Cleveland Sports Forum

How is Naylor's defense? Vogt has been quoted as saying its improved but I don't watch games to have any opinion
We have Kody Huff in Columbus who's considered a very good defensive catcher but not much of a hitter. He edges into some prospect list. 245/340/364 last year for Akron. He caught 1/3 of base stealers. In the very early going in Columbus he's nabbed 3 of 5 and is 5 of 20 with 7 strikeouts at bat.

In Akron Cooper Ingle is an excellent hitter and his defense has been improving to an average grade. Currently ranked No. 7 on our deep prospect list by BA with this report:
College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America

Newsletter
My Account

Join Today!
QUICK HITS
Campbell, Sox Agree To 8-Year Deal
2027 HS Draft Rankings
NCAA Top 25
Week 8 SEC Power Rankings
BA 300 Draft Rankings
Top 30s
Dynasty Rankings
Top 100
Get BA’s Free Daily Prospect Report
Home Players Cooper Ingle

Headshot of Cooper Ingle
Team Logo of Akron RubberDucks
Cooper Ingle
Team Logo of Akron RubberDucksAkron RubberDucks
Age: 23
#8
C
Active
AB
393
AVG
.303
OBP
.426
SLG
.466
HR
11
Overview
Stats
Full name
John Cooper Ingle
Born
02/23/2002 in Asheville, NC
Profile
Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School
Clemson
Drafted in the 4th round (125th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023 (signed for $400,000).
View Draft Report
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings

Team Logo of Cleveland Guardians
Ranked Cleveland Guardians #7 prospect in 2025
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: Ingle showed standout plate discipline and contact skills as a catcher and outfielder with Clemson, though there were questions about his defensive profile behind the plate. The Guardians signed him for $400,000 in the fourth round in 2023, then watched him turn in one of the best offensive seasons among minor league catchers in 2024, when he hit .305/.419/.478 with a 160 wRC+ between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron.

Scouting Report: Ingle has a smaller frame at 5-foot-9, 180 pounds and has a relaxed, open stance in the batter’s box with a quick and direct lefthanded swing that leads to tons of line-drive contact. Like many hitters Cleveland targets, Ingle stands out for his plate discipline and contact skills. He rarely expands the zone and has consistently walked more than he has struck out dating back to his amateur days. In 2024 he managed above-average contact (85.6%) and zone-contact rates (90.4%). Ingle doesn’t have much raw power, and as a 22-year-old without much physical projection isn’t likely to grow into much more. The homers he hits are nearly exclusively to his pull side, and he’ll derive his offensive value from high averages and on-base percentages. He’s a good runner for a catcher who can get out of the box quickly when he needs to. Ingle has made strides defensively and works from a one-knee setup with reliable hands, blocking ability and game-calling. His pure arm strength is fringy at best, but he threw out 27.3% of baserunners in 2024 thanks to a quick exchange. He has the tools to be a solid defender with continued progress.

The Future: Ingle doesn’t have the sort of impact to be a middle-of-the-order bat, but his contact skills, zone control and defensive ability should allow him to carve out a regular big league catching role.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45.

And next in line is Jacob Cozart a 2nd rounder in 2024 who's speciality is defense and is opening the season in Lake County
His pro debut was unsuccessful offensively: he was 5-42 with 18 strikeouts, one double his only xb hit, 7 walks.
Names escape me but we've had a couple similarly high round draft pick catchers who never could get their hitting to even capable AA level


Track Record: Cozart was a three-year starter behind the plate for NC State who finished his career as a .287/.397/.524 hitter with 33 home runs. Some scouts thought he was the top catcher in the class after a strong 2023 summer showing with Team USA, but the Guardians signed him for $2,050,000 in the second round as the fourth catcher off the board. He played 13 games with High-A Lake County after signing and hit just .119 with a 36.7% strikeout rate.

Scouting Report: Cozart has a big frame for a catcher at 6-foot-3, 222 pounds and above-average raw power that comes with it. He has plenty of strength and produced exit velocities up to 110 mph with wood in his pro debut, but his swing can get lengthy and steep which leads to contact questions. Elite velocity and quality breaking stuff has flummoxed Cozart, and without improving his bat-to-ball skills he could be reliant on his power and savvy eye (he had a 13.7% walk rate in college) to help maintain solid on-base rates. The Guardians viewed Cozart as one of the best receivers in the class and believe he’ll be an above-average defender. His above-average arm strength pairs with a quick exchange to shut down the running game. He threw out 47% of runners (7-of-15) in his pro debut and 33% in the spring with NC State.

The Future: Cozart has everyday upside as a power-over-hit catcher who earns praise for his “obsessive” work ethic behind the plate.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55.

Bottom line: we have a solid pipeline of catching talent lined up but no one's ready at present.

Yesterday's second base screw up. I'm ready for Brito or Bazzana asap. but neither is the defender the Blue Jays have now.

Arraez drew the throw from catcher Bo Naylor to second baseman Daniel Schneemann as Tatis scored easily. The Padres never looked back after that.
“In a perfect world we had a couple of options on the double steal,” said Vogt. “Schee had an opportunity to maybe tag the runner. Or we could have gotten the ball back home quicker. “It’s a play we put on. They ran their play. We ran ours. We had a couple of options to execute. They did and we didn’t.”

Bo Naylor should have never thrown the ball to begin with. Tatis was half way down the 3rd base line when Bo decided to throw to 2nd. Schneeman never had a chance.

Vogt is covering for his catcher.

I don't think anyone is covering for Arias. He's near the end of the line. Brito is 7 for 20 with 3 doubles and an 857 OPS. No errors. Bonehead plays are not quantified.
After the first two weeks in spring training he hit well. I cannot imagine them putting up with Arias for very long. He has usually been described as a good fielder, but he doesn't make good game decisions and certainly doesn't improve over time.

Always waiting for his power.

Of course Jose's 3 homeruns were a big deal and we can count on him to lead the Guardians offense once again.

But three errors in three days is a worry; without Giminez we need Rocchio Ramirez and Santana to play at or near Gold Glove performances

‘Best player in the world’ gives Guardians just what they need against Angels

Updated: Apr. 05, 2025, 1:44 p.m.|Published: Apr. 05, 2025, 11:53 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

ANAHEIM — Just when it seems the bones are starting to creak a little too loudly and that a switch to first base or DH is coming sooner rather than later, Jose Ramirez does something like he did Friday night."

First inning, home run off a 98 mph fastball from Jose Soriano.

Third inning, a botched ground ball at third base, Ramirez’s third error in the last three games, allows the Angels to take a 4-2 lead.

Fifth inning, a two-run homer on an 88 mph slider from Soriano to tie the score at 4-4.

Ninth inning, a third homer, this one a shot to right center field off a 93 mph fastball from Caden Dana.

Ramirez’s third homer gave Cleveland an 8-4 lead in what turned out to be an 8-6 win as Emmanuel Clase continues to prove he’s human by letting the Angels get closer than they should have been in the ninth inning.

What is Ramirez proving?

“To me, Jose is the one,” said second baseman Gabriel Arias. “He’s the best.

“I see him as the best player in the big leagues. I know there’s Shohei Ohtani and many others, but with Jose it doesn’t matter what base you’re on. He’ll find a way to bring you in.

“If you’re on first, he’ll shoot one into the gap. Or like tonight, he’ll hit it out. It’s an honor to be in the same lineup as him.”

The three-homer game was the second in Ramirez’s career. The first came on June 8, 2023, against Boston.

“He is the best player in the world — 100 percent,” said shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who along with Ramirez combined to drive in seven of Cleveland’s eight runs. “Every night he surprises me. How he plays, how he is inside the locker room. It’s incredible. I love watching Jose play.”

Manager Stephen Vogt felt the error Ramirez made, in the third inning on Luis Rengifo’s two-out grounder to third, fueled what he did at the plate for the rest of the night.

“When the top players in the league make a mistake like that, they seem to make up for it right away,” said Vogt. “It happens all the time.”

The methodical Ramirez, 32, did not agree.

“Sometimes you hit the first homer and then after that, you don’t hit any,” said Ramirez, through interpreter Agustin Rivero. “But you always want a good result. You always want to help the team win.”

If Ramirez can stay healthy through the remainder of his seven-year, $141 million contract, some important franchise records could belong to him.

He is tied for first with Hall of Famer Jim Thome and Albert Belle for multi-homer games with 26.

He’s ranked second in homers with 259. Thome is first with 337.

He’s third in extra base hits with 665. Hall of Famers Earl Averill and Tris Speaker are first and second with 724 and 667, respectively.

He’s fourth in stolen bases with 243. Kenny Lofton is first with 452.

“To be surrounded by players like Jim Thome and Albert Belle, is very special,” said Ramirez, when asked about sharing the franchise record for multi-homer games.

In the first inning, Ramirez hit a 1-1 pitch 396-feet to right field. The exit velocity was 105.5 mph.

Mike Trout of the Angels countered with a homer of his own in the bottom of the first, but he had no answer for Ramirez’s next two homers.

n the fifth inning, Ramirez hit a 2-2 slider from Soriano 394 feet to right field. It left the bat at 100.9 mph.

Ramirez studied Soriano intently from the on deck circle before that at-bat. Asked if he picked up a tell on the Angel starter, “I’d like to keep that private.”

The third homer came on a 1-1 pitch. It left the bat at 104.5 mph and traveled 408 feet to right center field.

“I appreciate these type of days,” said Ramirez. “Sometimes it’s hard to hit one. Then when you hit three, you just thank God. Most importantly, we won.”

Ramirez, who started his career as a utility player, is the gift that keeps on giving to the Guardians and his teammates.

The fact is not lost on them.

“He helped me out big time,” said right-hander Gavin Williams, who was in line for the loss when he left after three innings Friday night. “He makes my life very easy as a pitcher even though I didn’t go as deep as I wanted to. Seeing that kind of performance as a pitcher is awesome.”

Or as Rocchio said, “Jose is my favorite player. I love watching him play every day.”

<

Cruddy game on Saturday; Bibee gave up 2 homers in the first; settled in, it seemed with 3 shutout frames; and 2 more homers in the fifth; 7 run yield in 4 IP
McKenzie followed and was again quite bad: 4 walks and 3 hits and 3 runs in 1 2/3.
Fine mopup work by Cantillo, 2 1/3 perfect innings.

The trio of Rightfielders continue to look really lousy.
Nolan Jones struck out 3 times in 4 at bats; JRod 2 K in 2 AB; Noel did not strike out in his one at bat
to date:
Jones 143/217/238 10K in 21 AB
Noel 083/143/086 2K in 12 AB
Rodriguez 000/000/000 3K in 5 AB
Combo: 079/143/158

Another day, another error for Ramirez: streak up to 4 games now. Last year he totaled 9

Better but far from elegant for Orti; we're in the 6th and he's held them to 7 hits and 3 runs and hasn't walked anyone.

Terrible road trip. I thought the bottom half of the order would be better than last year. So far, not so. The pitching has been less than stellar. Important home stand coming up. Lot of work has to done.

Today's errors by Kwan and Rocchio
Today's RF a combined 0-5 with only 1 strikeout.

I'm guessing the team does not play worse when they get home.

I'm hoping they play better.

Better get their act together soon. Tigers are on a roll. Four game winning streak. Shut down the Yankees tonight.
Playing some bad baseball so far.
Good news. We are 1 game ahead of the sox and 1 game out of the cellar.
Hopefully the day off was a time to re-group.

<