Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 3/31/26

Gaddis continues strong rehab stint; Nolan Jones still hitting Triple-A pitching

Arthur Kinney

Apr 1

SCOREBOARD

Columbus Clippers 3, Indianapolis Indians 1 (Statcast)

REHAB

Hunter Gaddis (RP): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K - Gaddis was solid in his second rehab effort of the season, with his four-seamer (93-94 MPH) being his most effective pitch (all four of his balls came on off-speed stuff) but also the source of the lone hit he allowed.

HIGHLIGHTS

Nolan Jones (DH): 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B - Jones is doing everything in his power so far this season to get back on a major league roster, be it with the Guardians or another org. He is now slashing .375/.474/.813 after extending his extra-base hit streak to three games with a double (101.4 MPH) as part of a two-hit effort (His single being even harder-hit at 105.6 MPH.) that was the offensive highlight of a Home Opener pitchers’ duel at the Corner of Neil and Nationwide.

Logan Allen (SP): W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 2 WP, 5 K, 1 HR allowed - Allen’s 2026 debut was, by and large, a very good one. While he did struggle at points in the third and fifth frames, the only damage he allowed came from one bad pitch in an otherwise solid second inning. While his fastball only sat 90-91, it was also his least-used pitch (11 times compared to 14 changeups, 16 sweepers, 17 cutters, and 21 sinkers). For those looking for a common thread between Logan’s pair of wild pitches, they were both thrown to Konnor Griffin.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Cooper Ingle (C): 1-2, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Not only did Ingle give the Clip Show the lead for good with his two-run single in the fourth, he also made multiple noteworthy impressive plays, including a pair of plays at the plate (more on those later), an assist on a dribbler in front of the plate, and a caught stealing.

Stuart Fairchild (LF): 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB - Fairchild, much like Jones, is off to a good start in Triple-A after failing to make the Big Club out of camp - in his case doing so with a season-opening three-game hit streak.

Petey Halpin (RF): 0-3, 1 HBP, 1 K - While he had a rough night at the plate, Halpin made several impressive defensive plays, including a spectacular diving catch in the second inning, a pair of defensive assists on force outs at the plate, and a game-ending catch of a 91.9 MPH line drive off the bat of Indianapolis 2B Termarr Johnson.

Codi Heuer (RP): H (1), 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K - Heuer’s fastball neared 98 in a 2026 debut which saw him face the minimum thanks to the aforementioned caught stealing.

Tanner Burns (RP): S (1), 1 IP, 1 BB - Burns remains unscored upon in three 2026 frames after needing only eleven pitches (and a pitch timer violation that resulted in ball four to Esmerlyn Valdez) record his first save since September 19, 2024 at Toledo.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospects

Watching the First Full Slate of Guardians’ Affiliates

Time for some farm action

by Quincy Wheeler

Apr 2, 2026, 10:19 AM CDT

Today is the first day that all Cleveland Guardians’ minor league affiliates will play baseball (weather-permitting) - rejoice!

The new look Hill City Howlers will take on the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at 7pm ET in Lynchburg, Virginia. Joey Oakie will take the mound for the Howlers after opening some eyes in the Spring Breakout game with electric stuff.

The Showtime Lake County Captains open at home against the West Michigan Whitecaps at 6:35PM where Justin Campbell will take the mound for the Captains. Campbell was an exciting arm when the Guardians drafted him in , but he has yet to be seen in minor league affiliated baseball due to a series of unfortunate injuries. It’ll be exciting for Campbell, for the Guardians’ organization and for Guardians’ fans to see him pitch tonight and show if he’s still got some of the potential he had when they drafted him.

The Akron Rubber Ducks also open at home against the Reading Fightin’ Phils at 6:35PM ET. Most excitingly for me, Khal Stephen takes the mound for the Ducks. I had been concerned about Stephen’s health when he did not make an appearance in any major league spring training games or in the spring breakout game, but it appears he is ready to go. He was the return for the Guardians’ trading of Shane Bieber to the Blue Jays, and he has some very Bieber-like traits. Stephen having a strong first half would go a long way in strengthening the upper level depth of this organization for starting pitching.

Finally, the Columbus Clippers are set to return to action tonight as well at 6:15PM, with lovable Pedro Avila taking the mound for the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate as they take on the Indianapolis Indians (now without Konnor Griffin who got a promotion to the Pirates today). Every day, I wait to see Travis Bazzana get on track because, when he does, I think a promotion will be in the offing before long. However, for now, Juan Brito has been hitting the ball very well and may force the issue for his own promotion at some point. Also, Daniel Espino had another scoreless outing last night and I never lose the appreciation for seeing that young man overcoming his own host of injuries and showing his immense talent and potential.

If you have an MLB subscription, you can watch all these games with it. Also, even if you don’t, if you have the MLB app, the Columbus game is the free game of the day. Which game are you most excited about today, and which prospects do you most look forward to seeing as minor league season begins? Let us know in the comments below!

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report: 4/2/26

First full night of minor league action - Bazzana walks it off, Ralphy wrecks a homer, Campbell debuts in fashion

Justin Lada

Apr 3

Scoreboard


Columbus Clippers 9, Indianapolis Indians 8 (Statcast)
Akron RubberDucks 3, Reading Fightin Phils 1
West Michigan Whitecaps 1, Lake County Captains 0
Hill City Howlers 1, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3

Highlights

Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 2-6, 2B, RBI, 2 K - Bazzana had the walkoff hit in the bottom of the ninth, but maybe what is more impressive is that he shook off two ugly strikeouts to start the game, both swinging, to come back with a double in the eighth and then the walkoff hit in the ninth inning. I’ll take that for some finishing development and getting into the groove.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Akron): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K - A walk and a two run homer in the first two plate appearances for Velazquez. The homer was to dead center in 11.7 Credit Union Park (formerly Canal Park - that will take some time to get used to), which is no easy feat. And it came off a lefty. All things you like to see from the 20 year old slugger.

Jacob Cozart (C, Akron): 2-4, 2B, 2K - Strong start for Cozart with two hits, including a double, but did come with two strikeouts. That’s not a shock. He did also show off his strong arm and defensive chops with a backpick at second base.

Justin Campbell (SP, Lake County): 2IP, 2H, 4K - Campbell only needed 30 pitches to get two innings in his pro debut, long awaited for the 2022 first round pick. He was up to 97, sitting in the mid-90s and had a wicked slider. Pretty amazing to see considering he hadn’t thrown a pitch in a tracked competitive game in four years.

Joey Oakie (SP, Hill City): 3IP, 2H, ER, 3BB, 4K - 59 pitches knocked Oakie out after three innings, not a surprise. But he did fan four and recovered from a leadoff triple and RBI single to start the game and didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way. He racked up 11 whiffs along the way.

Jervis Alfaro (RP, Hill City): 4.2IP, 5H, 2ER, BB, 9K - Alfaro was allowed to throw 72 pitches to 18 batters and got 14 outs, racking up nine Ks along the way.

Notable Performances

Petey Halpin (CF, Columbus): 1-6, HR, 3 RBI, K - It has been an ugly start for Halpin in 2026, but he really blasted a homer, 394 feet, in this one and hopefully that will get him on track as well.

Nolan Jones (RF, Columbus): 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB - The hottest hitter in Columbus is none other than Nolan Jones. He can’t stop hitting homers. What does it mean? Probably nothing. I don’t know and neither does anyone else at this point.

https://x.com/i/status/2039856202679529694

Milan Tolentino (SS, Columbus): 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, K - Tolentino is off to a good start as well after a nice spring, but then again Tolentino enjoyed the friendly confines of Huntington Park in 2025 too, and struggled elsewhere.

Codi Heuer (RP, Columbus): IP, BB - Heuer gets a note here because his velocity continues to be up over his last MLB stint, 94 average, now AVERAGING 97. Velocity isn’t everything and the other metrics on the fastball look average, but it’s at least a sign of health, which is important for Heuer.

Khal Stephen (SP, Akron): 4IP, 2H, 4BB, 4K - After allowing two hits to start the game, Stephen recovered to not allow a hit the rest of the way, though he did walk four. Just 36 strikes on 69 pitches. A solid first start with room to go up.

Matt Jachec (RP, Akron): 2IP, H, 2K - Jachec came on in relief in the fifth and sixth to allow just a hit and fanned two in relief.

Jace LaViolette (RF, Lake County): 0-4, 4K - A notable performance for the wrong reasons. The 2025 first round pick earned a golden sombrero in his official pro debut. All four strikeouts were swinging and he swung and missed six times over the four plate appearances.

Robert Arias (CF, Hill City): 2-5, 2K - A nice debut in 2026 by Arias who has been considered one of the top international hitters in the system since they signed him a few years ago.

Anthony Martinez (1B, Hill City): 2-4, 2B, RBI - The 2025 draft pick also had a nice season debut.

Dauri Fernandez (SS, Hill City): 1-5, RBI, SB, 2K - The young Fernandez led off and did some nice things but is an aggressive hitter, striking out twice.

Gabriel Rodriguez (2B, Hill City): 2-4, RBI, K - Interesting to see Fernandez man short and Rodriguez man second. Imagine those two will flip some this year. Hopefully this Gabriel Rodriguez will prove to be better than the last one, who was the highest paid international free agent in club history under modern rules.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report: 4/3/26

Rosario breaks out, Ralphy continues to rake, Gaddis has a rough rehab

Justin Lada

Apr 4

Scoreboard

Indianapolis Indians 11, Columbus Clippers 10 (Statcast)
Akron RubberDucks 9, Reading Fightin Phils 3
West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Lake County Captains 4
Hill City Howlers 8, Kannapolis Cannonballers 2

Rehab

Hunter Gaddis (RP, Columbus): 0.1IP, 3H, 4ER, 2BB, K - Not what you want to see from Gaddis, throwing 29 pitches and getting one out, allowing two walks, and then that led to three runs. He did allow a triple that was 104 MPH off the bat, but then a 77 MPH single and an 82 MPH double. So two of the three hits were just decently placed. Gaddis did top out at 94.7 on the fastball but as low as 91, which is down from his 94.7 average in 2025. He was able to get four whiffs on eight swings against his slider and he only used four changeups. Not a great outing, so it’s possible we don’t see Gaddis join the team until they head to Atlanta.

George Valera (RF, Columbus): 1-6, HR, 2 RBI - He hasn’t been hitting much in his few rehab outings, but he did punch a 97.4 MPH homer that went 383, so you like to see that. His exit velos in the other five ABs ranged from 55.8 to 96.9, so not a great day otherwise.

Highlights

Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 2-5, 3B, 2 R - We did not get an exit velo or distance on Bazzana’s triple but it came on an 0-2 count where he saw nothing but sweepers and one was left upstairs and he hammered it. You do like to see that for an adjustment. He also had an 105.5 single, a 108.6 MPH groundout. Bazzana did curiously lay down a sac bunt with two on and none out in the ninth with the Clippers down 11-10, which was not the best choice. He was facing a tough lefty in Evan Sisk, as far as arm angles go. He was trying to make it easier to tie the game, but from a development standpoint, I think you’d have rather seen him swing away like Merrill (comment if you get the reference) against a lefty with a chance to walk it off again.

Kahlil Watson (CF, Columbus): 2-4, 2 BB, SB - Nice day for Watson who has been up and down so far, but his lineout in this game was 107 off the bat. An encouraging day.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Akron): 2-3, RBI, BB, SB - Ralphy continues to adjust to Double-A quite nicely and wrecks the pitching of Reading. He even threw in a steal! He might be ready for Triple-A soon.

Alfonsin Rosario (CF, Akron): 2-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI - Rosario did his best Jose Ramirez, talking after the game about “home run pitches” as he hit them a long way and talked about learning from Jose this spring. These were no cheapies, which is good to see from Rosario. He got two hanging breaking balls and he knew what to do with them. Better than his Double-A cameo in 2025.

Josh Hartle (SP, Akron): 4.2IP, 5H, ER, BB, 5K - You’d like to see someone like Hartle be more efficient, throwing 71 pitches over 4.2IP, but he threw 64% strikes, which you also like. This is the kind of line you expect from Hartle, just more innings. But it’s early.

Jaison Chourio (DH, Lake County): 2-4, 2B, 2R, BB - This is encouraging for Chourio, who just never looked comfortable in 2025 at any point.

Jackson Humphries (SP, Lake County): 4IP, H, 2BB, 7K - A good day for Humphries in his first start, who had his moments in 2025. He was 91-94, whereas last year it was a lot of 89-92, so you like that. An the whiffs on the change and curveball.

Yerlin Luis (RF, Hill City): 2-5, 2B, RBI - Nice first few days of the season for the 20 year old outfielder that does come with some good reports.

Yeiferth Castillo (LF, Hill City): 2-4, RBI, BB - Just 19, Castillo is in his first stint in affiliated ball.

Jacob Zibin (SP, Hill City): 3.2IP, 2H, ER, 4BB, 8K - The four walks pushed him to 72 pitches in 3.2IP, no shock. The eight strikeouts are pretty good though for Zibin.

Jose Pirela (CF, Hill City): 3-4, 3 RBI, BB - I kind of liked Pirela’s bat a few years ago in the ACL. But his swing and 2025 weren’t surprising when you get outside of the ACL. We’ll see if he can turn things around in 2026.

Notable Performances

Juan Brito (3B, Columbus): 2-5, RBI, BB, K - A 98.9 single, and a 79.2 single, and a harder hit out and reached on an error. Solid day for Brito who is hitting and you wonder when his time will come.

Stuart Fairchild (DH, Columbus): 4-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB - This is a nice linescore for Fairchild, who to be fair is hitting well this year so far. But under the hood, his three singles were - 68.6 MPH off the bat, 27.1, and 41.2. His double was only 80.7. So he just hit’em where they ain’t, as they say. But not exactly indicative of great things.

Kody Huff (C, Columbus): 2-5, 2 RBI - Huff had a nice day behind the plate to give Ingle a day off.

Colin Holderman (RP, Columbus): 0.2IP, 3H, 4ER - Didn’t fare much better than Gaddis and gave up a lot of hard contact (106.9, 108.3, 91.5, 97.6, 92.9).

Franco Aleman (RP, Columbus): 0.2 IP - Finished the ninth and ran his heater from 94-98, looking pretty good.

Guy Lipscomb (RF, Akron): 2-4, 2B - The outfield isn’t too crowded in Akron so Lipscomb is getting some chances to do some nice things.

Alex Mooney (3B, Akron): 2-4, 3B, RBI, K - Mooney is off to a better start this year than his tough year in Double-A in 2025.

Dean Curley (SS, Lake County): 2-4, RBI, BB - Curley is off to a nice start offensively and it’s interesting he played short because he struggled at Tennessee there last year with his throws and it was part of what made him fall in the draft. Looks like Cleveland will let him try to prove he can or can’t.

Dauri Fernandez (SS, Hill City): 1-4, 2 BB, 3 SB - Not the best day at the plate for Fernandez but the two walks are nice even if pitching at this level is suspect at best. So is catching, since he was able to get three steals off those times on base.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/4/26

Doughty makes strong 2026 debut; Genao has big day in Akron

Arthur Kinney

Apr 5

SCOREBOARD

Columbus Clippers 7, Indianapolis Indians 5 (F/7) - Statcast
Akron RubberDucks 5, Reading Fightin’ Phils 0
Lake County Captains 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 3
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 19, Hill City Howlers 2

REHAB

George Valera (DH, Columbus): 3-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Something clicked for Valera on Saturday as he was perfect at the plate with a three-hit effort that included a 105.2 MPH double in the opening frame.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cooper Ingle (C, Columbus): 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K - Ingle tied up the game twice: at three apiece on a first-inning single and at four a side on a 343-foot, 101 MPH leadoff solo shot three frames later.

Angel Genao (SS, Akron): 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K - Genao’s first multi-hit game of the season was highlighted by a three-run blast to left field in the seventh that solidified the RubberDuck lead (12,1 % win probability added in one swing - 84.7% to 96.8%).

Nick Mitchell (CF, Akron): 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI - Mitchell rebounded from a hitless Opening Day by joining Genao in having a multi-hit game that included a round-tipper.

Caden Favors (SP, Akron): ND, 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K - Favors impressed in his Double-A debut with a quartet of scoreless frames and 47 strikes out of his 76 total pitches.

Aaron Walton (DH, Lake County): 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K - Walton was the definition of clutch on Saturday, getting the scoring started with a two-run homer off of the batters’ eye in the second and singling to extend the lead to four runs three innings later.

Esteban Gonzalez (RF, Lake County): 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - While exit velo and distance numbers were not available for Gonzalez’s fourth-inning blast to right field, I can tell you from what I saw with my own eyes that those figures are “very fast” and “very far”.

Bennett Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-1, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB - Thompson capped off the Captain scoring and yet another hat trick of homers with a seventh-inning solo shot that joined Walton’s blast in bouncing off of the batters’ eye in center.

Braylon Doughty (SP, Lake County): ND, 3 IP, 1 H, 2 K - Doughty’s fastball topped out at 94 MPH in a dominant High-A debut in which he appeared to have no difficulty adjusting to the higher level. The hype surrounding him is real.

Rafe Schlesinger (RP, Lake County): W (1-0), 4 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K - While not as dominant as Doughty, Schlesinger rebounded from allowing hits to the first two batters he faces to hurl four scoreless frames in a piggyback role.

Donovan Zsak (RP, Lake County) S (1), 1 IP, 3 K - While it was only over the course of a single inning rather than a trio, Zsak was, like Doughty, dominant in his Captains debut, striking out the side in order on 14 pitches to earn the save.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Petey Halpin (CF, Columbus): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Halpin reached thrice on Saturday including on a 104 MPH single in the fourth frame that gave the Clip Show their first lead of the evening.

Stuart Fairchild (LF, Columbus): 2-3, 1 RBI - Fairchild is slashing .480/.581/.800 after his third multi-hit games in the last four days.

Nolan Jones (RF, Columbus): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Jones’ slash is similarly spectacular (.375/.516/.792) thanks in part to his season-opening seven-game hitting streak.

Milan Tolentino (SS, Columbus): 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K - Tolentino’s double was his fourth out of six total hits so far this season. Throw in one of the other two being a home run and his ISO (.333) is higher than his batting average (.286).

Tommy Mace (RP, Columbus): W (1-0), 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR allowed - Mace kept the damage to a minimum despite allowing six baserunners to keep the Clippers in the lead until the rain could end the contest early and seal the victory.

Wuilfredo Antunez (LF, Akron): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - Antunez got the trio of RubberDuck homers started with a sixth-inning solo shot.

Ralphy Velazquez (DH, Akron): 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K - Velazquez is slashing .444/.583/.778 after reaching twice to put a closing flourish on a stellar opening weekend.

Hunter Stanley (RP, Akron): H (1), 2 IP, 3 K - Stanley remains unscored upon in three innings to start 2026 after striking out a trio of Phillies prospects across a pair of perfect frames at the Corner of State and Main.

Jaison Chourio (LF, Lake County): 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS - Chourio struggled against West Michigan starter Rayner Castillo, but feasted on the pitches thrown by the Whitecap bullpen.

Cam Walty (RP, Lake County): H (1), 0.2 IP, 1 K - Walty only faced two batters, but they were crucial batters as those outs kept the game from spiraling out of control after Kendeglys Virguez’s rough outing (3 ER in only 0.2 IP).

Jose Pirela (RF, Hill City): 1-4, 1 RBI, 2 K - Pirela’s second-inning single was the source of the lone Howler RBI on an utterly forgettable night for the baseball club formerly known as the Lynchburg Hillcats.

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Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my second season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. The main section of this newsletter was written by MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis.

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Guardians' Top 30 Prospects are projected to start or have started:

1. Travis Bazzana (MLB Pipeline No. 17), 2B -- Columbus (Triple-A)

2. Chase DeLauter (No. 43), OF -- Cleveland (MLB)

3. Angel Genao (No. 62), SS -- Akron (Double-A)

4. Ralphy Velazquez (No. 83), 1B/OF -- Akron (Double-A)

5. Cooper Ingle (No. 92), C -- Columbus (Triple-A)

6. Khal Stephen, RHP -- Akron (Double-A)

7. Braylon Doughty, RHP -- Lake County (High-A)

8. Jace LaViolette, OF -- Lake County (High-A)

9. Joey Oakie, RHP -- Hill City (Single-A)

10. Juneiker Caceres, OF -- Hill City (Single-A)

11. Jaison Chourio, OF -- Lake County (High-A)

12. Welbyn Francisca, SS -- Lake County (High-A) -- IL (shoulder)

13. Dean Curley, INF -- Lake County (High-A)

14. Kahlil Watson, OF -- Columbus (Triple-A)

15. Alfonsin Rosario, OF -- Akron (Double-A)

16. Juan Brito, 2B -- Columbus (Triple-A)

17. Daniel Espino, RHP -- Columbus (Triple-A)

18. Aaron Walton, OF -- Lake County (High-A)

19. Jacob Cozart, C -- Akron (Double-A)

20. Gabriel Rodriguez, SS/3B -- Hill City (Single-A)

21. Robert Arias, OF -- Hill City (Single-A)

22. Dauri Fernandez, INF -- Hill City (Single-A) (PICK TO CLICK)

23. Will Hynes, RHP -- Extended spring training

24. Svert Reinoso, SS -- Extended spring training (Dominican Republic)

25. Andrew Walters, RHP -- Cleveland (MLB) -- IL (lat surgery rehab)

26. Josh Hartle, LHP -- Akron (Double-A)

27. Nolan Schubart, OF/1B -- Lake County (High-A)

28. George Valera, OF -- Cleveland (MLB) -- IL (left calf strain)

29. Peyton Pallette, RHP -- Cleveland (MLB)

30. Luke Hill, 3B/2B -- Lake County (High-A)






Team to watch

The Guardians have distributed their prospect talent pretty evenly between their top three affiliates, but we'll give the nod to Triple-A Columbus. Second baseman Travis Bazzana was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and has one of the highest offensive ceilings in the Minors. The Clippers' lineup runs deep with catcher Cooper Ingle, outfielder Kahlil Watson and second baseman Juan Brito. Right-hander Daniel Espino, who once owned the most electric arsenal of any pitching prospect, continues his comeback after missing most of four seasons with shoulder problems.

Players we could see in MLB in 2026

Bazzana could force his way into Cleveland's lineup in the first month or two of the season. Ingle, Watson and Brito could get their first taste of the big leagues in complementary roles. Espino certainly has the stuff to make an impact as a reliever if he can stay healthy.






New faces

Outfielder Jace LaViolette entered 2025 as a potential No. 1 overall pick and slipped all the way to No. 27, and he didn't make his pro debut last summer after breaking his hand during the Southeastern Conference tournament. He's ready to go at High-A Lake County. The top Canadian high school pitcher in last year's Draft, right-hander Will Hynes, will break into pro ball in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in May. Dominican shortstop Svert Reinoso, the best player in Cleveland's 2026 international crop, will play in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in June. Rule 5 Draft pick Peyton Pallette stuck with the Guardians and delivered two scoreless innings in his first appearance.






On the shelf

Shortstop Welbyn Francisca is dealing with a shoulder issue and should join Lake County by late April. Right-hander Andrew Walters (lat surgery rehab) and outfielder George Valera (left calf strain) are on Cleveland's injured list. Valera is on a rehab assignment at Columbus, while Walters could return in May.

How to watch

Fans can watch Minor League Baseball games for free on the Bally Sports Live app or at BallySports.com. Fans may also purchase an MLB+ subscription, which includes access to MiLB games live and on demand, in addition to live MLB audio for all 30 teams, MLBNetwork and MLB Big Inning. Plus -- with or without a subscription -- Minor League games featuring MLB's top prospects are available in the MiLB Free Game of the Day.

QUOTABLE

"In that 2016, 2017 time, it was kind of like, 'How do you get this guy out? There's just no good way.' I didn't play against him for a few years there, just because I was in the National League. Coming back [to the American League] and seeing him in 2022, it wasn't fair. There was nowhere to get him out. There were no holes. I was just super impressed by how he played the game." -- manager Stephen Vogt, on his impressions of José Ramírez during his own playing career

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Jake LaViolette is off to a remarkable start.
Game 1: 4 at bats, 4 strikeouts.
Game 2: 4 at bats, only 3 strikeouts; 1 fair ball hit.

Chase Mobley debut in HillCity, Low A, was equally mermorable:
1/3 inning
only 1 hit
but 3 walks
2 hit batters
Reliever cleared the bases so all 6 hitters scored; ERA is now 162.00
He was pretty awful last summer, too, in 2025 with 24 walks in 20 IP and a cumulative 9.45 ERA; 15.00 in 3 innings in Class A

A couple of guys off to a remarkable start are Nolan Jones & Stuart Fairchild.

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MLB

Columbus Clippers top Indianapolis 7-5

Columbus Dispatch

April 5, 2026, 9:03 a.m. ET

Cooper Ingle was 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs as the Clippers defeated Indianapolis 7-5 on April 4 at Huntington Park.

George Valera was 3 for 3 and Stuart Fairchild was 2 for 3 for Columbus (6-2). Clippers starter Ryan Webb allowed four runs on seven hits in 3⅔ innings and reliever Tommy Mace allowed one run on four hits in 2⅔ innings in the rain-shortened game.

Billy Cook was 3 for 4 with a home run for Indianapolis (1-7). Davis Wendzel also homered.

The teams play again at 1:05 p.m. April 5 at Huntington Park

COOPER INGLE FIRST HOMER

https://twitter.com/i/status/2040540696717795779

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Three Homers Help Akron to 5-0 Win and Sweep of Reading

Wuilfredo Antunez, Angel Genao and Nick Mitchell all homered to power the Akron RubberDucks to a 5-0 win over the Reading Fightin Phils on Saturday afternoon and an Opening Weekend sweep at 7 17 Credit Union Park.

Turning Point

Scoreless until sixth, the RubberDucks finally cracked the scoreboard. Antunez launched a solo home run into the bullpens to open up the inning and give Akron the 1-0 lead.

Mound Presence

Caden Favors made his Double-A debut on Saturday. The left-hander was lights out allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings while striking out four. Mangus Ellerts allowed just one hit over an inning and two-thirds while striking out two. Jack Jasiak retired the only batter he faced to strand a runner on second in the top of the sixth. Hunter Stanley worked two scoreless innings. Matt Jachec tossed a scoreless ninth to secure the win.

Duck Tales

The Antunez homer sparked the RubberDucks offense. In the seventh, back-to-back singles by Juan Benjamin and Jose Devers set up Genao. The RubberDucks shortstop launched a three-run home run to the canal behind the left field wall to make it 4-0 Akron. The RubberDucks added one more in the eighth when Nick Mitchell launched a solo home run to the Modelo Tiki Terrace.

Notebook

Mitchell's home run was his first in Double-A...
Akron combined to hit six homers in the three-game series...
RubberDucks batters have homered 16 times in the last nine games played against Reading...
Akron has now swept the Opening Weekend series in back-to-back seasons...
Game Time: 2:24...Attendance: 2,205.

On the Pond

The RubberDucks will have Sunday and Monday off before hitting the road to Harrisburg to begin a six-game series against the Senators on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. Akron will return to 7 17 Credit Union Park on Tuesday, April 14 to begin a six-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The game broadcast is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and akronrubberducks.com, and available on Bally Live. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available at akronrubberducks.com/tickets.

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Pirela's Three Hit Day Sparks Howlers Victory

The Hill City Howlers start the year 2-0 after an 8-2 drubbing of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Kannapolis.

It was another big day at the plate for the Howlers, as they scattered 11 hits and took 10 walks in the victory, bolstered by a three-hit day in outfielder Jose Pirela's season debut.

Pitching picked things up as well, with Jacob Zibin and Miguel Flores combining for 14 strikeouts in the win. Zibin led the charge with nine Ks, a career-high for the right-hander.

After Howlers starting pitcher Jacob Zibin wrestled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, Pirela gave him some support with a two-run single, bringing catcher Tyler Howard and first baseman Luis De La Cruz home to make it 2-0.

Following a stolen base and wild pitch that got Cannon Ballers second baseman Javier Mogollon to third base in the bottom of the third, Mogollon came home on an infield hit off the bat of designated hitter Stiven Flores bringing the score to 2-1. After that, Zibin settled in and struck out his sixth batter in catcher Boston Smith to end the frame.

Jose Pirela kept his strong season debut going in the top of the sixth, driving in Howlers catcher Tyler Howard on a single through the right side, making the score 3-1.

Fast forward an inning and the Howlers plated another on a flare to shallow center off the bat of Hill City outfielder Yeiferth Castillo, infielder Dauri Fernandez came home on the knock to make it a 4-1 ballgame.

The runs didn't stop there in the seventh, as one batter later, designated hitter Cannon Peebles got his first 2026 hit on an RBI double rocketed to deep center, scoring Castillo to extend Hill City's lead to 5-1. To cap off the inning, outfielder Yerlin Luis drove in Peebles on an infield single, making the score at the end of the frame 6-1 Howlers.

Kannapolis stopped the barrage in the bottom of the seventh, getting a run back after shortstop Billy Carlson drilled a double to left-center field, bringing home right fielder Jaden Fauske.

Hill City quickly erased the progress the Cannon Ballers had made in the previous inning, scoring a run in the top of the eighth on a Cannon Peebles RBI groundout, bringing Dauri Fernandez across to make it 7-2 Howlers.

Fernandez put the cherry on top in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI double to plate the eighth run, the final one of the game.

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