Spring training is about to begin for all 30 Major League teams, and in a matter of days that timeless sound of a baseball smacking firmly into a catcher’s mitt will be heard across camps in Florida and Arizona. Pitchers and catchers on the Guardians’ roster must report to Goodyear, Ariz., no la ter than Feb. 10. Some are already there. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is Feb. 12. Position players are due in camp by Feb. 15. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 17, and four days later the Guardians and Reds open their Cactus League schedule at Goodyear Ballpark. Thirty Cactus League games are on the schedule. Add 162 regular season games, plus what the Guardians hope is a postseason that includes playing in the World Series means Jose Ramirez and his teammates could play 214 games when the final curtain falls on Oct. 31 if the World Series stretches to seven games. “We’re really excited about the young group of hitters that we have and the ones coming,” Manager Stephen Vogt said during a Zoom conference last month. “The weight room has been a big priority for us. “We’re putting in the work as a staff and a group to come up with ways to help these guys get better. And on top of that, we’ve got guys that are going to be going into their second, third year in the big leagues. With that experience and the things that they’ve learned, we feel good about the group of position players that we have. So to ask, do we have enough? We believe we do.” The Guardians finished 88-74 last season and won the AL Central by one game over the Tigers. The Tigers outscored the Guardians, 758-643. The Guardians finished 28th in runs scored, 28th in RBI (621) and 29th in batting average. (.226). The Guards won the division in 2024 with a record of 92-69 and finished 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Kansas City. Pitching and defense carried the Guardians last season. Opponents scored 649 runs, which means the Guardians had a run differential of minus-6 in 2025. No other division champion had a run differential of less than plus-72 (the Mariners). “We need to be better offensively,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Jan. 29 at the news conference announcing a contract extension for Ramirez. “We were not good enough last year offensively. “Our belief, though, is that we can get better and will get better through the players that are within the organization.” The Guardians’ 2026 payroll of $83,710,000 is 30th of 30 Major League teams, according to Spotrac. Antonetti said the Guardians will be in position to add salary at the trade deadline. “We all know in the current Major League Baseball Economic system, we are not in a position to compete for top free agents,” Antonetti said. “There were some players we targeted that fit a very defined role on our team, but we weren’t able to get them, and it wasn’t a financial reason. It was more about playing time because we wanted to give those young players opportunities. “We’ve always had the flexibility to address the needs during the season. And if that’s the way the season shakes out, then I’m confident we’ll have the resources to improve the team at that point.” Instead of making the offense better, the Guardians chose to fortify the bullpen by signing Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman. The Guardians are counting on Chase DeLauter to play center and provide some power in the outfield.  Kahlil Watson, a player acquired from the Marlins in 2023 for Josh Bell, will get time in the outfield in spring training. Watson was playing High-A ball with Beloit when the trade was made. Other young players Vogt and Antonetti referenced include George Valera, C.J. Kayfus, Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio. Kyle Manzardo will be in his second full season at first base. Second baseman Travis Bazzana, chosen with the first pick of the 2024 draft, will be in spring training, but he is expected to start the season in Triple-A Columbus. Other young players are on the verge of being part of the 26-man roster. Keith Law of The Athletic recently ranked the Guardians farm system fifth-best with this explanation: “I thought the Guardians’ system was going to start to slide in these rankings given the loss of some of their key development people, including director of player development Rob Cerfolio, and their drop towards the back of the first round last year after they picked first in 2024. It’s not showing up yet, at least, as they still have a lot of depth on both sides of the ball. “They might not have a true star in the mix, but they have a long list of position-player and pitching prospects who should be major-league 50s (average, so think an everyday player or No. 3 or No. 4 starter, but not a star) for a while, and give the team both a surplus from which to trade or the flexibility to trade some major-league players to restock the system. “Travis Bazzana, the first pick in 2024, may not be the impact player they expected, but they went under-slot for him and used the savings on a big group of high school pitchers, two of whom have already shown themselves to be legitimate starter prospects (Joey Oakie, on the top 100, and Braylon Doughty).” He gave the Brewers, Dodgers, Mariners and Pirates higher rankings in that order. I didn’t know that … until I read my Snapple bottle cap. Butterflies taste with their feet. They land on a plant and use their feet to determine whether it is a suitable place to lay their eggs. … The brain takes up about two percent of a human’s weight but uses about 20 percent of its energy. … 72 muscles are required to produce speech in humans. … A bolt of lightning can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is five times hotter than the surface of the sun. … A group of porcupines is called a prickle. … There is a word for a fear of vegetables — lachanophobia. ...read more read less