3 players most likely to have a breakout season for the Cleveland Guardians

These are three players you should be keeping an eye on this year.

The Cleveland Guardians are back for another season, and after not knowing if or when baseball would return during the year due to the lockout, we now have loads and loads of articles to catch up on. One of those is the “breakout player” of the season speculation.

The Guardians are a young club and have a lot of potential talent to sort through. The club is going to rely on guys who aren’t tested or proven, and that means loads and loads of speculation over what they can do as a major leaguers.

Some will bust, some will need more time and others will take a huge step forward. This is a list of those that may very well take the step forward from “warm body” to “needed asset”.

Three players who are poised for a breakout season in 2022

Steve Kwan

Steve Kwan is someone I’ve been very bullish on since the end of the last season. He puts the bat on the ball and away he goes. He’s done it on every level and is beyond consistent. While I’m not going to say he’s going to hit .350 this season, I very much expect to see him hit near .300, maybe around .285 at least to close out the season. He reminds me very much of Michael Brantley in that regard.

Cal Quantrill

If you only saw him pitch in July after coming out of the bullpen, you probably don’t realize how good Cal Quantrill is. Quantrill may end up the star of the trade, though Josh Naylor, Owner Miller, and Gabriel Arias will surely push that narrative. Quantrill is going to be one to watch this year, especially since he’s beginning the year as a starter, and will have the arm endurance to match the demand. That was an issue he faced last year, adjusting from the pen to the rotation.

Owen Miller

It’s no surprise that Owen Miller struggled last year, especially after having started it off so well in the minors. He was hitting .400 at one before being called up. He outright struggled after that, and then fell off even after he got sent back down to the minors. Miller is a very good prospect but you can tell his confidence was shot after his first stint with the main club. Hopefully, he can figure it out earlier this year and not fall into the same mental traps that derailed his game in 2022.