Guardians 

7 utility players thriving through their versatility

Kevin
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There are certain players who show up to the ballpark every day with a pretty good idea — if not a total certainty — of where they’ll bat and what position they’ll play.

Then there are players for whom those options are seemingly limitless. These players bring multiple gloves to the dugout and never know exactly how they’ll be used on a given day.

They are the super-utility players of Major League Baseball who have earned that status by not only being able to play multiple positions and bat anywhere in the order, but by being dependable while doing so.

Here are seven players who have thrived in that role and made their managers’ jobs a little bit easier.

All stats below are through Monday.

, Rays
Positions played: 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF

Caballero owns a .314/.400/.514 slash line against left-handed pitchers, but he’s probably too valuable to settle into a platoon role. He’s played five positions, batted in seven different spots in the order and last season led the American League with 44 stolen bases. After playing just one game in the outfield over his first two seasons, the 28-year-old Caballero has played 15 on the grass in 2025. In Spring Training this year, he played center field for the first time as a professional. Caballero has fit in perfectly on a team known for getting the most out of unheralded yet versatile players.

, Reds
Positions played: 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF

A large part of manager Terry Francona’s success, especially during his tenure in Cleveland, has been finding players who can thrive at multiple positions and setting them up for success. So it’s no surprise that the first-year Reds manager has leaned heavily on Espinal, who is rewarding Francona with a splendid season at the plate. Espinal is batting .295 with a .357 on-base percentage, and earlier this season he went 32 plate appearances without a strikeout. He also has not made an error in 64 combined chances at second base, third base and shortstop this season.

“I don’t know if he has to play every day, but I do like the idea because if you’re picking out a lineup, you can get him anywhere,” Francona told MLB.com last month.

, Royals
Positions played: 2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF

Garcia is having a career year, unlocking another level offensively while also becoming indispensable in the field. Garcia showed some versatility last year, but that skill has sharpened in 2025 as he has started his first four big league games as an outfielder, three in center field. Meanwhile, he is on pace to shatter his career highs in most offensive categories. Garcia has batted everywhere in the lineup except second and third and he has an .835 OPS batting fifth, his most frequent slot. Swing changes and timing adjustments have been a catalyst for Garcia tapping into additional power — his 428-foot home run on March 31 was the longest of his career, and he had his first career multihomer game on May 4.

, Tigers
Positions played: 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF

Like those listed above, more positional flexibility has coincided with increased production for the 30-year-old Tiger. Last season, McKinstry spent most of his time on the infield, playing 48 games at shortstop, 38 at third base and 18 at second base. In 2025, McKinstry is getting more time in the outfield, with 23 of his 34 starts coming in either right field or left field. In 66 plate appearances as a right fielder, McKinstry owns a .903 OPS. He also has demolished left-handed pitching, with a .930 OPS in 42 plate appearances against them. McKinstry has been a large part of how Detroit has continued its momentum after a second-half surge led to a 2024 AL Division Series appearance.

, Guardians
Positions played: 2B, 3B, LF, CF, RF

Schneemann, a former 33rd-round pick who turned 28 in January, keeps on surprising. Last year, he went from serving as depth in the Minors to starting a game in the AL Championship Series. This season, he got off to a 1-for-19 start. But since then, he has a 1.004 OPS and nine extra-base hits in 69 plate appearances. Even though he’s made just one error in 85 chances across four positions, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Schneemann eventually locks down a full-time job at one spot, perhaps at second base.

, Rangers
Positions played: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, RF

After winning an AL Silver Slugger for utility players in 2024, Smith has far exceeded last year’s production so far in ’25 while adding two more positions to his repertoire. Smith has seen his first big league action at first base and center field this season and, to continue the pattern, is on track to reach new highs at the plate. Smith’s .316 batting average is 87 points better than his career mark entering the season, and he’s made similar jumps in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Texas has spent the first seven weeks of the season looking for offense, and if the Rangers could find more versions of Smith their problems would probably be solved.

, Phillies
Positions played: 3B, SS, LF, CF

This isn’t Sosa’s first time excelling over the first month and a half of the season. In 2024, he was batting .308/.419/.500 on May 17, covering his first 20 games. This year, Sosa had multiple hits in his first four games and five of his first six on his way to a .333/.380/.422 start. He has found success being utilized a few times a week, but not every day, in multiple positions and just about anywhere in the batting order. Sosa has little variance in platoon splits, so he can be deployed against any pitcher in any situation. The Phillies won’t be moving off Bryson Stott at second base and Trea Turner at shortstop anytime soon, but Sosa is more than capable backing up those positions, with 13 hits in 30 at-bats playing up the middle. He also made an impact with his glove in his first career start as a left fielder earlier this season, coming up with a nifty home run robbery.