Through the first six games of the 2026 MLB regular season, the Cleveland Guardians have just three players with four or more hits.

Yet somehow, someway, the team is rallying to find ways to win games.

Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter has carried much of the load, hitting four home runs in his first three major league games. Alongside him, elite defender Steven Kwan has helped fill the gaps with seven hits and two walks. Paired with veteran first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who is batting .400 through four games, the trio has given Cleveland a strong offensive core.

However, outside of those three, the struggles throughout the rest of the roster have become increasingly apparent.

Two who have drawn the most amount of eyes, mainly because they are taking away opportunities from others without producing much, are Gabriel Arias and CJ Kayfus.

Both have begun the year with team lows in many hitting statistics. And unless over the course of the next couple of series, they are able to do a complete 180, their spots on the big league roster may be lost.

The Changes Looming

Through 16 at-bats, Arias has just one measly hit, all while striking out seven times. He has drawn a walk, but that’s not going to make up for the missed opportunities Cleveland has had when he’s in the lineup.

Heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is currently slashing .063/.118/.063 for a total OPS of .181. 

He’s batting towards the tail-end of the lineup, showing the coaching staff’s lack of trust in his abilities at the plate, but often times he’s been put in situations where the Guardians need him to get on base to either score or prolong an inning, and he just hasn’t been able to. There have also been times when he’s challenged a call, for it to be unsuccessful, wasting Cleveland’s limited challenges.

On the fielding side, he’s also been inconsistent.

In the win over the Dodgers on Monday night, 4-2, Arias had a slow chopper come right back at him up the middle, and instead of being able to scoop the ball and throw to first, he missed the ball entirely.

When a player isn’t providing power, the ability to get on base or reliable fielding, it’s hard to argue that he should still be sporting the navy blue and red.

While Kayfus’ situation differs from Arias’, he would likely benefit from spending some time in Triple-A to further develop.

Like Arias, he’s struggling to start the 2026 campaign.

Through just four games played and 10 at-bats, with most of his instances on the diamond coming as a substitute, he still hasn’t been able to get much confidence. He has no hits, but two walks drawn, all while striking out six times.

He does have a higher on-base percentage than players like Arias, Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Daniel Schneemann and even Jose Ramirez, but some of his other issues lie elsewhere.

When playing in the outfield, he’s made numerous mistakes and hasn’t been able to be reliable when a ball comes his way. Against the Seattle Mariners in the two sides’ series finale on Sunday, Kayfus had two very obvious blunders where he was either in the wrong position, or simply missed a ball that came onto his side of the field.

Although he needs time to develop, his best fit may be in the minors, where he can adjust to playing in the outfield. It’ll be a much weaker level of pressure, allowing him to make mistakes without it crushing his confidence too much.

If the Guardians are to move on from Arias and option Kayfus back down to Triple-A Columbus, Cleveland’s front office would likely try to bring up two bats who have been playing well lately.

And as long as they have been paying attention, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision.

Both Juan Brito and Petey Halpin have been at the top of their games to begin the minor league season, making them sure-fire additions to the big league roster. They are still going to be raw and questionable, like Kayfus, but the Guardians wouldn’t have to play either out of position.

Time will tell if either Arias or Kayfus will be able to turn back the clock or not, but for now, Halpin and Brito are awaiting a chance to prove their worth on the biggest stage of the game.