3 Guardians minor leaguers who could still factor into Cleveland's postseason plans 

Last postseason the Guardians threw Chase DeLauter right into the postseason fray when he made his MLB debut during their Wild Card series matchup against the Tigers.

While that may be an extreme example of a player going straight from the minor leagues to the postseason, every postseason offers countless examples of unheralded players who become household names thanks to a strong October performance. 

With that in mind, here are three current Guardians minor leaguers who could play a big role come October. 

The Guardians' minor league depth could help them in the postseason

RHP Daniel Espino

While the Guardians didn’t call Espino up to fill the extra pitching spot they got through roster expansion it only seems like a matter of time until he’s back in the bigs. 

He showed his solid strikeout ability with 12 strikeouts in his six big league innings this season, and has allowed just one run over his last eight appearances (7 2/3 innings). 

Espino comes with some clear question marks due to his significant injury history, but the short sprint of the postseason is the best place to unleash his arsenal (especially with the built-in off days in the ALDS and ALCS). 

Unleashing him to get three outs in a pressure-packed situation would be pure cinema. 

OF Cooper Ingle 

Just because Ingle struggled in his first taste of big league action doesn’t mean he couldn’t help the Guardians in the postseason. 

Even if his batting average has fallen off since the start of July, he still has a .753 OPS that’s been buoyed by an extreme .423 on-base percentage. 

And, perhaps most importantly, he’s been seeing more time behind the plate after all of his big league appearances came at designated hitter or in the outfield. 

The Guardians’ front office may not trust him enough being the plate to use him as a catcher in the postseason, but he could still fit into the picture as a left-handed hitting power outfielder. 

Sure, he made a big gaffe earlier this year, but DeLauter misplayed his first ball in the outfield last postseason. 

DeLauter’s promotion last season showed Cleveland’s front office will have no problem thinking outside the box if you can play. A potential Ingle promotion would fit into that theme. 

1B Kyle Manzardo 

It may be odd to see Manzardo on this list since he already has 30 postseason at-bats under his belt, but such is life for the 26-year-old right now. 

He’s been playing at Triple-A Columbus since he got demoted at the beginning of August. And, to his credit, he’s posted a .943 OPS with four home runs in 23 games in the minors. 

Manzardo wouldn’t be a perfect fit on the roster since the Guardians already have one left-handed hitting first baseman in Nathaniel Lowe, but the postseason is all about putting your best players on the diamond. 

If the Guardians want to lean into their platoon advantage they could go with Rhys Hoskins as their backup first baseman, but Manzardo would be the right option if they want to build a roster consisting of the best players in the organization. 

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