Guardian minor league in the World Baseball tournament


Israel starter Ryan Prager got off to an impressive start, retiring the top of the Dominican lineup in order. But there were warning signs, namely loud outs made by Ketel Marte (97 mph exit velocity) and Juan Soto (99.3 mph) that must have stuck with Prager.

Prager, a left-hander drafted by the Guardians in the ninth round last summer, walked three of the first four hitters he faced in the second, loading the bases. Agustín Ramírez struck out, giving Prager a chance to escape the jam, but Geraldo Perdomo drew a walk – the fourth of the frame – forcing home the game’s first run.

Tatis wasn’t looking to walk as he stepped to the plate.

Prager actually got ahead of Tatis, 1-2, but his fourth pitch caught too much of the plate, allowing Tatis to rip it over the Israeli bullpen and into the left-field seats. Tatis admired his shot before flipping his bat, setting off a celebration among the thousands of Dominican fans in attendance – and his teammates, many of whom poured out of the dugout to welcome him home for what has become a home run tradition for the team this week.

Here’s the Guardians’ Spring Breakout roster (Thu., 2 p.m. ET)

Notable position players

The Guardians’ position player pool includes three of their top six prospects on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 list: shortstop Angel Genao (No. 3 prospect, No. 66 overall), first baseman Ralphy Velazquez (No. 4, No. 89) and catcher Cooper Ingle (No. 6, No. 99).
Among other position players, there is 2025 first-round Draft pick Jace LaViolette (No. 9 prospect) and second-round selection Dean Curley (No. 14). Outfielders include Juneiker Caceres (No. 11), Jaison Chourio (No. 12) and big league camp standout Kahlil Watson (No. 15).
The roster does not include Travis Bazzana (Cleveland’s No. 1 prospect, No. 20 overall), who was in camp as a non-roster invitee this spring. Chase DeLauter (No. 2, No. 46) is also not included; he is set to claim a spot on the Guardians’ Opening Day roster.

Notable pitchers

Braylon Doughty (the Guardians’ No. 8 prospect) and Joey Oakie (No. 10) are among nine pitchers on the Guardians’ roster. Both pitched for Single-A Hill City (formerly Lynchburg) last season. Doughty recorded a 3.48 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings over 22 starts, while Oakie had a 2.22 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings over six starts.

Among other pitchers are Josh Hartle (No. 27) and Yorman Gómez. The Guardians acquired Hartle from the Pirates in the Dec. 10, 2024, trade involving Spencer Horwitz. He had a 2.54 ERA over 24 starts with High-A Lake County and Akron this past season. Gómez was added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster in November after he logged a 2.96 in 27 games (including 15 starts) between Lake County and Akron in '25.

PITCHERS (9)
Braylon Doughty, RHP, No. 8
Joey Oakie, RHP, No. 10
Josh Hartle, LHP, No. 27
Yorman Gomez, RHP, NR He's on most other Top 30 lists and made a recent "Breakout Pitcher: list at Baseball America
Magnus Ellerts. RHP, NR releiver
Matt Jachec, RHP, NR reliever
Jack Jasiak, RHP, NR releiver
Luis Flores, LHP, NR
Matt Wilkinson, LHP, NR

CATCHERS (2)
Cooper Ingle, C, No. 6/MLB No. 99
Jacob Cozart, C, No. 20

INFIELDERS (6)
Angel Genao, SS, No. 3/MLB No. 66
Ralphy Velazquez, 1B/OF, No. 4/MLB No. 89
Dean Curley, INF, No. 14
Gabriel Rodriguez, SS/3B, No. 21
Dauri Fernandez, INF, No. 23 [Terry Pluto's minor league breakout pick]
Nolan Schubart, 1B/OF No. 28
Jose Devers, SS, NR
Milan Tolentino, SS, NR

OUTFIELDERS (8)
Jace LaViolette, OF, No. 9
Juneiker Caceres, OF, No. 11
Jaison Chourio, OF, No. 12
Kahlil Watson, OF, No. 15
Alfonsin Rosario, OF, No. 16
Robert Arias, OF, No. 22
Wuilfredo Antunez, OF, NR
Nick Mitchell, OF, NR

Of note: Parker Messick (the Guardians’ No. 5 prospect, No. 95 overall) is not on the roster given he is vying to make the Opening Day rotation. Neither is Daniel Espino (No. 18), who missed most of the past four seasons due to injuries. The Guardians are being strategic with his ramp-up this spring.

Jace LaViolette




Rising prospects poised to remedy Guardians' power problem

March 18th, 2026

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Guardians captured the American League Central title for the third time in four seasons in 2025. But they also ranked in the bottom three in the AL in home runs for the third time in four years and once again had difficulty generating enough offense to advance deep in the playoffs.

Scoring runs in the postseason may not be a problem for much longer. After targeting hit-over-power types in the Draft and on the international market for several years, Cleveland has assembled perhaps its best collection of power prospects since Albert Belle, Brian Giles, Manny Ramirez, Richie Sexson and Jim Thome were percolating through the system in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Guardians have five position players on MLB Pipeline's current Top 100 Prospects list, all of whom are gifted hitters. Second baseman Travis Bazzana (Cleveland's No. 1 prospect, No. 20 overall in MLB), outfielder Chase DeLauter (CLE No. 2, MLB No. 46) and first baseman Ralphy Velazquez (CLE No. 4, MLB No. 89) -- all former first-round picks -- pack considerable power as well.

In the last couple of years, Cleveland has begun to collect more players who stand out more for their pop than their ability to make contact. It drafted four hitters in the top three rounds last July who fit that profile: outfielders Jace LaViolette, Aaron Walton and Nolan Schubart and infielder Dean Curley. It also traded Eli Morgan to the Cubs for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario in November 2024 after he ranked fourth (minimum 400 plate appearances) in the Single-A Carolina League in both homers (16) and strikeout rate (32.2 percent) in his first full pro season.

"Some of our guys like Chase DeLauter have good swing decisions and contact and also impact the baseball," assistant GM James Harris said. "But you look at our Draft last year, and we went for some guys who make less contact and have big power. We're valuing impact a little bit more because we just didn't have it. We've added more guys with big bodies and impact, and we'll try to improve their contact."

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound LaViolette set Texas A&M records for career homers (68) and walks (169) during three years in College Station. He possessed as much raw power as anyone in the 2025 Draft but also came with in-zone swing-and-miss concerns. He entered last year as a potential No. 1 overall pick before a down season that ended with a broken left hand made him available to the Guardians at No. 27, where he signed for an over-slot $4 million.

"I don't know if there are many guys as physical as Jace in baseball," Harris said. "He's behind only Stuart Fairchild as the second-fastest guy in our camp. There aren't many body types like that in baseball. He looks fast and healthy again. We've very excited to get him out there in games."

More physical than most infielders at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Curley also endured an inconsistent 2025 college season that dropped him from a projected mid-first-rounder to the second round, where he landed an over-slot $1,773,905 bonus. The Tennessee product has plus raw power and well above-average arm strength, but he scuffled offensively and defensively last spring and in his brief pro debut in Single-A.

"We probably made more adjustments with Dean than with anyone else," Harris said. "He went out, and he was very aggressive. We're trying to help him settle down a little bit, ID which pitches he can drive and attack those. It's more an approach issue than a swing issue."

The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Walton (Arizona State) and 6-foot-5, 223-pound Schubart (Oklahoma State) also are physically imposing and have track records of hitting for power in college. In his first season with his new organization, the 6-foot, 222-pound Rosario tied for second in the system with 21 home runs (one homer behind the leader, Velazquez) and cut his K rate to 27.5 percent.

Camp standout: Chase DeLauter

Since the Guardians selected him 16th overall out of James Madison in 2022, DeLauter has displayed one of the best combinations of size (6-foot-3, 235 pounds), athleticism, production and patience in the Minors. He has slashed .302/.384/.504 but has played in just 138 games because of foot, hamstring, core muscle and hamate injuries.

Though DeLauter has yet to make his regular-season MLB debut, he did start two games in the Wild Card Series last October. He's raking at a .393/.433/.643 clip in Cactus League action and looks like he'll win Cleveland's starting right-field job.

"We're managing Chase's workload to ramp him up slowly so when he's full go, he can take off," Harris said. "He was our starting center fielder in the playoffs, so he's good enough to be there. He handles the bat with maturity and has been crushing balls this spring. There's not much more he has to do other than to be consistent and stay healthy."

Spring Breakout sleeper: Kahlil Watson

A candidate to go No. 1 overall to the Pirates on a discount deal in 2021, Kahlil Watson lasted 16 picks amid signability and makeup concerns. In his first full year as a pro with the Marlins, he hit .233 with a 35.5 percent strikeout rate and got demoted for a month after making a threatening gesture to an umpire, then joined the Guardians in the Josh Bell trade the following August. He has moved from the infield to the outfield and steadily improved at the plate since changing organizations, batting .250/.346/.467 with 16 homers and 17 steals in 102 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

"Last year was Kahlil's first full year of playing center field, and he was making plays based on athleticism," Harris said. "Now he understands positioning and angles, and it's special. He keeps getting better at the plate too. He has a big body, and he impacts the baseball."

Breakout potential: Joey Oakie

Iowa's highest-drafted prep pitcher since Mitch Keller in 2014, right-hander Joey Oakie signed for a well over-slot $2 million as a third-rounder in ‘24. He featured one of the best sliders in his Draft class, as well as a lively fastball that topped out at 97. After battling his control in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League at the outset of his pro debut last year, he locked back in and posted a 2.22 ERA with a 31 percent strikeout rate in six Single-A starts.

"Joey looks really good," Harris said. "His fastball has been up to 99 mph and his slider always has been good, and it's a little firmer, around 87. We're introducing a changeup. He's focusing more on attacking the zone."

Bounceback candidate: Jaison Chourio

Outfielder Jaison Chourio ranked No. 60 on the Top 100 Prospects list entering last season, but a strained right shoulder sidelined him for a month and led to a disappointing .235/.380/.284 slash line in 79 High-A games. The younger brother of Brewers star Jackson Chourio, he showed the potential for four solid or better tools -- everything but power -- while winning the Single-A Carolina League MVP Award in 2024.

"Jaison is healthy now," Harris said. "He has separated his path from his brother's path. Jackson flew through the Minors and signed a big extension at a young age. Jaison understands he's good but he's on a different path. He might be a better defender and a better pure hitter than his brother."

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 3/27/26

Brito collects three hits; Bazzana gets on the board with a double

Arthur Kinney

Mar 28

SCOREBOARD

Iowa Cubs 5, Columbus Clippers 2 (Statcast)

HIGHLIGHTS

Juan Brito (3B): 3-5, 1 R, 2 2B - For the most part, the Clipper offense didn’t get off to the best start to the season. Brito was a notable exception, recording two of the Clip Show’s three doubles as part of an impressive three-hit opener.

Cooper Ingle (C ): 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K - Ingle, another of the three Clippers to reach thrice on Tuesday night, drove in both Columbus runs on his seventh-inning single. He also got two ball calls overturned to strikes behind the plate and also as a hitter from a strike to a ball, earning one of his walks. So he’s 3/3 this year on ABS challenges already.

Stuart Fairchild (CF): 1-3, 2 BB, 1 K - Fairchild rounded out said trio with an Opening Day marked by hard contact, including a 104.6 MPH third-inning lineout to center and a 103.6 MPH single in the seventh.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Kahlil Watson (LF): 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Watson did a little bit of everything in an impressive start to his 2026 campaign.

Nolan Jones (DH): 1-4, 1 BB, 3 K - While Jones did post a hat trick of strikeouts, he topped the game’s exit velo leaderboard (both teams) at 107.4 MPH on his lone hit of the contest.

Travis Bazzana (2B): 1-5, 1 2B, 2 K - Bazzana recorded a double in his first official professional game played in the month of March.

Ryan Webb (SP): L (0-1), 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 2 K - Webb never got a chance to correct his control issues (27 balls out of 50 pitches) as his fourth pitch of the third frame hit him in his pitching arm, leading to his removal from the game.

Tommy Mace (RP): 2.1 IP, 3 BB, 2 WP, 5 K - Webb was also a mess early (nine balls - two of them wild pitches - in 15 third-inning pitches), likely due to coming in unexpectedly after Webb’s injury, but recovered from a leadoff walk in the fourth to strike out the next three batters in order.

Steven Perez (RP): 1 IP - Perez’s eighth was the only three-up, three-down inning the Clippers would get on Opening Day.

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Top Prospect Brito Gets Three Hits in Opener

Published on March 28, 2026 under International League (IL)
Columbus Clippers News Release

DES MOINES, IA - The Columbus Clippers opened the 2026 campaign in Des Moines with a matchup against the Iowa Cubs. Despite a late surge, the Clippers fell in the season opener, 5-2.

One of the team's brightest prospects, Juan Brito, led the way offensively with three hits including a pair of doubles. He crossed home plate in the 7th, as a part of a two-run rally that fell short of giving the Clippers what they needed to outpace the Cubs.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb (0-1) lasted 2.0 innings, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts and four walks.

Cleveland's top overall prospect Travis Bazzana, who played for Australia in the recent World Baseball Classic, laced an 8th inning double on Friday for the ClipShow.

The Clippers continue the series in Iowa on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4:08pm eastern. The first home game of the 2026 season is a Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night on March 31.

https://www.milb.com/gameday/clippers-v ... lbcom-milb

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