ACL Recap

Let's take a look at the top prospects on the Guardians Arizona Complex League team this year.  This was not a team deep with prospects with only the top 4 what I would consider real prospects at this point.  Still, there is enough to dream on with the rest of the guys that maybe 1 or, at the outside, 2 of the other top 11 could eventually make the majors.  There are a number of other guys (e.g., Matt Wilkinson, Tommy Hawke) who played so little in their draft year that it is hard to get a read on them).  Note that the new CBA rules mean that college guys like this have one less year of player control before they are minor league free agents, meaning they only really get 5 seasons after their draft year to either make the 40-man or gain the ability to leave the organization as free agents.

So, without further adieu , is my top 11 prospects from this year's ACL team.  [NOTE: This list was compiled based on season stats, player's age and scouting reports.  There may be good prospects from the ACL team who did not make this list due to poor performance or, frankly, because I didn't know that much about them masking their positive attributes based on bad stats and maybe an older age for the league].

(1) Jason Chourio =  Churio did not disappoint in his first year playing in the US.  I rated him as the #23 prospect in the Guardians system prior to 2023, Baseball America had him at #32, Fangraphs had him at #16 and MLB Pipeline had him at #21.  After the ACL season was over he moved into the Guardoams top 10 of all of those ranking services.  He hit .349/.476/.463/.939 in the ACL and, after that season was over, went up to Lynchburg to finish the season.  While he only hit .200 in his 35 AB in low A his talent stll shined through.  He ended the season with 20 stolen bases and 47 runs scored in 48 total games.  

(2) Ralph Velazquez - Our top 2023 draftee, Velazquez did not disappoint in his small sample size cameo, hitting .348/.393/.739/1.132 in his 23 AB introduction to professional baseball.  Playing almost exclusively at DH (1 game at catcher) didn't give fans or scouts a long look at his catching abilities but I am sure they are working on that in the instructs.  It would be a success if he started 2024 in Lynchburg and had success there.  I don't want to get too excited because Bobby Bradley dominated the ACL in his first professional season, winning the triple crown, and we all know how that turned out.  Still, given how some of our other high 2022 and 2023 draft choices have done in their first pro experiences, I'll take this performance and wish on it for the future.

(3) Rafael Ramirez, Jr. - Ramirez raked at an .879 OPS rate in his first year in the US, opening some eyes and separating himself from fellow DSL players from 2022.  He looks like, with a good year at Lynchburg next year, he might be in the Guardians MLB Pipeline top 30 prospects by mid-year in 2024.  Especially crazy, but maybe a concern, was his 50 BB and 54 K in only 136 AB this year.  At higher levels he won't be able to just stand there with the bat on his shoulder.  Still, a .426 SLG (13 XBH among his 34 hits in 2023) on a .250 BA shows that when he hits the ball he is hitting it with authority. 

(4) Jackson Humphries - His stats as an 18/19 year old in the ACL and after his promotion to Lynchburg in A ball don't jump out you except for one, 72 Ks in 57.1 IP.  He needs some work on his command and control (29 BB in those 57.1 IP) but has shown enough with his breaking balls and his fastball velo, especially with his young age, to become a serious prospect.  Hopefully he advances enough to go to Lake County at the beginning of next season.  If he does it signals that to me that the Guardians have him on the fast track.  However, if he returns to A ball it will only mean that the Guardians feel he needs more seasoning before he can pitch successfully in A+ ball.

(5) Evelio Hernandez - Hernandez throws hard and burst onto the scene this year, prompting a mid-year promotion from the DSL to the ACL.  He struggled in the US but still has some helium as a prospect going forward.

(6) Victor Izturis - Izturis came in with a lot of hype and showed a good walk rate (.389 OBP on a .264 BA) but not a lot of power (.306 SLG).  Still, for a catcher with his hype, this is good enough to make this top 10.

(7) Estaban Gonzalez - Considering that Gonzalez will be eligible for the Rule 5 this year, shows that he is not really the typical ACL prospect, especially at 20.5 years old.  Still, his .979 OPS speaks volumes for his performance.  

(8) Jose Cedeno - Injuries derailed his ACL season so we don't know what he would have done if healthy.  He is a work in progress but, with a 2005 birth year, he still has a good future in front of him, baseball-wise.

(9) Logun Clark - A very raw prospect, Clark had some good moments this year which, along with great pop times, puts him on this list.  Still needs a lot of work on his catching skills but I think there is a spark of a prospect in there.

(10) Jacob Bresnahan - A later round pick similar to Jackson Humphries from the previous year, Bresnahan has a chance to follow Humphries path.

(11) Austin Aldeano - Like Jose Cedeno, Aldeano's season was derailed by injuries.  Still, I have a good feeling about him and Lynchburg next year, thinking he could be the Alonzo Richardson (with more strikeouts) of 2024 and, if things break right, he could be at the bottom of the Guardians' top 30 by the end of 2024.