Cleveland Sports Forum

Since the major league season is over I've been looking more at the remote corners of the minors. Only for a few more days since I go ahead at the end of this week and return when the minors are wrapping up.

A few people of possible interest

Luis Merejo 6-2 185 17 year old 3rd baseman in the DR summer league
in 128 AB he's hitting 320 with 4 homers [12xb] and 32 RBI 17 walks 25 strikeouts His full line is 320/435/492

Esteban Gonzalez physically unimposing 5-8 150 20 year old OF on the Arizona rookie team
in 118 AB he's hitting 305 with 5 homers 9 doubles 3 triples [that's an extra base hit every 7 AB] 24 rbi 16 walks 33 strikeouts
on the same team last year he had 5 extra bases in 133 at bats.
Most impressive is his basestealing improvement: in 2022 he was an awful 5 for 13; this year he is a perfect 19 for 19
Overall hitting line is 305/415/559 which does not include any reflection of the basestealing prowess

his publicized teammate is Jaison Chourio also an OF who's bigger 6-1 162 only age 18 switch-hitter
He;s hitting 358 with 12 doubles one homer and one triple. An amazing 36 walks [and 32 strikeouts] in a total 173 plate appearances.
another very effective basestealer: 17 of 19
358/489/482

other noteworthy activity Saturday:

Lynchburg is at 52-54 despite almost no homeruns and generally unimpressive pitching
Jose Devers noted recently doubled and singled; 255/726
Wulifredo Antunez who pops into the bottom of top 30 lists I'm sure in part because he walks more than he rarely strikes out. 2 singles yesterday; 10 for his last 23
little power to date, 3 homers for the season
2023 draftee OF C.J. Kayfus with his first pro homer and a single and a walk. Like most of our picks not considered a power bat
Luis Durango 3 singles and a walk

Lake County 48-55 rained out again

Akron 54-53
Petey Halpin 3 singles He's only 21 in AA.
Aaron Bracho homers for the 3rd day in a row [totals 13] adds a double and a single OPS tops 800

Columbus 51-60
the apparently unstoppable while still generally unheralded Johnathan Rodriguez hit two more homers and batted in 3. In Columbus he's 316/350/737
One of yesterday;s was estimated 464 feet; second a mere 368 to the opposite field
57 AB 5 homers 2 triples 5 doubles and he's even managed 6 singles. 18 RBI in 14 games
for the week he's 22-7-8-10 3 homers 2 triples 1 double and a single
Down side: with one day a perfect 5K in 5AB, the weekly total is 9 strikeouts and no walks.

Only for a few more days since I go ahead at the end of this week and return when the minors are wrapping up.

Watchu mean?

Breaking down Guardians' new Top 30 prospects

[This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.]

Over the last few years, the Guardians have thoroughly enjoyed watching their top prospects thrive at the Major League level.

Some, such as Nolan Jones, have been traded, and others, like Daniel Espino, have been plagued by injuries, but the team couldn't have had the success it had in 2022 without up-and-comers, such as Steven Kwan, providing exceptional defense and timely hits. This season, the Guardians would’ve fallen apart if rookie starters Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen wouldn’t have handled replacing the injured Triston McKenzie, Shane Bieber and Cal Quantrill.

The Guardians have seen the success they can have by trusting their system. They also know the handful of areas that need improvement. Now, they’re hoping the next wave of highly touted prospects can make a difference over the next few years. And in MLB Pipeline’s newest rankings, some of the best players in Cleveland’s system are ready (or almost ready) for the big leagues.

Here’s a look at the Guardians top prospects:

1. Brayan Rocchio, SS (MLB No. 52)
2. Kyle Manzardo, 1B (No. 63)
3. Espino, RHP (No. 86)
4. Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 91)
5. George Valera, OF

Complete Top 30 list >>

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/guardians ... 1944318559



Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Welbyn Francisca, SS (Preseason: Not ranked | Midseason: 15) -- The Guardians signed 17-year-old Francisca out of the Dominican Republic in January. Coming into the season, he didn’t make Cleveland’s Top 30 prospects list, but he quickly burst onto the scene once he entered games in the Dominican Summer League. In 39 games, he’s hit .324 with a .942 OPS. He’s known for his ability to make hard contact more than his power, but MLB Pipeline experts say his hitting ability mixed with his bat speed could lead to 15-20 homer seasons.

Fall: Justin Campbell, RHP (Preseason: 13 | Midseason: 23) -- Well, this drop was well out of Campbell’s hands. He was drafted in Competitive Balance Round A in 2022, but he has yet to make his professional debut because he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow in May. MLB Pipeline still projects the 22-year-old righty to be at least a No. 4 starter by the time he reaches the big leagues, especially in an organization that has a knack for developing pitchers.

Campbell has a plus changeup and an above-average curveball that stands out more than his 91-93 mph heater, though the fastball generates a lot of weak contact. His 6-foot-7 frame also creates deception for hitters, causing plenty of awkward swings.



New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

No. 2 Kyle Manzardo, 1B (Acquired from Tampa Bay in exchange for RHP Aaron Civale)
No. 7 Ralphy Velazquez, C (2023 first-round Draft pick) 
No. 9 Alex Clemmey, LHP (2023 second-round Draft pick) 
No. 16 Kahlil Watson, SS (Acquired from Miami in exchange for 1B Josh Bell) 
No. 18 Andrew Walters, RHP (2023 Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick)
No. 21 Alex Mooney, SS (2023 seventh-round Draft pick)
No. 30 C.J. Kayfus, OF (2023 third-round Draft pick)



Impact callup

OF Johnathan Rodriguez (No. 24): The Guardians rank last in the Majors in home runs and could try to tap into the power of Rodriguez. The 23-year-old is a 2017 third-round pick from a Puerto Rican academy and has slammed 18 homers in 88 Double-A games and two in his first five Triple-A contests. One club official likened him to 2022 American League Wild Card Series hero Oscar Gonzalez with better swing decisions.

2 homer game

https://www.mlbdraftleague.com/video/jo ... =home-runs



Best tools

Players are graded on a traditional 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 60 -- Manzardo (Juan Brito, Jaison Chourio)
Power: 60 -- DeLauter (Jhonkensy Noel)
Run: 65 -- Watson
Arm: 60 -- DeLauter (Milan Tolentino, Watson)
Defense: 60 -- Dayan Frias (Rocchio, Tolentino)
Fastball: 80 -- Espino
Curveball: 60 -- Clemmey
Slider: 70 -- Espino
Changeup: 60 -- Joey Cantillo (Campbell, Parker Messick)
Control: 60 -- Will Dion (Messick)

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how about if I said I'm go away until the end of the month. Correct word usage often helps express ideas more clearly.

In Sunday action,

JRod with another homer, and 2 more strikeouts. That gives him 24 total for the season; 7 in 61 at bats in Columbus. 20 RBI i those 15 games.
for the week: 9-26 : double, 2 triples, 4 home runs; 26 total bases 1.000 SLG 12 RBI that's pretty productive week
Is there a chance my stubborn friends at Baseball America can place this non-top 30 prospect on the Weekly Hot Prospect List. I believe he must have offended someone there once
JNoel drew two walks; that might impress the front office more than JRod's blasts

Another disaster for Hunter Gaddis: 2 1/3 5 6 6 2 4 2 homers ERA 6.64
On the other hand, Karinchak fanned all 3 he faced. Perhaps he could feel an need in Cleveland

how about if I said I'm go away until the end of the month. Correct word usage often helps express ideas more clearly.

You have my permissiion

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Akron lost 8-3. Not a lot notable,
Juan Brito doubled
Aaron Bracho walked twice

2 games for Lake County
Won the first 7-6
Fox single double walk
Watson walk sac fly
Ingle double walk first 2 outs as a pro

Leading 6-2 in game two
Watson 2 run homer
Fox another double
DeLauter double and walk

In the comedy central game of the day, Lynchburg with a walk off 14-13 win, after blowing 5-2, 12-8 and 13-12 leads.
Devers of recent discussion single double walk sac fly 4 rbi
Genao 2 doubles and a single note: he's only age 19
W. Antunez homer single and 5rbi. 29 hits in his last 74 AB, a bit shy of .400.

one other guy who has been hot:

Franco Aleman relief pitcher on Akron. Started the year at Lake County with unimpressive stats: 31 IP 35 hits 13 walks but an impressive 46K ERA 5.42 1.55 WHIP
but after his promotion he has been lights out: 15 1/3 inning only 5 hits and no runs; 2 walks and 21 strikeouts ERA 0 WHIP 0.46
He's a big 6-6 235 RHP.
10th round pick in 2021
In his 2022 debut he didn't produce noteworthy results other than the strikeouts 75 in 56 innings; ERA 6.31 .292 average against

Below are prospects for all 10 Central Division teams who’ve taken significant steps forward this year.

Guardians

Jaison Chourio, OF: Jaison has a different skill set from his older brother Jackson—who is one of the sport’s top prospects—but has a high ceiling as well. The younger Chourio has been excellent all season long in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where he’s shown a strong knowledge of the strike zone and excellent bat-to-ball skills. He has the speed to play center field and the arm strength to play in all three outfield spots. There are plenty of raw ingredients in place. Now, it’s a matter of applying polish and waiting to see what kind of player emerges.

Hot Prospect List for the week includes

11. Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians
Team: High-A Lake County (Midwest)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Unsurprisingly, Cleveland has found another college arm for its pitching assembly line. The lefthanded Messick starred at Florida State before being selected by Cleveland in the second round of the 2022 draft. After a rough first two starts at High-A, Messick has settled in nicely. Since July 9, Messick is 1-1, 2.70 and has struck out 36 hitters in 30 innings over six outings (four starts). His 11 strikeouts in his most recent turn established a new career best.

I suppose if I were choosing the hottest prospects, Johnathan Rodriguez would have a problem qualifying despite his 346/346/1000 line with 4 homers and seven extra base hits and 12 RBI over 6 weeks. In an Oscar Gonzalez looking stat, JRod walked none and struck out 11 times, with a perfect 5K in 5 AB one game.

There is a guy rated No. 16 who was 1/11 in his BB/K numbers with an overall line 370/355/963 which is pretty similar. that fellow is a 22 year old in High A, JRod is one year older and two levels higher. So I remain perplexed about BA's total disregard of Rodriguez.

At least I got their attention although don't agree with their answer as for our top 30. I don't think CLE is so deep any more and there are some rather unimpressive guys in the 20-30 range

Q: Still no attention to Johnathan Rodriguez. He doesn't walk enough but he does hit the ball a long way. [one homer this week estimated 464 ft] For the week 346/346/1000 4 HR 2 3B 1 2B 12 RBI. 0 BB 12K isn't much different from this week's No. 16. JRod can't even fit on the Cleveland Top 30?


A: Hey Elliot I can't speak directly to the Guardians list but to be fair they have a very deep system. He's likely to crack the 30 in half the other organizations. As for this week, he was considered and his numbers aren't far off from Jack Brannigan. Just a matter of taking Brannigan as he's an interesting player we've had eyes on. There's always a few players who just miss.

Another day another homer for Johnathan Rodriguez. And he even drew a walk. Home run total is now 25.

MLB ranks the farm systems. Obviously CLE will drop from the preseason considering the quantity and quality of this year's graduates to the big leagues.

From No. 4 to No. 15 is still a measure of optimism about who's left which included the longish shot that Espino comes back healthy

15. Cleveland Guardians
2023 preseason rank: 4
2022 midseason rank: 3
2022 preseason rank: 12
2021 midseason rank: 13

Top 100 prospects: Brayan Rocchio, SS/2B (No. 51); Kyle Manzardo, 1B (No. 62); Daniel Espino, RHP (No. 85); Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 90)

The Guardians' drop in our rankings reflects the graduations to Cleveland of Top 100 prospects Gavin Williams, Bo Naylor and Tanner Bibee, as well as Logan Allen, Gabriel Arias and Will Brennan. Cleveland continues to acquire and develop contact hitters and pitchers, including drafting catcher Ralphy Velazquez and left-hander Alex Clemmey and trading for Manzardo in July. Espino's pure stuff rivals that of any pitching prospect in the game, and restoring him to full health after shoulder surgery would be huge.