Getty
Cleveland Guardians’ Chase DeLauter
We are officially just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting for the Cleveland Guardians in Goodyear, AZ. The back-to-back AL Central Champions look to make it a three-peat but also have another deep playoff run like they did in 2024, making the American League Championship Series. Per usual, the question surrounding the team is which of their multitude of prospects will take the next step. Between Parker Messick making his MLB debut in 2025 and showing out well to Chase DeLauter making his debut in the playoffs, there are a ton of storylines going into 2026 for the Guardians prospects.
That being said, who are the Top 10 Guardians prospects going into the 2026 season, and which ESPN Baseball Insider has them ranked? Furthermore, who will make their debut and come out strong for Cleveland this upcoming season?
Guardians Top 10 Prospects in 2026
According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, these are the Top 10 Guardians Prospects heading into the 2026 season:
Player
Overall
Previous (org)
Trending
1. Travis Bazzana, 2B
23
1
2. Ralphy Velazquez, 1B
33
9
3. Chase DeLauter, RF
43
2
4. Parker Messick, LHP
45
8
5. Khal Stephen, RHP
68
4
6. Braylon Doughty, RHP
71
7
7. Angel Genao, SS
80
3
8. Juneiker Caceres, RF
152
NR
9. Cooper Ingle, C
180
NR
10. Alfonsin Rosario, RF
183
NR
It’s no surprise to see the 1st overall pick in 2024 Travis Bazzana to be atop of the prospect list for the Guardians. The 23-year-old Australian played in 51 games for Double-A Akron RubberDucks and 26 games for Triple-A Columbus Clippers. He had a .256 average with a slash line of .364/.426/.366 and a 136 WRC+ in Akron. Furthermore, he had a .225 average with a slash line of .420/.438/.396 and a 138 WRC+ in Columbus. He collected five homeruns in Double-A, along with five in Triple-A. Bazzana is not much of a power hitter but can hit for average and score a decent number of runs (43 runs in 51 games in Akron, 21 in 26 games in Columbus).
McDaniel believes that Bazzana and Cooper Ingle will start the season in Columbus after playing some Triple-A games in 2025. Furthermore, he goes on to say that Ralphy Velazquez, Khal Stephen, Angel Genao and Alfonsin Rosario could start in Double-A Akron since they got playing time there as well. He also mentioned that Kahlil Watson and Juan Brito, who were outside his Top 10 rankings, should be opening the season in Triple-A.
Messick & DeLauter Making MLB Impact
GettyCleveland Guardians’ Parker Messick
Out of the Top 10 prospects list, he thinks that both DeLauter and Messick both could break camp with the Guardians to begin 2026. After Messick went 3-1 in seven starts with 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings, an ERA+ of 155, and 1.2 wins above replacement (WAR), it’s safe to say he could be in the rotation for Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.
When it came to who will make their “next debut” for the Guardians, McDaniel picked DeLauter. He went on to say “DeLauter made his big league debut in the playoffs, which doesn’t technically count for this question. He is set to be an every-day big league outfielder for the Guardians starting this year. Bazzana and Ingle both qualify, though their arrivals likely come later in the season.”
It makes sense he went with DeLauter because people have been waiting for him to make his debut, in the regular season, for the Guardians. He brings an interesting skillset of being 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, speed (Grade 50), power (Grade 60), performance (Grade 60 hitting), while having a slash line of .302/.384/.504 in 138 MiLB games, along with great plate discipline. There is a good chance he could be the everyday center fielder for the Guardians, even if he has been viewed as a right fielder in the minors. Either way, he looks to be a main cog in the youth movement that the Guardians have been establishing the last few seasons. Plus, it seems like 2026 will be more of the same of going with the internal young players on the big-league roster.
2026 will be an interesting season when it comes to the prospects in the Guardians’ farm system, and on the big-league roster as well. Who will make an impact in the MiLB to get a chance for the callup? Also, who could be a huge with the Guardians in 2026?
Zach Martin Zach Martin is a sports journalist covering the MLB, mainly the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox, for Heavy.com. He has over four years of journalism experience, and five years of podcasting experience. He’s a credentialed Carolina Hurricanes beat writer at The Hockey Writers. Zach’s previously covered the Guardians at Covering the Corner, along with the Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds at Fansided. Zach is originally from Ravenna, Ohio, and is now based in Lexington, SC. More about Zach Martin
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