HOUSTON – As the Cleveland Guardians prepare to open the second half of the Major League Baseball season, they do so in what has become a familiar position – chasing an American League Central Division title while holding one of the three American League wild card positions.
 
In the middle of yet another postseason push is former Northwestern State star David Fry.  Now in his third full season at the MLB level, Fry has found himself as an integral part of the Guardians' culture, mirroring the type of impact he had during his four-year Demon career.
 
Despite being among the top five current Guardians in terms of service time and tenure with the team, Fry waffles on exactly how to describe where he stands on the newcomer-to-veteran scale.
 
"Not that I've been in the big leagues that long, because I really haven't, but in our clubhouse, I feel like we have a bunch of young guys to where yes (I feel like a veteran)," Fry said ahead of a June series opener against the Houston Astros. "Even our older guys like Rhys (Hoskins), (Shawn) Armstrong – he's been here before, but it's his first year back. So, yeah, I feel like one of the older guys but maybe not a veteran."
 
Fry appeared in 46 games in the first half of the season, homering six times in 128 at-bats while providing the same versatility he first flashed across his four-year Demon career from 2015-18. While at Northwestern, Fry started games at first base, second base, third base and catcher.
 
Through the Guardians' first 97 games, Fry has been deployed in right field (18), left field (16), catcher (9), third base (2) and first base (1). Fry's ability – and willingness – to play multiple positions have made him an excellent fit for a Cleveland franchise that has succeeded by working the margins of player development and positional flexibility.
 
"The guy is an absolute freak athlete," Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges told MLB.com following a July 1 win against Texas. "It's fun to watch a guy like David that can just be like, 'Give me a role, throw me in there.'
 
"It's inspiring for a lot of the young guys on our team to be a yes man, like, 'Yes, I'm ready for any situation,' because that's what he does."
 
Fry and Hedges have built a kinship across their two-plus seasons as teammates in Cleveland. Their shared leadership has been even more important for the Guardians, who lost longtime team leader Jose Ramirez to a broken wrist on June 13.
 
Fry's position within the Cleveland clubhouse is as solid as it is with the Cleveland fans.
 
"He's been an unbelievable teammate, an unbelievable person and player," said catcher Patrick Bailey, a two-time Gold Glover who joined the Guardians in a May trade from San Francisco.
 
"We've gotten along pretty great. It's made me feel right at home and welcome with open arms. I feel like that's been the biggest thing that I've noticed is the culture they create."
 
That culture has pushed the Guardians into another season of contention as they enter Friday's game against Pittsburgh in a virtual tie for the AL Central lead.
 
Fry likened the clubhouse atmosphere in Cleveland to that of the one he helped create alongside his classmates Kwan Adkins, Dan Hlad and Kelsey Richard in Natchitoches.
 
"I don't know that you ever get comfortable in the big leagues, but you get familiar with the group, the coaches, the trainers and everybody," Fry said. "It's cool when you're the person, when guys come up, you can say, 'Let me help you out. This is what helped me when I first came up.' You have those experiences where guys can lean on you. It's fun to be that guy who helps. When you've been here four years, you have those guys – just like at NSU – that you know like the back of your hand. You know when to push a guy, when to mess around, and it just makes it a really fun clubhouse."
 
Fry's standing in the clubhouse has been solidified by his relative longevity in the organization while his place in the hearts of Cleveland fans was burnished by a memorable 2024 season in which he landed an All-Star berth and delivered two mammoth postseason home runs, including a walk-off, two-run blast against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
 
Fry missed the Guardians' 2025 playoff run after taking a 99 mph fastball from Detroit's Tarik Skubal on Sept. 28. The resulting facial fractures cost Fry the end of the season and the playoff run.
 
Whether he has been a postseason hero or recovering from a late-season injury, Fry has had one constant in his corner – his family, which includes his wife, Rebekah, an NSU alumna, and daughters Evelyn and Harper. Their support has allowed Fry to roll with the punches and celebrate the biggest moments in his career.
 
"Rebekah, I don't know how she does it," Fry said. "Two-on-one flights with the girls, and a lot of times where she's herding the girls, she works her butt off, but she loves it, and she's really good at being a mom. The easiest way to flush a game – whether it was good or bad – you see your two girls and it's like, "All right, it's time to play dress up with the Barbies,' and completely forget about what just happened 20 minutes ago.
 
"It's huge. I wouldn't trade any of it. We're blessed enough that they get to be with me full time, which is so amazing. One hundred and sixty-two (games), how do you get from game to game? In the moment, whether it's good or bad, you're going to have emotions. You're going to be super excited if it's good. You're going to be bummed if it's not going well, but how do you get to the next night? When you have two girls, you don't have time to overthink your swing or what could I have done differently on this play? You're having to be Dad. That makes it a lot easier to get to the next day."