5 prospects in the Cleveland Guardians organization to watch this season

4. Ralphy Velazquez, C/1B

You don't often see prospects like Ralphy Velazquez. Or maybe we just don't hear about them. High expectations have already been set for the 18-year-old out of California, but they come with reason. Turning 19 towards the end of May, Velazquez is already showing why expectations are so high.

The Cleveland Guardians don't seem to often use first-round picks on high school players. Talents like Chase DeLauter, Gavin Williams, etc. are more common targets for Cleveland in the early rounds and have been fruitful in development. However, the Guards broke that trend with Velazquez. A lefty at the plate with the ability to play first and catch, Velazquez is already turning heads as the No. 4 prospect in the organization.

The pro career for Velazquez is quite young. He played in just six games last year in the Arizona Complex League and has four games under his belt with Lynchburg. However, the stats are staggering. In those ten games, he's slashing .333/.383/.744. Those numbers may not jump off the sheet, but what does are his extra-base hits. In ten games, Velazquez has four doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI. Additionally, he's scored 11 times.

We're still a decent amount of time away before Velazquez would be in Cleveland. Even if he breaks out like Jackson Holliday, that's still a couple years away from a debut. Nonetheless, it's intriguing to see what Velazquez is doing. The stats are rare and near impossible to maintain, but the potential is obviously present. If he can continue to progress, especially at a position that climbs the minors quickly, he could be a nice one-two punch with the Naylor brothers at both first and behind the plate.