New Arrival: Angel Martinez, of, Cleveland Guardians
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Card: 2022 Topps Heritage Angel Martinez
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Angel Martinez has been a well-regarded hitting prospect in the Cleveland organization since 2000. And since 2022, he has consistently rated in the top 10 of what has normally been a deep Guardians organization.
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Martinez is one of roughly 500 athletic middle infielders the Guard acquired over the last several years, with the hope they would develop as hitters and then settle on a position in either the infield or outfield. In the case of Martinez, he has transitioned to the outfield.
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Since making his major league debut in 2024, he has run hot and cold at the major league level. Last season Martinez got almost 450 at-bats in the big leagues and ended the season with a 74 OPS+. But he had flashes of being something more than just a replacement level player, and he was only 23. You could see why he was a top prospect, and it was hopefully just a matter of time before he put it together.
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And here we are in 2026, and he is hopefully putting it together. On the season, he is carrying a 130 OPS+ (second best on the team) and has already hit nine home runs–well on his way of beating his MLB career best of 11. He still strikes out too much, but with his power and glove you are more than happy to make the tradeoff.