Guardians top prospect has done exactly what fans begged to see after promotion

C.J. Kayfus has arrived.

After being drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Kayfus has worked had to turn himself into a top prospect for the Guardians, which culminated in him making his big league debut at the beginning of the month.

The 23-year-old marched his way through Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A with ease and showed no sign of slowing down, and he's hit the ground running in his first taste of big league action with the Guardians.

It's a great sign.

Guardians top prospect has done exactly what fans begged to see after promotion

Kayfus added to his budding legacy over the weekend when he slugged his first career home run in Cleveland's win over the White Sox.

He's now hitting .269/.321/.500 with one home run and five RBI in 26 plate appearances. He's also hit three doubles and recorded two walks.

He's provided the Guardians with some much-needed production in right field, which has been a black hole for them for most of the year. Although he's a converted first baseman who is now playing right field, he's been able to hold his own with the glove, so much so that he provided the signature play in Gavin Williams' near no-hitter against the Mets.

His first home run was a solo shot off White Sox left-hander Bryan Hudson. It travled 376 feet and would have been a home run in all 30 MLB ballparks.

Kayfus' MLB success shouldn't come as a surprise given what he did in the minor leagues. He slashed .283/.367/.526 in 68 games with the Clippers with 13 homers, 14 doubles and 43 RBI. In total, he posted a slashline of .293/.395/.525 across 211 minor league games.

Now it'll be up to him (and the Guardians) to figure out where his permanent home is in the field. He learned the outfield in the minors as a way to get to the majors faster since he was behind Kyle Manzardo (and, at the time, Josh Naylor), and is at a point where he can play a serviceable right field. No one will ever mistake him for Fernando Tatis Jr., but it looks like he can hold his own.

But he also can slot in at first base, which will be incredibly valuable next season once Carlos Santana is out of the fold.

Kayfus' emergence has provided a jolt of energy to the Guardians (and the fan base), and he should get plenty of opportunities to author some signature moments on the Guardians' quest toward the postseason.

With a year that's had plenty ups and downs, Kayfus' immediate production shows how bright this team's future is.

If his performance through his first eight games of his career is any indication of what the future could look like, it seems like Kayfus could be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.