to play their first regular season game of the 2025 season on March 27th, just 16 days away at the time of writing. Spring training has been well underway for the Guardians of the Land, and it has been an up-and-down preseason for them, boasting a record of 7-10. Do not fret over the record though, there have been plenty of bright spots for the Cleveland Guardians during spring training, and today we will discuss three young players poised for a breakout in 2025.

Bo Naylor, Catcher, 25 Years Old

Bo Naylor was not a great hitter in the 2024 season despite being a strong power batter during his time in the minor leagues. Naylor has shown flashes of getting his hitting up to speed in the major during his time at spring training. In a recent spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Naylor Crushed back-to-back home runs equating to 4 runs for the Guardians. While his batting average is still low at .208, many fans and pundits alike see flashes like the double home run game and have faith that a change from batting coach Chris Valaika to Grant Fink will help not only Bo but all young batters on this team unlock their potential.

Gavin Williams, RHP, 25 Years Old

Gavin Williams has had an up-and-down start to his MLB career, showing promise in the 2023 season before getting injured and delaying his start to the 2024 season. In the 2024 season Williams, a former first-round pick, was shakey at best with a 3-10 record and a 4.86 ERA. Spring training has been much different for Williams However. Gavin has pitched in 8 innings and has a 1.13 ERA with 16 strikeouts. Williams looks poised to keep this output up, and if he can, the Guardians’ lack of starting pitching becomes much less of a concern.

Kyle Manzardo, First Base, 24 Years Old

Kyle Manzardo is easily the most poised for a breakout in 2025. Manzardo has already shown flashes in the majors, hitting a key home run in game 3 against the Yankees in the ALCS last season. However, Manzardo has been lights out in spring training this year, batting .400 on 25 at-bats with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. Manzardo will be a key offensive piece if the Guardians want to follow up their 2024 success, especially with Josh Naylor, a 30-home-run hitter, being traded earlier this year. Whether it be at designated hitter or at first base, look for Manzardo to be a strong hitter for the Guardians in 2025.

If these three young players can step up for the Guardians in 2025, the team looks poised to return to competing with some of the top teams in the American League. However, if they fall short, the trades of Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez could reinforce the narrative of the Guardians being reluctant to spend and parting ways with fan favorites over financial concerns, rather than making smart moves to improve the team. An even worse outcome would be a continued pattern of the Guardians being strong one year and mediocre the next, a situation neither the fans nor the front office wants to see.