Cleveland Sports Forum

Clippers heading to the top of 9th with a 2-1 lead.

No runs in the 9th. Heading to the home half of the 9th still clinging on to that 2-1 lead.

Banda fails to hold the lead. Saints tie it with one run in the bottom of the 9th. Clips head to extra innings with the score tied at 2-2.

Pries starts out at second. Delgado with sacrifice bunt. Pries to 3rd. Nunez singles. Pries scores to put the Clips back in front 3-2. Cedrola ground rule double. Runners on second and third. One out. Myles hits into a fielder's choice. Nunez out at home. Straw advanced to second on indifference. Tena strikes out Swinging for out number 3. Clips head to the bottom of the 10th with a 3-2 lead.

Saints tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the 10th.

Tena starta the 11th inning on at second. Brito singles. Tena scores. Clips take the lead 4-3.

Game over. Saints rally for 2 in the bottom of the 11th for a 5-4 win.

Saints Come from Behind Three Times, Fajardo Wins It with Walk-Off Single in 11th, 5-4

March 31, 2024 - International League (IL)

St. Paul Saints News Release



ST. PAUL, MN - Pitching was the story for most of the day between the Columbus Clippers and St. Paul Saints on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. The Saints trailed in the ninth, 10th, and 11th and came back each time finally winning 5-4 in the bottom of the 11th on a walk-off two-run single by Yoyner Fajardo in front of 3,019. The win improves the Saints to 2-0, the lone undefeated team in the International League.

With the game tied at three in the 11th, the Clippers took a 4-3 lead when leadoff man Jose Brito knocked in the placed runner with a single to right-center.

The Saints had the answer in the bottom of the inning. With Will Holland the pinch runner at second for the placed runner Patrick Winkel, Anthony Prato's infield single to short put runners at first and second. After a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third Alex Isola was intentionally walked with one out. Fajardo came through with a two-run, walk-off single up the middle to end the game.

The game only wound up in extras because the Saints tied it in the ninth after trailing 2-1. Prato was called out on strikes, but challenged the strike three call. The call was overturned and extended his at bat. He made the most of it by singling to left. Prato took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a DaShawn Keirsey Jr. groundout, and scored on Isola's sacrifice fly.

The teams exchanged runs in the 10th with each team scoring the placed runner. The Clippers sacrificed the runner over and Dom Nuñez' RBI single gave the Clippers a 3-2 lead. The Saints scored their placed runner when Michael Helman singled and Jose Miranda scored him on a sacrifice fly.

The pitching was strong all game long and Saints starter Brent Headrick was lights out. After a shaky first inning in which he gave up three hits, but didn't give up a run due to a double play, Headrick settled down.

Headrick struck out the side in the second and the first two hitters in the third before giving his only two runs. Headrick gave up a two-out single in the third to José Tena. That was followed by a two-run homer to left by Brito, his first of the season, giving the Clippers a 2-0 lead. Headrick would strikeout Jonathan Rodriguez to end the inning and fan the first two batters of the fourth before departing. His final eight outs were all strikeouts as he went 3.2 innings allowing two runs on five hits and fanning eight.

The Saints got on the board in the fourth in similar fashion, beginning their rally with two out and nobody on. Patrick Winkel got it started with a single to right-center, Prato walked and the Saints cut the deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single to left by Keirsey Jr.

The bullpen was tremendous as seven relievers combined to go 7.1 innings allowing two unearned runs (both placed runners) on three hits while walking two and striking out seven.

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Prato was called out on strikes, but challenged the strike three call. The call was overturned and extended his at bat

????? Since when can your challenge balls and strikes?

2024 Cleveland Guardians Prospect Scouting Report: #16 OF Jaison Choruio

How high is the ceiling of the younger Chourio brother?

JUSTIN LADA

APR 2











Jaison Chouio Bio

Age (2024 season): 19
Acquired: International Free Agent (2022)
2023 Level: ACL Rookie League/Single-A
Height: 6’1
Weight: 168
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right

Jaison Chourio Stats

PA: 231
AVG/OBP/SLG: .321/.446/.418
2B: 13
HR: 1
SB: 20/22
K%/BB%: 22.5%/19%

Jaison Chourio 2024 Scouting Grades

Hit: 55
Power: 45
Speed: 55
Defense: 55
Arm: 50
Overall: 40
Risk: High
ETA: 2027

Build & Background

Athlethletic build. Solid, standard outfield frame. Has begun to add strength to the frame throughout with a little room for projection to fill out with age. Long legs for size with strong base and arm. Switch hitter with balanced swing and approach from both sides. More pop from left side, more compact from right side.Older brother Jackson is a top prospect with the Brewers that flew through the system to debut before age 20. Signed for $1.2 million out of Venezuela in 2022.

What Chourio Does Well

While Jaison’s brother Jackson has big power, Jaison’s profile is more driven by his feel to hit. It’s more of a contact, above average approach and speed, up the middle profile. Should have enough speed, range and instincts to stay in center. Frame and added strength give him a chance to get to possibly fringe-average power. Enough arm to profile anywhere in the outfield. Tends to use the whole field as a hitter. Line drive swing and more gap-oriented power to go with speed.

Where Chourio Needs to Improve

Even with a more line-drive, gap approach, so far Chourio has a tendency to mis-hit and miss the barrel a lot and hits a lot of grounders and ends up flicking the ball the other way or up the middle when he could pull and do some damage. Power may not be a huge part of his profile, but the opportunity is in there for more. Needs to increase feel for the barrel to compliment approach. Will take some hard hacks. Can get antsy and chase or too aggressive. Does well to lay off non-competitive pitches but will need to be more disciplined against closer stuff and good spin. A lot here lies on the hit tool.


Key Stats

Complex league stats, or anything below Double-A, is incredibly unreliable. But so far we’ll at least note that he was .333/.455/.440 vs. RHP and .279/.415/.349 against lefties. He has more power from the left side. He also ran groundball rates over 50% in the ACL and Single-A, and he’ll want to get the ball off the ground more with his hit tool, even with his speed.

Intangibles

What gives Chourio a chance to reach his ceiling is his plus makeup. Jaison is extremely competitive and driven. He’s also worked hard to learn English and wants to be the best in everything he does. Some of that comes with a friendly rivalry competing against his brother. He has the good baseball bloodlines from his older brother Jackson in Milwaukee too.

Future

Chourio likely profiles as a hopeful top of the order centerfielder. He’ll need to run a good average and contribute with speed and defense. He could be more of a second leadoff hitter in the nine hole with his contact, speed and defense. There is a lot of upside here though if he gets his footing approach wise and continues to grow into the rest of his frame. He’ll start the year in Single-A Lynchburg and hopefully by July or August he pushes his way to Lake County. That puts him on track for another three years or so. I don’t think he’s going to move as fast as his brother Jackson nor will the Guardians be that aggressive with him. But he’s not going to be unprepared due to his work ethic and preparation, which can sink a lot of young players with a lot of talent. It might take some time for him to settle in but if things click, it could be a special profile in the top 10 in a year or two.

Role

40 - High risk, top of the order centerfielder, possibly fourth OF floor

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Cleveland Guardians 2024 Prospect Scouting Report: #15 RHP Franco Aleman

How soon will Aleman force his way to Cleveland in 2024?

JUSTIN LADA

APR 4











Franco Aleman Bio

Age (2024 season): 24
Acquired: 2021 Draft (Round 10)
2023 Level: High-A/Double-A
Height: 6’6
Weight: 235
Throws: Right

Franco Aleman 2023 Stats

G/GS: 39
IP: 55
ERA/FIP: 3.11/2.50
K/BB: 84/18
K%/BB%: 36.1%/7.7%
WHIP: 1.13

Franco Aleman 2024 Scouting Grades

Fastball: 70
Sinker: 55
Slider: 55
Command: 45
Overall: 45
Risk: High
ETA: 2024

Build & Background

Big, powerful frame with lank arms and legs. High waisted. Frame filled out. Lots of strength in lower and upper half. Big, mid near chest-high leg kick with moderate hip turn in delivery. Long arm swing, high 3/4 arm slot. Aleman was signed for $175K after Cleveland drafted him from Florida in the 10th round of the 2021 draft. He bounded around college before Florida. Cleveland converted him to the bullpen last year.

What Aleman Does Well

It’s big, bat missing stuff. His four seam fastball has enough ride and he backs that throwing it 94-98 and tops out at 99. It gets on hitters fast thanks to his extension and size. He also has a sinker that’s more 92-95 that moves down and away from lefties and in on right handers. His slider isn’t far behind, with late, two plane break that gets a lot of chase from right handers. Took a big step forward as a reliever in 2023.

Where Aleman Needs to Improve

Right now, Aleman is more of a control over command type pitcher. He didn’t walk a ton in Double-A when he got there last year in the second half, but mostly due to getting chases and just missing big stuff. He’ll need to make his command a little tiger as he moves up. His long arm swing and effortful delivery contribute to his fringe-command. Cleveland wanted Aleman to improve his conditioning and routine to be able to have better availability. Often times in a six games series in Akron, Aleman would pitch once or twice in a series and never back to back. He also doesn’t field his position well and it led to some issues last year due to unearned runs. That and his high leg kick make it hard for him to hold runners when traffic does get on.

Key Stats

Aleman went two days between appearances at best in Double-A a year ago. Often, it was between four-to-six games between appearances. He did go 20 appearances in a row at Double-A Akron without allowing an earned run. He gave up five unearned runs during the year.

It's often comical or looking for a reason, but Aleman legitimately needs to work on pitching back to back games and being available for most games, and holding runners or fielding his position.

Intangibles

Aleman bounced around to three colleges before landing at Florida and Cleveland drafted him. There may be some untapped upside with how much he bounced around and lack consistent coaching and development. Cleveland did say they were glad how hard he worked in the weight room last year to really add strength and help him take off.

Future

Aleman is in Triple-A to start 2024 and looks like he should get a shot to make his major league debut some time this summer if all goes well. He’ll have to be added to the 40 man roster by November anyway, so Cleveland might give him a look this summer. He projects as a setup man with plenty of velocity and bat missing availability but does have some development to finish off.

Role

45 - Average setup man with swing and miss stuff, bouts of control issues

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AL Central Farm System Report

Breaking down each farm system in the AL Central

STEVE DWYER

AL Central

Chicago White Sox

Top 10 Prospects

Rank

1 Colson Montgomery Shortstop AAA
2 Noah Schultz Pitcher A+
3 Samuel Zavala Outfield A+
4 Bryan Ramos Third Base AA
5 Drew Thorpe Pitcher AA
6 Edgar Quero Catcher AA
7 Jacob Gonzalez Shortstop A+
8 Jake Eder Pitcher AA
9 Nick Nastrini Pitcher AAA
10 Jairo Iriarte Pitcher AA

Prospects I am most excited about:

Noah Schultz: A 6’9″ left-handed pitcher with a whippy delivery is an imposing presence on the mound. Only 20 years old, with 27 minor league innings pitches, Schultz is the White Sox’s most exciting prospect. A mid to high 90s fastball, Schultz works in a plus slider and average changeup. 2024 will be a big test for a full workload after Schultz ended 2023 with a Shoulder injury.

Colson Montgomery: Before starting 2024 in Triple-A, Montgomery had just 51 games above High-A. A top-ranked prospect, Montgomery has yet to produce typical top prospect numbers or play a full season. While the counting stats weren’t there, Montgomery had a 56BB:56K total in 2023. With an advanced approach, Montgomery is knocking on the door of an MLB debut after just 188 minor league games.

Samuel Zavala: Traded in the Dylan Cease deal, Zavala had a great Low-A season as an 18/19-year-old. With a .420 OBP, 14 home runs, and 20 steals over 101 games, Zavala has plus potential. With a rough taste of High-A at the end of 2023, Zavala will look to start bouncing back in 2024.

A few other names to know:

Jake Eder: A 4th round pick in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, Eder was aggressively promoted to Double-A for the Marlins. After Tommy John surgery at the end of 2021, Eder had a rough 2023 and was traded to the White Sox. One of my favorite pitching prospects pre-injury, Eder should get a shot at an MLB debut in 2024.

Grant Taylor: The 51st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Taylor has the stuff to be a solid starter. 21 walks in his 31 innings at LSU were followed up by just 2 walks in his 21 Cape Cod League innings. Unfortunately, the command is going to be what decides what type of pitcher he’ll become.

George Wolkow: Standing 6’7″, the Aaron Judge comps are bound to happen. The plus power is there, but the rest of the game will need development before he’s close to Aaron Judge. He’s an exciting prospect who could develop and quickly rise up prospect rankings, Wolkow will be just 18 years old for all of 2024 with plenty of time to develop his approach.

Detroit Tigers

Top 10 Prospects

Rank

1 Jackson Jobe Pitcher AA
2 Max Clark Outfield A
3 Kevin McGonigle Second Base A
4 Jace Jung Third Base AAA
5 Justyn-Henry Malloy Outfield/Third Base AAA
6 Ty Madden Pitcher AA
7 Wilmer Flores Pitcher AAA
8 Hao-Yu Lee Second Base AA
9 Troy Melton Pitcher AA
10 Paul Wilson Pitcher ROK

Prospects I am most excited about:

Jackson Jobe: A huge rise from 2023 to 2024, Jobe is in the discussion for the top pitching prospect in baseball. After missing the first half of 2023 with a back injury, Jobe dominated 2023. He put up an astonishing 84 strikeouts in 64 innings and just 6 walks. Hopefully cleared for a full workload in 2024, Jobe is going to be watched closely by many to see if the 2023 Jobe was for real. Jobe did allow 9 home runs in the 64 innings, and 14 in 77.1 innings in 2022. The amount of home runs allowed is a concern, but Jobe is still developing with just 141.1 career innings.

Max Clark: The 3rd overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Clark was highly regarded as one of the best prospects in the draft. Not the professional start Clark hoped for, hitting .224 with 25 strikeouts in 23 games. No doubt Max Clark has 5 tool potential. 19 years old for the 2024 season, Clark will look to show why he was drafted above Wyatt Langford and Walker Jenkins.

Ty Madden: A prospect who doesn’t get the hype he deserves in Ty Madden. Now 24-years-old, Madden doesn’t need much more development. The Tigers have moved Madden rather slowly, despite him seeing a good amount of Minor League success. Madden racked up 279 strikeouts in his 240.2 MiLB innings, with a career 3.22 ERA. With Matt Manning being sent to Triple-A, Madden is blocked from making his MLB debut. Madden has mid-rotation starter potential but might need injuries or a trade to see an MLB debut happen.

A few other names to know:

Kevin McGonigle: After Max Clark went 3rd, the Tigers doubled down on high school bats taking McGonigle 37th overall. Much like Clark, McGonigle has a plus-hit tool. A better start to his career, McGonigle slashed .315/.452./.411, with 1 home run and 8 stolen bases in 21 games. The potential for McGonigle depends on the power numbers, but without he’ll still be a top-of-the-order hitter with good speed.

Justyn-Henry Malloy: Shockingly Malloy did not win a roster spot with Colt Keith out of spring training in 2024. Instead, he was sent back to Triple-A, where he already proved he deserves a shot to be an everyday player at the MLB level. Justyn-Henry Malloy put up an OBP over .400 in the last two seasons with 17 and 23 home runs. The Tigers signed Mark Canha, ultimately blocking Malloy for the start of 2024. With nothing left to prove, Malloy should be the first call if a Detroit Tiger is injured or struggling.

Wilmer Flores: A breakout 2022, Flores pitched to a 2.79 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 103.1 innings. After a bit of a down season at Double-A in 2023, Flores saw a jump in his walk rate. Flores had a rough Triple-A debut in 2024, giving up 4ER in 2.1 innings and failing to record a strikeout. He could shift to a long relief or high-leverage role to make his MLB debut in 2024.

Minnesota Twins

Top 10 Prospects

Rank

1 Walker Jenkins Outfield A
2 Brooks Lee Shortstop AAA
3 Marco Raya Pitcher AA
4 Emmanuel Rodriguez Outfield AA
5 Charlee Soto Pitcher A
6 Gabriel Gonzalez Outfield A+
7 David Festa Pitcher AAA
8 Luke Keaschall Second Base A+
9 Matt Canterino Pitcher AAA
10 Brandon Winokur Outfield A

Prospects I am most excited about:

Marco Raya: My favorite prospect in the Twins system is Marco Raya. An electric arm that has 3-4 plus pitches in a 5-pitch mix. Raya reminds me a lot of Yordano Ventura on the mound. Any pitch can get a strikeout for Raya, but his slider is most likely his best pitch. He throws a sharp curve that keeps hitters off balance when expecting the slider. Raya has the making of a frontline starter, the biggest question is health and a full workload.

Walker Jenkins: One of the top prospects in baseball, Jenkins dominated Low-A in his 12-game debut. Plus tools across the board, Jenkins has the ability to hit for average and power, while adding some stolen bases. Jenkins is big so the stolen bases may be limited but he has plus power potential. Starting the 2024 season at Low-A, Jenkins will look to pick up where he left off in 2023.

Charlee Soto: One of my favorite pitching prospects from the 2023 MLB Draft with Alex Clemmey, Soto has promising stuff. The splitter/changeup is what makes Soto interesting. It seems every pitcher adopted one over the offseason, but Soto already worked his into his mix. The splitter is fun, but Soto has a plus fastball that gets on hitters quickly. He finishes his 3-pitch arsenal with a plus slider as well. Soto will need to work on his command and be more of a pitcher than a thrower/athlete. 18 years old until August, Soto has plenty of time to refine his command.

A few other names to know:

Brooks Lee: Lee is MLB-ready and arguably has been since the day he was drafted. 156 minor league games and reaching Triple-A, Lee has a .281 career average with 20 home runs and 7 steals. Lee is close to making an MLB debut and could play anywhere in the infield when he does.

Gabriel Gonzalez: Traded from the Mariners in the Jorge Polanco trade, Gonzalez had a mini breakout in 2023. Gonzalez has above-average power and should be able to total 20+ per season. 20 years old for all of 2024, Gonzalez will most likely start the year at High-A.

Emmanuel Rodriguez: Entering 2022, Rodriguez was a sleeper prospect and rated closer to his value in my opinion. Rodriguez skyrocketed up rankings after his 2022 season because of his ability to get on base. With a near .500 OBP in Low-A before an injury, Rodriguez started to crack Top 50 Prospects lists. The hit tool is still questionable, and the strikeout rate was just under 30% in 2023. Rodriguez has high potential but the ranks are a bit aggressive for me.

Cleveland Guardians

Top 10 Prospects

Rank

1 Chase DeLauter Outfield AAA
2 Kyle Manzardo First Base AA
3 Ralphy Velazquez Catcher/First Base A
4 Jaison Chourio Outfield A
5 Alex Clemmey Pitcher A
6 Joey Cantillo Pitcher AAA
7 Welbyn Francisco Shortstop A
8 Juan Brito INF AAA
9 Jackson Humphries Pitcher A
10 Daniel Espino Pitcher INJ.

Prospects I am most excited about:

Chase DeLauter: One of the most hyped prospects right now after a scorching spring training, DeLauter is a top 10 prospect. Playing in just 57 minor league games for DeLauter since being drafted, he’s crushed at every level. With a .355 MiLB average, 5 home runs, 6 steals, and a 30K:23BB total, DeLauter is trying to hit his way to Cleveland. Starting 2024 in Double-A, if DeLauter picks up where he left off there’s a good chance he skips Triple-A entirely.

Kyle Manzardo: Traded from the Rays for Aaron Civale in 2023, Manzardo made an immediate impact at Double-A for Cleveland. After a good AFL and Spring Training, Manzardo should have had a chance to break camp, but it’s the Guardians. A .381 spring average wasn’t enough to skip Triple-A, but Manzardo can flat-out hit. A first baseman with a high average and 25+ home runs can be expected when he’s the everyday first baseman. Despite being in Triple-A, Manzardo could be close to the same timeline as DeLauter.

Ralphy Velazquez: The third left-handed hitter I’m excited about is 18-year-old Ralphy Velazquez. Drafted 23rd overall in 2023, Velazquez had no issue in 6 rookie ball games, hitting .348 with 2 home runs. An advanced bat for his age, Velazquez could put up a monster 2024 while playing at the low levels.

A few other names to know:

Alex Clemmey: One of my favorite pitchers out of the 2023 MLB Draft, Clemmey is a tall and lanky lefty. 6’6, 205 pounds, Clemmey has a potential 3-plus pitch mix with a changeup to keep hitters off balance. One of the best organizations at drafting and developing pitchers, the Guardians may have found a future frontline starter.

]aison Chourio: The younger brother of superstar prospect Jackson Chourio, Jaison is much of the same without the power. However, that could be changing as Jaison has been hitting home runs all offseason on the Guardians’ back fields. For now, Jaison has a mature approach, with good speed but stands 6’1 and could add 15-20 home run power. Surely, he’ll be unfairly compared to Jackson, but he’s doing a great job of proving he’s a promising prospect.

Welbyn Francisca: A smaller prospect at 5’8, Francisca had no issue displaying power in the DSL with 3HR, 6 triples, and 7 doubles in 40 games. He doesn’t turn 18 until the middle of May 2024, giving him plenty of time to add weight to his frame. A smooth switch-hitting swing, Francisca is a name to watch in 2024 for his stateside debut.

Kansas City Royals

Top 10 Prospects

Rank

1 Blake Mitchell Catcher ROK
2 Ramon Ramirez Catcher ROK
3 Blake Wolters Pitcher ROK
4 Cayden Wallace Third Base AA
5 Mason Barnett Pitcher AA
6 Frank Mozzicato Pitcher A+
7 Ben Kurdna Pitcher A+
8 Carson Roccaforte Outfield AA
9 Yandel Ricardo Shortstop ROK
10 Gavin Cross Outfield AA

Prospects I am most excited about:

Ramon Ramirez: My favorite Royals prospect is Ramon Ramirez, and he absolutely mashed the DSL in 2023. He put up a .344/.440/.615 slash line with 8 home runs and 6 stolen bases in 41 games. Ramirez has a powerful swing at 6′, 180 pounds, and should generate 25+ home runs per season. There’s a real chance Ramirez could be the number-one Royals prospect by the end of the 2024 season.

Blake Wolters: One of the more promising prospects for the Royals, Wolters was taken 44th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. His mix includes a mid to upper 90s fastball, paired with a good slider and work-in-progress changeup. The development of his changeup will decide if Wolters sticks as a starter or moves to the bullpen. Wolters will look to turn around the lack of success prospect arms have had in the Royals system.

Blake Mitchell: Drafted 8th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Mitchell had a similar professional debut to Max Clark. Hitting just .147 at Rookie Ball, Mitchell was unable to get going at the plate. Mitchell was able to get on base with a .423 OBP thanks to 17 walks in 13 games. There has been a lot of praise about the maturity and makeup of Mitchell behind the plate. Mitchell will look to show off the 20+ home run potential in his first full season in 2024.

A few other names to know:

Yandel Ricardo: One of the top international signings in 2024, Ricardo is a switch-hitting shortstop. He’s quick to the ball but also has power in his swing that should translate to 20+ home runs. Ricardo is easily one of the more exciting prospects based on potential but is someone to watch until he debuts.

Carson Roccaforte: Plus speed is the calling card for Roccaforte and he displayed that in a small debut in 2023. In just 31 games, Roccaforte stole 16 bases. The bat will determine if Roccaforte is a top or bottom-of-the-order hitter. He posted a 34K:19BB total in his professional debut. Roccaforte could move quickly as it looks like he’ll begin 2024 in Double-A.

Hunter Owen: A 4th round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2023, Owen has yet to make his professional debut. A big body at 6’6, 260 pounds, Owen should be able to handle a full season workload. A solid 4 pitch mix, Owen has above-average stuff with decent command. Owen should have no issue succeeding until he faces Double-A competition.


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Lake County Captains Announce 2024 Roster

Some initial analysis of the Guardians’ High-A team here

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 4, 2024, 2:10pm EDT 3 Comments / 3 New

Catchers: Cooper Ingle, Johnny Tincher, Zac Fascia.

Analysis: Cooper Ingle is the player to watch here. He was Cleveland’s fourth round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and put up impressive numbers in a small sample size last year, slashing .288/.464/.385 in 17 games played at Lake County spanning 69 plate appearances. Tincher was Cleveland’s 11th round pick in the same draft while Fascia went undrafted in 2021, but impressed at Lynchburg last year. Ingle could move quickly to Akron if he continues to hit.

Infielders: CJ Kayfus, Jose Devers, Alex Mooney, Nate Furman, Maick Collado, Tyresse Turner.

Analysis: There are several intriguing players to keep an eye on here. Kayfus was Cleveland’s third round pick last year and impressed in a small sample size at Lake County, slashing .271/.429/.542 over 17 games and could be in line for a quick promotion.

The middle infield is a bit more crowded. Devers put up a 113 wRC+ in his age-20 season last year at Lynchburg while Furman, a 2022 fourth-round pick, dominated at Lynchburg (159 wRC+) before struggling in the second half of the season at Lake County after getting promoted. Mooney was a seventh round pick last year, but received a huge overslot bonus, so he’s someone to keep an eye on. Collado has been above average at every level, including posting a 107 wRC+ at Lynchburg last year when he was 20, while Turner appears to be more infield depth than anything at the moment.

Outfielders: Justin Boyd, Jake Fox, Jorge Burgos, Jonah Advincula, Guy Lipscomb and Angel Zarate.

Analysis: Fox appears to be the player to keep an eye on as he repeats at Lake County after sporting a 105 wRC+ there last year in his age-20 season. I doubt he stays long. Boyd was one of the returns in the Will Benson trade, a competitive balance pick in 2022. He battled injuries and only played 15 games last season. Hopefully he’s fully healthy this year and can go back to showing what he’s capable of.

Burgos impressed at every level before finally having his first below average wRC+ season last year (97) at Lake County and he’s repeating as well. Lipscomb was a 2022 fifth-round pick and stole 48 bases at Lynchburg last year, definitely deserving of a promotion. Zarate was a 17th round pick in the same draft, but also was above average at Lynchburg last year with a 104 wRC+ spanning 68 games. Advincula is intriguing as an eighth-round pick in last year’s draft. He had a .519 OBP in six games at the Arizona Complex League.

Starting Pitchers: LHP Parker Messick, RHP Austin Peterson, LHP Steve Hajjar, RHP Jake Miller, RHP Trenton Denholm and RHP Carter Spivey.

Analysis: Messick was a 2022 second round pick and was the most successful pitcher out of that draft class in Cleveland’s system, earning a mid-season promotion to Lake County after dominating in Lynchburg. He’ll be the opening day starter for the Captains. Peterson was a ninth-round pick in 2022 and stayed healthy for all of last season at Lynchburg with pretty average numbers.

Spivey signed with the Guardians as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina in January and has yet to make his pro debut, so it’s interesting that they’re starting him at High-A immediately. Hajjar was the other half of the Benson trade, a second round pick in 2021. He has good strikeout stuff, but his walk rate is egregious (8.16 BB/9) and needs to improve if he’s ever going to amount to anything. Miller has a high ceiling, but is still being worked back after Tommy John surgery in 2022. Denholm has good strikeout stuff, but may be destined for the bullpen.

Bullpen: LHP Adam Tulloch, RHP Zane Morehouse, RHP Magnus Ellerts, RHP Alaska Abney, RHP Jay Driver, RHP Zachary Jacobs, RHP Joshua Wolf, RHP Allan Hernandez and RHP Juan Zapata.

Analysis: Tulloch could get some starts after starting 20 games last year for Lynchburg with 10.82 K/9 as a 15th round pick in 2022. Morehouse may be on a short leash after an 8.22 ERA in seven games at Single-A, somehow earning four saves. Ellerts has elite strikeout stuff (15.66 K/9), but his walk-rate spiked to 7.02 BB/9 after he was promoted to Lake County last year.

Abney looked like a bullpen arm to keep an eye on, then he regressed badly while repeating last year at High-A and this will be his third straight season with the Captains. Driver was a ninth-round pick in 2023 and has a good strikeout arsenal, but needs to refine his control. Jacobs spent most of the 2023 season as a piggy-back partner, averaging just over three innings per appearance. Wolf was part of the Lindor trade, but injuries have sent him from start to the bullpen, where he struggled last year in 44 innings and is repeating at High-A this year.

Overall Analysis: The infield is definitely the area to keep an eye on with top draft picks Engle, Mooney and Furman playing alongside talented international prospects Devers and Collado. The outfield doesn’t have top prospects, but there’s a ton of speed there and they could be a nightmare for opposing pitchers on the basepaths. Messick intrigues me as a starting pitcher prospect while I have high hopes Miller can recover successfully from TJ surgery. The bullpen is a bit of a mess, but stranger things have happened.


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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/4/24

JUSTIN LADA

APR 5

SCOREBOARD
Triple A: Columbus Clippers 3, Omaha Storm Chasers 0 (Game 1)
Omaha Storm Chasers 5, Columbus Clippers 4 (Game 2)

Rehab

RHP Ben Lively (SP, Columbus): 3IP, H, 3K - A solid rehab outing for Lively as the Guardians are keeping him stretched out just in case. He was mostly 90-91 with his fastball and hit 93. He missed some bats with his sinker. Lively has no minor league options left, so when he is deemed healthy (i.e built up again from missing time due to the plague that struck Goodyear), he’ll have to return to Cleveland’s pen/rotation or passed through waivers.

Highlights

RHP Tanner Burns (RP, Columbus): IP, 2K - A perfect inning and a save for the former first round pick. A good sign for Burns is that he averaged 94 with his fastball and just missed scraping 96. In college he could hit 97 as a starter pitching once a week. He never did get there in the pros and has battled some arm issues. But maybe the pen is now the right place for him. He also got three whiffs on his cutter.

Daniel Schneemann (SS-RF, Columbus): 2-3, 3 BB, HR, RBI - Schneemann worked three walks over the two games and hit a solo homer (106 mph off the bat) in game two to cap off a good day where he showed off his versatility at short in game one and in right in game two. He also made a nice catch in RF.

Micah Pries (LF, Columbus): 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI - Pries hit a 109.9 triple in game two, the hardest hit ball in the game.

Myles Straw (DH-CF): 2-5, BB, RBI, SB - Straw had an RBI single in game one that was 104.6 off the bat.

Notable Performances

Kyle Manzardo (1B-DH, Columbus): 0-4, RBI, 2BB - Manzardo had a sac fly in game one and worked two walks in game two.

RHP Franco Aleman (RP, Columbus): IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K - Well, Aleman won’t have a full season scoreless streak in Columbus like he did in the second half with Akron a year ago. His fastball velocity was only 90-93 and topped out at 96. He still missed four bats on seven swings against it. Hopefully we can chalk up the velo to it being early and cold. He’s going to need more than his heater to get by Triple-A batters.

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