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With top 20 voting for Cleveland Guardians prospects in 2026 in our rear view, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the players our readers selected and see what trends and other potential information stands out about them.
Before we get started, here’s the top 20 in its entirety:
1. Chase DeLauter, LHH OF
2. Travis Bazzana, LHH 2B
3. Parker Messick, LHP
4. Ralphy Velazquez, LHH 1B/RF
5. Angel Genao, SH SS
6. Braylon Doughty, RHP
7. Cooper Ingle, LHH C
8. Khal Stephen, RHP
9. Juan Brito, SH 2B/1B/RF/3B
10. Jaison Chourio, SH OF
11. Kahlil Watson, LHH OF
12. Daniel Espino, RHP
13. George Valera, LHH OF
14. Jace LaViolette, LHH OF
15. Joey Oakie, RHP
16. Alfonsin Rosario, RHH OF
17. Juneiker Caceres, LHH OF
18. Yorman Gomez, RHP
19. Josh Hartle, LHP
20. Andrew Walters, RHP
So how does the top 20 break down?
By position
Catcher: One.
Outfield: Nine (DeLauter, Velazquez, Brito, Chourio, Watson, Valera, LaViolette, Rosario, Caceres).
Infield: Four (w/ Bazzana, Velazquez, Genao, Brito).
Starting pitcher: Seven (Messick, Doughty, Stephen, Espino, Oakie, Gomez, Hartle).
Relievers: Two (Daniel Espino, Andrew Walters).
By age
19 and under: Two (Caceres, Oakie).
20-21: Five (Velazquez, Genao, Doughty, Chourio, Rosario).
22-23: Seven (Bazzana, Stephen, Ingle, Watson, LaViolette, Hartle, Gomez).
24 and up: Six (DeLauter, Messick, Brito, Espino, Valera, Walters).
By proximity (highest level played)
MLB: Four (DeLauter, Messick, Valera, Walters).
AAA: Five (Bazzana, Ingle, Brito, Watson, Espino).
AA: Six (Velazquez, Genao, Stephen, Rosario, Gomez, Hartle).
A+: One (Chourio).
A: Three (Doughty, Oakie, Caceres).
DNP: One (LaViolette).
Positions players batting stance
RHH: One (Rosario).
LHH: Eight (DeLauter, Bazzana, Velazquez, Ingle, Watson, Valera, LaViolette, Caceres).
SH: Three (Genao, Brito, Chourio).
Pitchers throwing arm
RHP: Six (Doughty, Stephen, Espino, Oakie, Gomez, Walters).
LHP: Two (Messick, Hartle).
What stands out?
To me, it’s the number of outfield prospects in our top 20. After years of hearing Cleveland can’t develop outfielders, the system suddenly is flush with them, having nine that can technically play there in the top 20 prospects (counting Velazquez and Brito, who have taken some reps there). That also doesn’t include players outside the top 20 like Petey Halpin, who already got the call to MLB last year and held his own as a rookie in a small sample size.
Another standout is the lack of right-handed bats. Cleveland has one right-handed hitter in its top 20, outfielder Alfonsin Rosario. We’re a long way from having right-handed sluggers Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez in the lineup. Technically, three others can hit right-handed with three switch hitters in the top 20, but the system’s position players definitely lean left-centric when it comes to batting stance.
Starting pitching depth could be an issue as well. Parker Messick is the only pitcher in the team’s top 20 prospects who played at the Triple-A or MLB level last year (technically, Daniel Espino’s 0.2 innings count, but do they? And will he be able to start?). There are some solid arms in the system, but Khal Stephen, Yorman Gomez and Josh Hartle all finished last year at Double-A and still need some seasoning while youngsters like Joey Oakie and Braylon Doughty are a ways away yet.