Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt understands that he will have to mix and match more than most skippers — that just comes with the territory for a bottom-barrel payroll — but one of his recent decisions is not working out thus far.

Angel Martinez entered a must-win Game 4 with no hits and seven strikeouts in 12 at-bats during the American League Division Series. He remains hitless and now has another K to his playoffs stat line past the midway point of Thursday's clash with the Chicago White Sox. The 24-year-old left fielder whiffed on an Erik Fedde sweeper with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the first inning. He then grounded into a double play in the fourth.

Vogt's line of thinking initially seemed logical for this specific series. The Guardians hit the fourth-fewest home runs during the regular season, while the White Sox recorded the fifth-most. Martinez led Cleveland with 18 dingers, so theoretically, he should have offered plenty of value versus Chicago. Perhaps he still will.

The White Sox escape an early jam unscathed! pic.twitter.com/l7OEwTnTGX

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2026

This October drop-off is brutal for a player who made visible strides in 2026. The switch-hitting Dominican accumulated a .756 OPS in 114 games and was positioned for a productive playoffs after raking in September. He is woefully out of sorts right now, though.

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Instead of giving Petey Halpin a look, Vogt has remained loyal to Angel Martinez, much to the chagrin of many Guards fans. Some of his calls are paying huge dividends, however.

The two-time American League Manager of the Year replaced Austin hedges with Patrick Bailey in the fifth, and the latter promptly rewarded his trust with a solo homer. Franchise keystone Jose Ramirez then put Cleveland on top with a two-run blast later in the inning. The Guardians then coughed up the lead and now trail 4-3 at time of print.

Martinez will try to give this gritty ballclub a season-saving boost before night's end.