5 American League Central prospects who could ruin Guardians' summer in 2026

While none of the teams in the American League Central have made a marquee splash this offseason, a big reason for that is because it’s one of the most prospect-rich divisions in all of baseball. 

Although the Guardians are a big reason for that thanks to the stockpile of stud prospects they have in the minors, they’re not the only AL Central team that has a promising future. 

And, with the start of spring training getting closer and closer, we decided to take a look at five rising American League Central who could end up breaking Guardians’ fans hearts at some point in 2026. 

These five American League Central Prospects could become public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland 

OF Max Clark, Tigers 

We’re starting the list with Clark, who is one of the top outfield prospects in all of baseball. The No. 3 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Clark has slowly been rising through the prospect ranks and finished last year at Double-A, where he hit .251 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 43 games. He also walked 29 times with just 34 strikeouts in 43 games. 

He also has a stolen base percentage rate of 88.3%, and boasts the speed needed to steal 30+ bases in a season in the majors. 

In short, Clark has all the skills needed to succeed in the bigs, which is why MLB Pipeline recently ranked him as the top outfield prospect in baseball. 

While Clark hasn’t cracked Triple-A, he should start the season there, which means he’ll be just one injury away from making it to the Tigers’ roster. He may not start the season in the bigs, but he could be a late-season impact call-up for the Tigers. 

The Guardians have had to battle against the Tigers in the division for two straight seasons, and it looks like that’s once again going to be the case in 2026. A strong September from Clark could make him public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland. 

OF Walker Jenkins, Twins 

Another outfield prospect, Jenkins is one of the top outfield prospects in baseball and has the skillset to impact every facet of a game. 

The Twins took Jenkins with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 Draft, and he’s posted a .863 in three minor league seasons since. 

The biggest problem with that, however, is that he’s only played in 192 games in those three seasons due to a variety of injuries. 

The Twins promoted him to Triple-A at the end of last season, where he hit .242 with nine extra-base hits in 23 games. 

Minnesota’s biggest free agent addition this offseason has been the husk of Josh Bell, so it’s clear there’s a way for Jenkins to impact the Twins in 2026 — so long as he can stay on the field. 

C Carter Jensen, Royals 

Jensen made his major league debut at the end of last season and slashed a solid .300/.391/.550 with three home runs, 13 RBI to go along with nine walks and just 13 strikeouts in 20 games. 

The Royals have two marquee catcher prospects in the form of Jensen and Blake Mitchell, but Jensen has the best chance to hurt the Guardians out of all the prospects on this list considering he’s already made his MLB debut.

Salvador Perez is clearly the Royals’ top option behind the dish, but their offense took a huge step back as a whole last season, so any production from Jensen would be a clear win for Matt Quatraro and Co. 

SS Kevin McGonigle, Tigers 

The Tigers signed Clark for a below slot value of $7.7 million, which allowed them to have the cash to pay McGonigle after they selected him with the No. 37 pick in the 2023 Draft. 

He’s since blossomed into one of the best prospects in baseball, and finished last season as MLB Pipeline's No. 2 prospect behind Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin.

McGonigle is a career .308 hitter in the minors, and has 123 career walks compared to 84 strikeouts. 

He has yet to play above Double-A, but he has a clear MLB ETA of 2026 given his genuine hit tool and understanding of the strike zone. 

Detroit’s shortstops hit just .231 last season, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Tigers’ front office pull the McGonigle ripcord if those struggles carry over into 2026. 

The Tigers have employed plenty of pesky, All-Star hitters over the years, but McGonigle has a chance to be the best of the bunch. 

OF Braden Montgomery, White Sox 

Although the White Sox have had plenty of highly-touted prospects flame out in the bigs, Montgomery looks like the real deal. He was part of Chicago’s return in the Garrett Crochet trade, and has grown to become one of the best outfield prospects in baseball. 

Montgomery made his organizational debut last season and hit .270 with 12 home runs and 68 RBI across 121 games in three minor league levels. He also boasts an incredible arm (he was a legit two-way player in college), so he should have no problem making an impression in the field either. 

He finished the year at Double-A, and seems like a lock to start the 2026 season at Triple-A. 

The White Sox current outfield picture currently consists of Brooks Baldwin, Andrew Benintendi and Derek Hill, so there’s a clear runway for Montgomery to get everyday playing time. 

Chicago made a surprise splash by acquiring Munetaka Murakami this offseason, and being aggressive with Montgomery would help them keep that momentum.