Tyler Naquin always had one of the best arms in Cleveland, as a right fielder.
Now, he’s trying to climb the ladder of the Guardians’ organization as a pitcher.
The 34-year old’s conversion to the mound took a big step on Tuesday when Cleveland announced he’s being promoted from their complex team up to High-A Lake County.
Naquin had touched 96 miles per hour with his fastball in the Arizona Complex League.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Tyler Naquin on the mound in the Arizona Complex League vs the Cubs on Saturday.
Naquin allowed one hit and one walk over a scoreless inning of work.
Statcast has had his fastball up to 95.9 mph out at Goodyear.
Video – TroyCollinsBaseballLife on… pic.twitter.com/sEvzS7uCsW
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 19, 2025
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In Arizona, Naquin made 13 appearances on the mound. He had a 5.14 ERA.
In 14 innings, Naquin allowed eight hits, eight runs, walked 11 and struck out eight. Definitely still a work in progress.
Before this position change, Naquin had played in 562 MLB games across eight seasons as a position player. He has 1,819 plate appearances as an MLB hitter, with 61 homers and a .263 batting average.
But Naquin decided to pursue this new challenge in the game he loves.
There’s a long way to go, but Naquin has moved one rung up the ladder, and Cleveland baseball fans will wait to see what he can do in Lake County.
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