Early MLB struggles shouldn’t diminish hype around top Guardians prospect 

Last week the Cleveland Guardians’ big league club finally got to reap the benefits of their maligned trade of Josh Bell at the 2023 trade deadline thanks to Kahlil Watson’s big league debut. 

And even if Watson’s first taste of MLB action has been rough (0-for-12 with eight strikeouts), it shouldn’t take away from the hype surrounding Watson, who has grown to become one of the best prospects in Cleveland’s system after being acquired in that aforementioned trade. 

The sky is still the limit for Kahlil Watson

While it seemed clear that the 2023 Guardians didn’t have the makings of a postseason team, the front office’s sudden decision to subtract from their big league roster nearly led to a mutiny in Cleveland’s clubhouse. 

Although part of the reason they made that trade is because they didn’t want to have to worry about Watson’s $16.5 million player option for 2024, they also wanted to get Watson, who was a first round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft but suffered from maturity issues along with questions around his ability to make consistent contact. 

He’s been able to largely shake those demons during his time with the Guardians, as he posted a .250/.346/.467 slashline with 16 home runs in 102 games last year across Double-A and Triple-A while playing as a full-time outfielder for the first time in his career. 

Watson got off to another hot start this year with a .255/.370/.491 slashline in 56 games at Triple-A this season prior to getting recalled when Chase DeLauter was placed on the injured list. 

But that production hasn’t carried over to his first MLB stint, which has been highlighted by plenty of whiffs and a stark lack of hits. 

Those concerns were always going to be there considering he had struck out in 28% of his at-bats in the minors this season and had a 71.8% contact rate in Triple-A, which is more than 5% below the MLB average of 77%. 

The one positive has been his defense. Even if he’s still relatively new to the outfield, he’s been a quick study thanks to his above-average speed and has already turned in two above-average plays in the field. 

Watson’s production last season pushed him onto the Guardians’ 40-man roster, and his production this year helped move him onto the big league roster when both DeLauter and Angel Martínez went down last week. 

Although DeLauter’s trending in the right direction and could be back at some point this week, Cleveland’s outfield is still a work in progress. Martínez likely won’t be back until the end of July, and the final spots in the outfield are occupied by Stuart Fairchild and Petey Halpin — neither of whom are setting the world on fire. 

Watson’s a more intriguing option than either of them, and he should still be on the roster when DeLauter returns from the injured list. 

The Guardians have been searching for productive outfielders since the dawn of time, and Watson has a great chance to help lead the team’s new guard. His rough first four games in MLB don’t take away from that. 

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