Guardians Season in Review: Nolan Jones

Nolan Jones, often regarded as the most doubted player on the Guardians' 2025 roster, had a challenging season. Guardians fans might point to him as their least favorite non-gambler Guardian of the year.

2025 Performance Overview

Jones finished with a .211/.296/.304 slash line in 2025, translating to a 72 weighted runs created plus (wRC+). Among major league outfielders with 400 or more plate appearances, he had the second-lowest wRC+, only ahead of Brenton Doyle, a player known for his defensive skills at center field.

Angel Martinez posted a slightly better 74 wRC+, highlighting the offensive struggles in the Guardians’ outfield.
Daniel Schneemann ranked fifth worst with a 79 wRC+, adding to the team’s offensive woes.

Underlying Metrics and Potential

Interestingly, Jones’s expected weighted on-base average (wOBA)—which assesses the quality of batted balls—ranked fifth best on the team at .308. A .308 wOBA roughly equates to a 98 wRC+, suggesting his underlying performance was closer to average.

“Had Jones put up a 98 wRC+, he was roughly an average fielder in center and a below average player in right-field. He would have likely achieved around 1 win above replacement.”

With such numbers, the discussion might shift to whether a Jones-Martinez platoon in centerfield could become a competitive option for the Guardians in 2026.

Summary: Despite a disappointing surface-level performance in 2025, Nolan Jones showed promising underlying metrics that could form the basis for a productive role in the Guardians’ future outfield plans.

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Covering the Corner — 2025-11-04