By Zack Meisel
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Thirty-five players have made their major-league debut for the Guardians in the last three seasons, including 10 last year.
Cade Smith emerged as one of the league’s top relievers. Jhonkensy Noel delivered the signature moment of the club’s playoff run. Kyle Manzardo became a trusted hitter in rookie manager Stephen Vogt’s lineup. Erik Sabrowski and Andrew Walters joined a historically proficient bullpen for the last leg of the wild ride. Joey Cantillo and Daniel Schneemann made the postseason roster. The club also received contributions from Angel Martínez, Johnathan Rodriguez and Connor Gillispie.
Who could join the class of newcomers in 2025? There are plenty of candidates.
A whole bunch of pitchers
10. Tanner Burns, Will Dion, Bradley Hanner, Mason Hickman, Zak Kent, Jack Leftwich, Parker Messick, Andrew Misiaszek, Ryan Webb
Take your pick. Some are starters. Some are relievers. Some are starters who could wind up in the bullpen. The Guardians used 29 pitchers last year (plus Austin Hedges for a two-inning scoreless masterpiece), so they’ll need far more arms than the 13 they lean on at the start of the season. Everyone on this list should spend time at Triple-A Columbus, leaving them one call from a debut. The Guardians reassigned Dion, Burns, Hickman and Leftwich to minor-league camp Tuesday.
Are you an outfielder? You’re in demand
9. Petey Halpin
Halpin repeated Double A last year — the front office admitted it pushed him by starting him there a year earlier — and had slightly better results at the plate. It would stand to reason he’ll start in Columbus, and with other outfield prospects at that level battling injuries, it’s not impossible he finds his way to Cleveland, especially since he’s on the 40-man roster. One complication: Many of Cleveland’s infielders, such as Martínez, Schneemann, Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman, can also shift to the outfield.
You always need more catchers
8. Kody Huff
The number of catchers who have started a game for Cleveland the last four years: three, six, four, five. It’s a safe bet that they’ll need more than just Hedges and Bo Naylor. Dom Nuñez is probably next on the depth chart, as he joined the Guardians as an extra catcher to help with pregame work last October. After him, it’s the kids. Huff, 24, is a bit older and further along defensively than Cooper Ingle, the prospect darling. The Guardians acquired Huff from the Colorado Rockies for Cal Quantrill in November 2023. He finished last season at Double A, and if there’s an injury or two, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him debut.
Prospect Travis Bazzana had twice as many walks as strikeouts in college. (Kevin Neri / Statesman Journal / Imagn Images)
The top prospect
7. Travis Bazzana
Ever study Bazzana’s 2024 Oregon State stats? Twice as many walks as strikeouts, a homer every other game, an OPS approaching 1.500, the sort of numbers you couldn’t contrive even if setting your video game to rookie mode. It won’t come as easy to Bazzana in the professional ranks, but not for a lack of effort. The guy never leaves baseball mode, exhausting every resource the Guardians can offer to help him improve. That should pay dividends as he climbs toward the big leagues, and if none of the club’s second base candidates impresses and Bazzana flourishes in Akron and then Columbus, the calls for last summer’s No. 1 pick could grow deafening by summer.
The forgotten outfielder
6. George Valera
Three years ago, The Athletic’s prospect expert, Keith Law, wrote this about Valera, whom he ranked No. 29 on his list of the Top 100 prospects in the league: “He has bat speed, big strength and an advanced eye at the plate, along with solid-average defense for right field, and there’s just an electricity to the way he plays. … He might be a 30-homer/80-walk guy at his peak.” Since then, he has battled injuries and inconsistencies against left-handed pitching. And yet, he’s only 24. The Guardians booted him from the 40-man roster over the winter, so he’ll have to earn his way back into the plans. The first step? Get healthy, and stay healthy. After that, there’s always room for a corner outfielder with pop and a good eye.
The next relievers in line
5. Franco Aleman
For the last season and a half, he’s been perhaps the organization’s most effective reliever: 46 2/3 innings, 22 hits allowed, 15 walks, 72 strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA. It’s all about health, though. He made only 24 appearances last season at Triple A, and he’ll play catch-up this year after he underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia.
4. Nic Enright
Enright was set to debut for the Miami Marlins in 2023 after they snagged him from Cleveland in the Rule 5 Draft. He was even introduced on the field on Opening Day as a member of the big-league roster. But he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, so he spent the first few months on the injured list, and then the Marlins returned him to the Guardians that June. He’s been working his way back to the majors ever since, and he would have debuted last year had he not suffered a shoulder injury. In 17 innings at Columbus, he allowed two runs, nine hits and struck out 31. The Guardians added him to the 40-man roster, so once he’s recovered from a lat strain, he should be one of the first calls when the club needs a reliever.
Only an injury can get in the way
3. Chase DeLauter
Well, this is awkward. If not for injuries, he likely would have debuted by now. Or, at least, he’d be a threat to debut early this season, and he’d be considered the Guardians’ long-term solution in right field without hesitation. Instead, frequent trips to the training room have limited him to 96 games since the Guardians selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft, and now he’s sidelined for a couple of months following sports hernia surgery. So, here’s guessing he sees the majors at some point in 2025, but even that declaration isn’t as certain as it could be.
2. Doug Nikhazy
A spring bright spot, Nikhazy has planted himself in the conversation for the Opening Day roster in his first big-league camp. Even if he doesn’t join the Guardians in Kansas City at the end of the month, now that he’s ditched his shaky command habits and has attacked the strike zone (at least, until he ran into the Dodgers on Tuesday), he figures to log some service time this year, either as a starter or a second lefty in the pen.
1. Juan Brito
The Guardians want to learn as much as they can about him this year (especially before Bazzana starts hogging the second base reps), so even if Brito has to wait until May or June for a call-up, he should receive plenty of opportunities in 2025. It helps that he’s bettered his versatility, as he can bounce to first, third or corner outfield. He boasts a polished approach at the plate with a tendency to rack up walks. Last year, as a 22-year-old in Triple A, he totaled 40 doubles and 21 homers. The Guardians need to find out whether that’ll translate to the majors.