Guardians Opinion: Will Brennan Needs To Develop This At The Plate

Originally posted on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider
By Tommy Wild | Last updated 11/30/23

The biggest question facing the Cleveland Guardians this offseason has to do with what they'll do with their outfield. Sure, this position group was largely positive on the defensive front, but the offense was a different story.

We've said time and time again how badly this outfield group needs to add a power hitter to their lineup. Cleveland had the fewest home runs in baseball this season, and the second-fewest in 2022.

One way that Will Brennan can establish himself as a mainstay in the right or center field is if he works on developing more power with his bat.

Brennan had an up-and-down first full season in the Big Leagues but finished with a slash line of .266/.299/.356. Overall, not too bad of a stat line, but this newly put-together coaching staff needs to help him add some pop.

The right fielder ranked in the 3rd percentile in average exit velocity, 3rd percentile in barrel%, and 7th percentile in hard-hit%, per Baseball Savant. This resulted in five home runs, 24 doubles, and 41 RBI for Brennan.

The end of 2022 was a small sample size, but these numbers for Brennan stayed pretty consistent with what we saw during that stretch, too.

Brennan is a smart hitter. His strikeout and contact rate prove that. However, in 2024, it's time for him to start being a little more selective with his pitches, prioritizing the ones he can hit over the fence.

It's on Brennan to develop this part of his game, but it's also the coaching staff to help him unlock this part of his game. The potential is certainly there, and seeing him add it to Cleveland's lineup would be a fantastic plus for everyone.

This article first appeared on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: