3 prospects Guardians fans will be clamoring for by Memorial Day

Every year a few Guardians minor leaguers become household names, which leads to fans starting a psuh for them to get called to the majors. And while that list was headlined last year by marquee prospects CJ Kayfus and Chase DeLauter, this year's list could feature some more intriguing prospects.

Here's a look at three of those prospects who could become household names by the time June rolls around.

For the sake of this excerise we decided not to include Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter. Bazzana has been a hot name ever since the Guardians took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and the buzz for DeLauter has reached a fever pitch.

These three Guardians prospects could become household names in 2026

C Cooper Ingle

Fans will get an early look at Ingle this year thanks to the Guardians annoucing that he'll be a non-roster invitee at this year's big league spring training.

In 2024 Ingle hit .308 across multiple levels and locked himself in as a top prospect in the organization. He started last season hot in Akron, but only hit .207 in 28 games at Triple-A.

If Ingle is able to find his 2024 form this year, fans could be pushing for him to him to make his debut — especially if the Guardians continue to get lackluster production from their catchers.

INF Juan Brito

Last spring Brito made a push to make the Opening Day roster, which made it seem like he was a lock to make his big league debut at some point in 2025.

However, he ended up getting bit by the injury bug and only played in 31 games in what ended up being a lost season.

Brito has another chance to make the roster out of camp this season, but he'll have an uphill battle thanks to Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio both being out of minor league options.

If either of them struggle during the season there will be a call for change Brito could be the first infielder to get the call (despite the fact that Travis Bazzana is likely the second baseman of the future).

Last year Brito finished spring training with four home runs despite posting a lackluster .189 batting average. He could be the fix for a team that's been struggling to find power.  

OF Khalil Watson

At one point in time, Watson was one of the top middle infield prospects in the Marlins' system. Watson found himself frequently in coaches doghouses and was benched for an extended period of time due to an altercation with an umpire.

But the Guardians acquired him from Miami at the trade deadline in 2023 and he's been able to put those results behind him and found his stride last season after moving to the outfield.

Watson played in a little over 100 games last season across Double-A and Triple-A and ended up finishing the season with 16 homers and 17 steals. Even though a bad strikeout rate will likely always follow him, he has the kind of power/speed combo that should help him get a big league look sooner rather than later.

Although all three of these prospects are set to get a lot of buzz in 2026, none of them are locks to make Cleveland's roster.

Ingle likely would only come up if Bo Naylor or Austin Hedges have to miss an extended period of time, while Brito is stuck behind Arias and Rocchio and has Bazzana right behind him.

Watson has the most versatility, but the Guardians' big league roster already has a surplus of left-handed hitters. With that being said, the Guardians had 16 players make their big league debuts last season, so every prospect in Triple-A should be ready to hear their name called.