Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. |
CLEVELAND -- The Guardians completed a historic comeback to clinch the American League Central division last month behind a group full of homegrown players. While Cleveland will spend the coming months seeing how it can augment its roster externally, who from the farm system could join the mix next season as the Guardians look to take another step? Here are three prospects to watch for in 2026. 2B Travis Bazzana (No. 1 prospect, No. 17 overall, according to MLB Pipeline) This is an obvious one, but Bazzana will be one of the Guardians’ biggest storylines next spring. How soon could we see the 2024 No. 1 overall Draft pick reach the Majors? A big league callup within the first few months at least feels within reach. The Guardians have continually challenged Bazzana in his development. He was assigned to High-A Lake County after the 2024 Draft. He opened ‘25 with Double-A Akron, and though he missed two months after he suffered an internal right oblique strain in May, he earned a promotion to Triple-A Columbus on Aug 11.
Bazzana got off to a slow start with Columbus, but he was putting together a strong finish to 2025 before he missed the final week of the Triple-A season with left flank soreness. In 17 games with Columbus in August, he slashed .190/.420/.276. In nine games in September, he slashed .290/.421/.742 with four homers.
“His at-bats have been good,” Guardians VP of player development Stephen Osterer said in mid-September. “It's working through the approach, understanding how maybe more advanced pitchers with a better plan of attack are going to attack you. He’s working through all that, and I think he's starting to see some of the results after the last few weeks.” Assuming Bazzana opens next season with Columbus, a strong start will only increase the buzz around his readiness for the next challenge. |
OF Chase DeLauter (No. 2 prospect, No. 58 overall) This is another obvious one, but all eyes will be on DeLauter next spring. He will be in the mix for a spot on the Guardians’ Opening Day roster, and health-permitting, the biggest question could be whether he fits more in center field or a corner outfield spot. Tough injury luck has limited DeLauter (Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2022) to 138 career Minor League games. He missed the final two and a half months of the Triple-A season this year due to a right hamate fracture that required surgery. But his talent has never been in question, and it’s why the Guardians were confident in giving him his first taste of the big leagues in the postseason, when they added him to their roster for the AL Wild Card Series against the Tigers. DeLauter gave the Cleveland fan base a tantalizing first look at his skill set. Though he went 1-for-6 in two games against the Tigers, he showed impressive plate discipline and drew one walk. In the fourth inning of Game 2, he threw out Zach McKinstry at third base with a 92.1 mph outfield assist. In the seventh, he hit a 110.8 mph lineout to center. Initially set to play in the Fall League for the third straight year, DeLauter is instead spending the offseason focusing on his body and his conditioning ahead of Spring Training -- when he will be readying himself to make his (official) MLB debut. |
C Cooper Ingle (No. 4 prospect) The Guardians’ catching picture for 2026 includes Bo Naylor and David Fry. Austin Hedges is set to become a free agent this offseason, but a reunion could make a ton of sense given his leadership and stellar work with Cleveland’s pitching staff. Ingle (Cleveland’s fourth-round Draft pick in 2023) is another backstop who could join the mix next season. Over 120 games between Akron and Columbus this past season, Ingle recorded a .260/.389/.419 slash line. Like Bazzana, he fared better as he got his feet underneath him in Triple-A. Ingle slashed .146/.357/.195 in 14 games in August, compared to .268/.412/.463 in 14 games in September. Ingle bounced between catcher (68 appearances) and outfield (36) in college at Clemson. He has put in a lot of work to improve technically behind the plate since he was drafted. Osterer pointed to the 23-year-old’s arm strength, receiving and blocking as areas that improved this season. “We knew that when we got Cooper, there was a lot of work to be done [behind the plate], and he knew that too,” Osterer said after Ingle was promoted to Columbus. “He’s spent a lot of time and effort into getting better as a catcher.” |
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• After a long road back to the mound following multiple shoulder surgeries, Daniel Espino is refinding his form in the Fall League. Read more >> • Former Guardians teammates Josh Naylor and Myles Straw find themselves in opposite dugouts with a trip to the World Series on the line -- during an AL Championship Series with many Cleveland conventions. Read more >> • Speaking of the League Championship Series, the matchups this year are historically rare, as MLB.com’s Sarah Langs detailed. Read more >> |
"[It was an] unbelievable experience, man. Thinking I'm going home for a quick weekend, right back out to the Fall League to play a couple times a week, straight to Columbus for a potential callup. And then taxi squad, then activated, then in the lineup. Just an unreal couple days. I'm glad I got the chance to play with a bunch of these guys. It's a great group, and [now I’ll look to] turn it around and be right back here next year." DeLauter on his whirlwind experience, going from preparing for the Arizona Fall League to playing in the postseason |
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