Keith Law’s assessment of Guardians’ farm system should be bittersweet for fans 

Evaluating MLB prospects is an imperfect game. While it’s easy to tell if a player has the tools needed to succeed (anyone can see how hard a ball is hit or how fast a pitch is thrown), it can be tougher to figure out how those skills could lead to major league success. 

Keith Law’s latest assessment of the Guardians’ top prospect in The Athletic is a prime example of that. 

While Law’s list featured a great update in regard to Angel Genao (who was ranked as the top prospect in Cleveland’s system and the No. 33 prospect in baseball), his presence at the top of the list came at the cost of Travis Bazzana, who was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the system despite being the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. 

Keith Law’s latest prospect rankings aren’t a great sign for Travis Bazzana

The obvious highlight here is how high Law is on Genao (even if it comes at Bazzana’s expense in the rankings). 

The 21-year-old got a late start to last season due to a shoulder injury he suffered in 2024 and only managed to play in 77 games at Triple-A, but still managed to post a .323 on-base percentage despite hitting just .259. 

But none of that takes away from his breakout 2024 season where he hit .330 across 110 games at Single-A and High-A. 

Genao looked to be fully healthy this winter when he hit .325 in 26 games in the Dominican Winter League, with Law reporting that it looked like he was back to having full extension in his shoulder. 

The Guardians added Genao to their 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and  the 2026 season would be considered a success if he’s able to stay healthy and make it to Triple-A. 

Meanwhile Law wrote that his dip in Bazzana’s ranking is due to his oblique strains and  middling results last season. While Bazzana finished last season with a .389 on-base percentage in 84 games last season, he hit just .245. 

Law also wrote that he isn’t a big fan of Bazzana’s swing path (which is steep) and his subpar performances on defense. 

While Bazzana is still one of the top prospects in baseball, one player drafted behind him has already won Rookie of the Year (Nick Kurtz) while another is the top prospect in baseball (Konnor Griffin). 

The sky is still the limit for Bazzana, but Law’s rankings are a reminder of how quickly things can change when it comes to prospect development.

It’s also important to remember that success and progress isn’t linear. Bazzana had the best tools of all the players in his draft class (which is why the Guardians took him with the No. 1 pick), but no one saw Kurtz’s development coming. 

But regardless of Law’s rankings, both Bazzana and Genao are going to be must-watch players during the spring.