4 Guardians prospects who fans will be calling for by Memorial Day

One of the biggest stories for the Guardians at the start of this season has been how much their rookies have made an impression this year.

However, the Guardians still have a number of quality players in Triple-A who are looking to make their own impression at the big league level soon. Here are four Guardians prospects who have made some noise in the minors and could be up in Cleveland sooner than expected.

The Guardians have a variety of minor leaguers who are playing well

C Cooper Ingle

Ingle has been on fire to start the season. He is currently hitting .353 but more impressively has an OPS that sits at 1.248. Another standout statistic has been his plate discipline.

While he's always had a good eye at the plate, he's been on another level this season and has seven walks walks in just 24 plate appearances.

That said, his to a big league spot is slightly convoluted since he would likely need a Bo Naylor injury or slump to get the call.

While there's always a chance he could get called up if Austin Hedges goes down, it's hard to blieve the Guardians would start his big league clock Stephen Vogt also takes a heavy platoon approach, so it may not make sense to have two left-handed hitting catchers may not make sense. 

OF Kahlil Watson

Watson is an interesting study at the moment. His statistics are a far cry from being someone on the verge of breaking into the majors since he's hitting .233 with just two RBI and 11 strikeouts.

However, he's reached base in all eight games that he's played in while showing flashes of his elite speed and plus power, and his Statcast numbers look excellent.

After initally coming into baseball as a middle infielder, Watson has since found his footing as an outfielder in the Guardians' organization.

George Valera will likely be the net outfielder to join the team after he gets added from the injured list, and there's also a chance that veterans Stuart Fairchild and Nolan Jones could get an opportunity before Watson.

If Watson is able to cut back slightly on the strikeouts and get some of his projected statistics become reality, he could force his way up near the top of the organization's outfield pecking order.

INF Juan Brito

The Pirates called top prospect Konnor Griffin up last week, which has only made the drumbeat for Travis Bazzana get even louder.

But that noise shouldn't Brito has been cementing himself as the most deserving option. While long-term upside likely is much lower than Bazzana, but he seems more ready at the moment. So far this season he has played in all nine games at Columbus and has hit .314 with just three strikeouts in 42 plate appearances.

Brito has spent most of his time at third, but also has a few starts at first and second. This versatility combined with his ability to put the ball in play makes it likely that he could be looking at a spot in Cleveland sooner than later. 

RHP Daniel Espino 

It is hard to take much of anything away from early season pitching numbers. One bad inning and season long stats look horrible and the sample sizes are too small to get excited about good numbers.

But any optimism around Espino is due to a single factor: Health. His stuff has always been elite but his body has never held up. As he has transitioned to a bullpen role, the hope is it can maximize his potential and keep him healthy. If the bullpen struggles at all Espino could one of the first players called up.

He's in the same boat as Chase DeLauter in that he has a questionable long-term impact due to a checkered injury history.

There may only be a few years that Espino can play at his peak level, the Guardians need to maximize Espino’s peak with the big league club. Hopefully his new bullpen role will also extend his peak. 

In order for any of these players to get called up it means that somebody either got hurt or has struggled enough for the team to send down to Columbus.

The longer the team goes without needing a call up likely means that the team is performing. However, when reinforcements are needed Columbus is loaded with talent waiting for their shot.