David Fry became a key player for the Cleveland Guardians during the 2024 season. Before he hit a walk-off home run in the ALCS, Fry established himself as one of the best right-handed hitters, and his defense and consistency kept him in Cleveland’s lineup.

Unfortunately, Stephen Vogt couldn’t use Fry the way he would’ve liked to in 2025. Fry missed the first few months of the season after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. Even when he was back in Cleveland’s lineup, Fry was limited to just a designated hitter and couldn’t play the field.

It was overall an awkward year for Fry, who had to change his preparation and training to solely focus on

However, heading into the 2026 season, Cleveland’s skipper is expecting Fry to be back in a super-utility role for the Guardians, which could do wonders for the lineup, especially against left-handed pitching.

“David healthy, him being able to catch and play the field a little bit, too, probably. It just adds a completely different dynamic to our team, and I think it’s going to alleviate a lot of the pressure he was putting on himself to only produce at the plate for really over a year,” said Vogt.

“I mean, you think about the second half of 24, he could only really DH as well. So David, having a full letter, healthy, completed the rehab. It’s going to be really exciting to be able to use him the way his skill set is intended to.”

The Guardians clearly expect Fry to have an important role on the team next season and fill one of the team’s biggest voids: production against left-handed pitching.

Fry has a career .726 OPS in the regular season since making his debut during the 2023 season. Even better, the right-handed hitter owns a .807 OPS against southpaws. Considering Cleveland

With Fry being able to move around the diamond and even catch some innings behind home plate, the Guardians could be adding an impact bat into the lineup without needing to spend any money in free agency or giving up any prospects in a trade.