OK, now that we are entering the off-season here is my latest list of top prospects for the Guardians. I am not including Palacious, Pilkington or McCarty here but I am including Arias, Benson and Freeman.
1. Gavin Williams
2. George Valera
3. Bo Naylor
4. Tyler Freeman
5. Daniel Espino
6. Tanner Bibee
7. Brayan Rocchio
8. Gabriel Arias
9. Cody Morris
10. Nolan Jones
Comments: This goes against the grain a little bit but I don't know how I can have a guy who was injured for the entire season, Espino, as my #1. We have heard it was his knee, there are rumors it was his shoulder AND his knee. Most of the time we have heard radio silence. Given all that we have heard, and haven't, #5 is pretty generous at this point. I like Cody Morris more than most and I think Freeman has a good future, maybe just not with Cleveland. Who can tell? Nolan Jones is a big question mark for me. I would have played him and not Arias at 1B down the stretch at Columbus and if I knew I wasn't going to do that, I would have assigned him to the AFL because, frankly, on this team, with his both type, he NEEDS to learn to play 1B. A left-handed hitting, tall, athletic guy with power who can play first, third and RF has value as a utility guy on a ML team, especially if he is cheap (and homegrown). I don't understand why they don't see that, especially with SpongeBob claiming RF and Brennan behind him now. The only thing lobbying against Jones is his age, I guess, making him less precocious and more on a normal trajectory which, when you have so many precocious prospects, may give the misimpression that Jones is lacking. I may be rating Rocchio too low and Valera too high. They are cut from the same mold: guys who were not uber-successful in their first taste at AAA. Both ooze potential and, in Rocchio's case, defensive polish, but both have to come out smokng with the bats next year. If the Guardians really think that they will then you don't trade them as what is on paper for both of them would make their trade value much lower than their projected value.
11. Chase DeLauter
12. Jose Tena
13. Angel Martinez
14. Jhonkensy Noel
15. Carlos Vargas
16. Xzavion Curry
17. Logan T. Allen
18. Joey Cantillo
19. Jake Fox
20. Justin Campbell
Comments: I put a lot of weight on velocity for pitchers. I saw Logan Allen's velocity become pedestrian after a few starts at AAA and he started getting hit around. I see that as a red flag for him. Ditto for Justin Campbell, who I see as another low velocity guy. At the same time Vargas' velocity bumps him up the rankings for me. He seems poised to pitch out of the bullpen in the future and I see him having that role in Cleveland, assuming he stays healthy and continues to progress rapidly, sometime next May or June. Joey Cantillo would be higher on my list but he was hurt the last part of this season I have questions about his return for the beginning of next season. If he isn't ready for spring training I see him dropping even more on this list. I am not sold on DeLauter and I would have gone with Susac, especially if we will lose Bo Naylor this winter as I suspect we will.
21. Will Brennan
22. Hunter Gaddis
23. Peyton Battenfield
24. Jaison Chourio
25. Petey Halpin
26. Parket Messick
27. Will Benson
28. Bryan Lavastida
29. Doug Nikhazy
30. Milan Tolentino
Comments: I am all about performance and Brennan performed although, with Kwan in LF, I can envision Brennan as more of a 4th outfielder. type. The Guardians apparently like what they have seen from Benson in CF although he didn't hit at all during his time in Cleveland. I think both Gaddis and Lavastida may be under-valued at this point based on their 2022 numbers (Gaddis' based on his poor performance in the majors as an underprepared pitcher) and I look for both to have dominant seasons at Columbus next year. It is way too soon to give up on them. I am including Battenfield this high NOT on the basis of his performance as a starter but, rather, on his potential to be a reliever. His conversion to starter really was solidified this year but, concurrently, his velocity was down and, like Logan Allen, got hit around. On the other hand, I see him as a solid setup man where his velocity would likely tick up to where he is more effective, similar to what we have seen multiple times in the past, most recently Zach Plesac at the end of the year when he ended up pitching out of the bullpen after returning from teh DL. Messick is only up this high because he is left-handed. He is another classic low velocity guy who could get chewed up at higher levels as he faces a higher percentage of patient, professional hitters.
31. Angel Genao
32. Tanner Burns
33. Alexfri Planez
34. Isaiah Greene
35. Jacob Zibin
36. Ethan Hankins
37. Joe Lampe
38. Mason Hickman
39. Ryan Webb
40. Gabriel Rodriguez
Comments: Burns' velocity was down. I watched him pitch a number of times and, without enough velocity, I don't see him competing at the big-league level. I am not sold on Lampe at all and think his lack of power and left-handed hitting in this system may doom him, if he can even hit for average, get on base and show some speed. I am willing to gamble on Hickman's conversion to late inning reliever (something I have been asking for since I saw his sub-average velocity over the past couple of seasons) is going to make him take off as a prospect. Hankins and Webb are injured guys who I think could have breakout seasons next year. For Zibin I want to see the drive to succeed. I hope it's there but it is still up in the air for me as to whether it is and whether his really excessive bonus was worth the investment. Rodriguez may be the most likely guy we could lose in the ML Rule 5.
41. Tommy Mace
42. Jack Leftwich
43. Gabriel Rodriguez
44. Jonathon Rodriguez
45. Lenny Torres Jr.
46. Cade Smith
47. Micah Pries
48. Luis Durango Jr.
49. Carson Tucker
50. (tied). Hunter Stanley
50. (tied) Will Dion
Comments: In these 11 we have lots of question marks. Will guys' tools play at the next highest level? Will they find the missing piece that makes the rest of their tools play up? Will they undergo a position switch that will allow them to excel (e.g., could someone who can hit be converted to catcher like Lavastida was).? This is where a blogger really starts to reach to see if he can come up with a gem who breaks out next year.
There are probably more Dominican prospects that I have not considered and maybe even other injured players that I have undervalued due to them not being around this year but, there it is, my current Guardians' top 50 prospects. If I have missed anyone obvious please let me know.
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