This story includes quotes from an exclusive interview for OnSI with Guardians prospect Ryan Cesarini.

The Guardians’ minor league system is filled with high-level, MLB-ready talent. Ralphy Velazquez, Cooper Ingle, and Jason Chourio are among the top 10 prospects in the Guardians’ system, according to MLB Pipeline.

One of those talented players is Ryan Cesarini, ranked No. 29 on the list, Cleveland’s 2024 14th-round pick. The former St. Joseph’s University outfielder excelled in his senior season, posting a 1.093 OPS. Two other statistics immediately stand out for Cesarini.

Ryan Cesarini enters the #Guardians‘ Top 30 Prospects list upon Angel Genao’s graduation.

Scouting report, video and more on the outfielder who logged a 20-20 campaign across two levels: https://t.co/RY2QorNO1n pic.twitter.com/ffHJOuCJzw

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 19, 2026

In just 32 games in his senior season, he stole 16 bases and posted a .628 SLG, cementing himself as a power-speed combination who can round out the outfield. With a 2028 arrival ETA, Cesarini can fit into the Guardians’ outfield and provide an offensive boost.

Throughout his three seasons in Cleveland’s minor league system, Cesarini has steadily improved and has praised the development system Cleveland has in place.

“[The Guardians] do an amazing job of not only attacking players’ weaknesses, but also building on their strengths,” said Cesarini. “Developing their players is something I believe they take a lot of pride in, and it definitely shows with the success they have year in and year out.”

Cleveland #Guardians prospects Ralphy Velazquez vs Ryan Cesarini in August.

Velazquez (17 Games)

R) 21
H) 25
HR) 14
RBI) 26
BB) 8
AVG) .379
OBP) .447
SLG) 1.015
OPS) 1.462

Cesarini (16 Games)

R) 20
H) 26
2B) 5
HR) 10
RBI) 22
BB) 6
AVG) .406
OBP) .465
SLG) .953
OPS) 1.418

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 25, 2026

In mid-July, Cesarini was called up to the Double-A Akron Rubber Ducks despite recently recovering from an injury while with the Lake County Captains. “I can’t lie, when I got promoted, it was kind of a shock,” he said. “However, like any promotion, it boosts your self-esteem and morale.”

Ryan’s a RubberDuck! 🦆

OF Ryan Cesarini has been promoted to the Double-A Akron RubberDucks! 🙌

The left-handed hitter batted .260 with 6 2B, 7 HR, and 21 RBI in 34 games for the Captains this season. 💪

Good luck, Ryan! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/CpWrQP5qi1

— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) July 13, 2026

That boost appeared to translate directly onto the field for Cesarini. In 41 games with Akron, he slashed .316/.388/. 627, a big jump from his .472 slugging percentage with Lake County.

“That’s something the Guardians and I attacked all last offseason, and are still continuing to attack,” he said. “It was good timing, as everything started to click when I got promoted.”

Ryan Cesarini (CLE) is the most underrated prospect in the Guardians system

The 2024 14th-round pick has taken his promotion to AA in stride, registering a 1.231 OPS with 8 HR across 21 games. His staggering slugging output is supported by a 106.5 mph EV90 and 43.3 HardHit% https://t.co/w88UJrsveY pic.twitter.com/nTRI6GAwdo

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 17, 2026

Power was not the only thing that stood out for Cesarini in Akron. In 41 games, he stole a staggering 14 bases, showcasing the speed that makes him such an intriguing young talent in Cleveland’s organization.

His aggressiveness aligns with the brand of baseball that the Guardians strive to play. As a team in 2026, the Guardians stole 146 bases, with José Ramírez accounting for 37 in his 125 games this past season.

Cleveland #Guardians 23yr old OF prospect Ryan Cesarini reached base 4x today (2-3 3 2B 2BB SB) scoring three runs for Akron in the teams win over Somerset.

Last 7 games:

11-28 7R 4(2B) 1HR 4RBI 4BB 2SB

AVG .393
OBP .469#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/FXYILHoKW5

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 4, 2026

As for Cesarini’s future, the path seems well paved for him to keep developing within the Guardians system. With an MLB arrival estimated for 2028, the 23-year-old is only scratching the surface of what he can do, giving the Guardians another prospect to closely monitor.

Cesarini has a clear idea of what he personally wants to accomplish heading into next season.

“The goals for the 2027 season are pretty simple. Be the best player that I can possibly be,” Cesarini stated. “That entails continuing to work on launch angles, hammering my throwing program and defensive work, improving my base-running game, and other little things.”

Ryan Cesarini is @MiLB’s Eastern League Player of the Week ⭐️

Cesarini has batted .385/.449/.782 across 21 Double-A games this season!#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/YtNERFA8Tg

— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) August 17, 2026

If Cesarini continues to develop and thrive both offensively and defensively, he could become yet another example of the effectiveness of the Guardians’ ability to home-grow their MLB talent.

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