The Cleveland Guardians are going into the upcoming season with a lot to like about their farm system.
The Guardians have one of the largest homegrown contingencies in all of Major League Baseball, and their success speaks for itself with back-to-back division titles. ESPN.com insider Kiley McDaniel ranked all 30 teams when it came to their minor leagues, and the Guardians came in at No. 2 behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
“The Guardians aren’t that far behind Milwaukee in almost all respects, and they also have a unique blend of high-end talent and quality depth while regularly finding success in all aspects with limited payroll resources,” McDaniel wrote.
“There also seems to be a widening of Cleveland’s scouting aperture to consider the kinds of hitters the franchise has avoided in the past. Historically, the Guardians have invested heavily in hit-over-power infielders — often not the biggest or most physically impressive players but very effective ballplayers.
“To that point, 2025 first-rounder Jace Laviolette, 2023 first-rounder Ralphy Velazquez and recent trade addition Alfonsin Rosario are all in their top 11 prospects, and each is a power-over-hit type. The Guardians also were rumored to be kicking the tires on Jac Caglianone with the top pick in the 2024 draft before ultimately taking Bazzana. This could be a shifting taste for risk, responding to market forces or just an aberration, but I’m keeping an eye on it.”