3 Guardians draft targets who could speed run their way through minor leagues

We don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Guardians don’t have a ton of pitching depth. While they’re the only team in MLB who has only used five starters this season, there aren’t a ton of reinforcements behind them, especially now that Khal Stephen is set to have elbow surgery. 

Luckily for the Guardians, the MLB draft is less than two weeks away, which gives them a great opportunity to add an impact arm who could potentially shoot through their minor league system. 

With that in mind, here are three collegiate pitchers who the Guardians should consider taking with the No. 19 pick.

The Guardians can add to their pitching depth at the MLB draft 

LHP Cole Carlon, Arizona State 

Carlon started his collegiate career as a reliever in the Sun Devils’ bullpen before moving to the rotation last season, where he had a 3.87 ERA in 16 starts (83 2/3 innings). 

But, perhaps most importantly, he boasts an arsenal that seems built for Cleveland’s pitching lab. His fastball can get up to 98 miles per hour, and he also has a solid slider and a curveball and changeup that are still a work in progress. 

He seemed to leave too many pitches over the middle of the plate last season (14 homers allowed), but he also racked up 113 strikeouts and walked just 31 batters. 

The 21-year-old showed some maturity on the mound, and could be the best of the “second tier” of pitchers who tend to fall within the No. 18 and 27 picks in most mock drafts. If he’s available when the Guardians pick, they’ll likely think long and hard about taking him. 

RHP Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee

Kuhns gained some buzz as a draft selection in 2024 as a high school, but went undrafted and decided to continue with his commitment to the University of Tennessee, which was a great decision. 

After an up-and-down first season with the Volunteers, the 21-year-old looked like an ace last year, posting a 3.56 ERA in 81 innings. His best start came in May when he racked up 15 strikeouts in seven innings against Texas while throwing 113 pitches. 

He doesn’t have the same kind of deep arsenal that Carlon has, but he only surrendered 16 walks all season and already has a plus fastball. 

In short, Kuhns boasts the kind of upside the Guardians love to tinker with. There are some questions about whether he’ll be able to stick as a starter long-term, but the Guardians have shown they’re willing to roll the dice on pitchers with that question mark. 

RHP Taylor Rabe, Mississippi

Rabe’s evaluations are all over the place. While MLB ranked him as the No. 90 prospect in this year’s draft class, Keith Law had him at No. 29 and Baseball America ranked him in its top-50. 

Perhaps the biggest reason for the volatility around Rabe’s ranking comes from him having only one year of college baseball under his belt after he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. 

The good news is that he pitched well in his one year of college ball, as he had a 3.55 ERA in 76 innings last season on an Ole Miss team that made it to the College World Series. 

He has great command (15 walks in 76 innings), and close the season witha solid start against North Carolina in the CWS where he recorded seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of work. 

Rabe may not be a complete product, but he seems like the kind of pitcher who could fly through a team’s system. 

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