Guardians Season in Review: Nolan Jones

Nolan Jones emerged as one of the most questioned players on the Guardians’ 2025 roster. Many fans would likely pick him as their least favorite non-gambler Guardian that season.

2025 Season Performance

Jones posted a .211/.296/.304 slash line in 2025, translating to a 72 weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+). Among major league outfielders with at least 400 plate appearances, he ranked second-worst by wRC+, surpassed only by Brenton Doyle, known for his strong defense in center field.

Angel Martinez was slightly ahead with a 74 wRC+, highlighting the offensive struggles of the Guardians’ outfield. Daniel Schneemann also ranked poorly, at fifth-worst with a 79 wRC+.

Underlying Metrics and Potential

Interestingly, Jones's expected weighted on-base average (wOBA), which assesses the quality of batted balls, was fifth best on the team at .308. This metric corresponds to approximately a 98 wRC+.

If Jones had matched his expected performance, he would have been an average center fielder and below average in right field, likely achieving around 1 win above replacement.

If that had happened, "we would be potentially talking about if a Jones-Martinez combo in centerfield can be a winning platoon for the team in 2026."

Summary

Nolan Jones's 2025 season showed a clear mismatch between his actual results and expected quality, signaling both offensive struggles and untapped potential for the Guardians’ future outfield strategy.

Author's summary

Nolan Jones's 2025 season combined poor results with promising metrics, suggesting potential for a valuable outfield platoon in 2026 despite offensive struggles.

Covering the Corner — 2025-11-04