The present and future are a little bit bright for the Cleveland Guardians according to writers for MLB.com.
Two presesaon lists feature Guardians players prominently.
In the present, two Guardians made the website’s Top 100 players in MLB.
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Superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez lands at No. 5 overall and centerfielder Steven Kwan is at No. 75 on writer Brian Murphy’s list.
“The Guardians’ hit-and-miss offense is built around these two All-Stars with different skill sets. Ramírez does a bit of everything – he has hit at least 30 doubles and 24 home runs and stolen at least 20 bases in five straight seasons,” he writes. “He has totaled at least 30 homers, doubles and steals in two straight seasons. He has finished in the top six in MVP voting seven times but has never won the award.”
Apr 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) runs the bases against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
On Kwan he writes: “Kwan is a throwback leadoff hitter who works counts, runs the bases adeptly and can occasionally tap into power. His most consistent value has come from his defense in left field, which has earned him a Gold Glove Award in each of his first four seasons.”
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As for the future, second base prospect Travis Bazzana gets a lot of love from writer Jim Callis in his list of top 100 prospects.
Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, sits atop the list of the top 10 second base prospects.
Callis grades prospects on hitting, ability to run the diamond and fielding to come up with an overall picture of the player.
Cleveland Guardians top prospect Travis Bazzana tags out Altoona’s Imanol Vargas at second in the third quarter of Akron RubberDucks home opener against Altoona Curve. Tuesday, April 08, 2025.
In his opinion, Bazzana has the highest floor and ceiling, an interesting dichotomy.
On his ceiling: “Bazzana went No. 1 overall in a loaded draft because he has the pure hitting ability to win batting titles, along with solid power and the patience to draw plenty of walks. He could post production along the lines of what Ketel Marte does for the [Arizona Diamondbacks].”
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On his floor: “It’s hard to imagine Bazzana becoming worse than an average hitter with solid on-base percentages and 15 homers per season. Even if he doesn’t stick at second base, he should still generate enough offense to hold down a regular job as an outfielder.”
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians’ Jose Ramirez, Travis Bazzana ranked highly in MLB rankings