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Cleveland Guardians Prospects inside Top 100

By James Mastrucci |
Cleveland Guardians v Los Angeles Angels
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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter has released his list of Top 100 prospects, and the Cleveland Guardians have a couple who make the list and three more who just missed.

Honorable Mentions

There are three Cleveland Guardians prospects considered Honorable Mentions, and the surprising aspect of this is that they are all hitters. Maybe it is a little less surprising considering the number of pitchers who have been called up this season and the presence of one inside the Top 100, but it was still worth mentioning. Kyle Manzardo, Chase DeLauter, and George Valera are Cleveland's trio of prospects considered Honorable Mentions.

Manzardo came over to Cleveland in the Aaron Civale trade and should make his debut next year. The first baseman has improved numbers in Triple-A after dealing with a shoulder injury and overall struggles at that level while in the Rays system. Manzardo is slashing .286/.373/.500 with six doubles and a home run for the Clippers.

Valera is a highly regarded outfield prospect who has dealt with injuries and struggles at Triple-A this season. The 22-year-old has struck out 72 times in 219 at-bats for Columbus. Valera does have 45 walks, bringing his on-base percentage to .347 in Triple-A.

DeLauter was a first-round selection in the 2022 draft and has impressed in 50 games in the minors, slashing .353/.405/.542 with five home runs and 21 doubles.

64. Brayan Rocchio

Brayan Rocchio is one of several Guardians infield prospects who have been knocking on the door for some time. The switch-hitting shortstop has gotten a couple of chances this season but has not been able to make enough of an impact to warrant a longer look at this time.

Rocchio has just 16 hits in 70 plate appearances for the Guardians this season but has been much more productive with the Columbus Clippers this season. Down in Triple-A, Rocchio has a .292/.385/.431 slash line with 29 doubles, six home runs, and five triples, in addition to driving in 62 runs and stealing 22 bases, as well as walking more than he has struck out (58-56).

Perhaps a little more seasoning in the minor leagues, in addition to some work in the offseason, can lead to a more consistent performance at the plate for Rocchio. It is quite clear that the 22-year-old middle infielder does not have much more to prove at Triple-A. If Gabriel Arias is unable to take the starting shortstop job and run with it, Rocchio may get another shot to be the Guardians' shortstop of the future should he improve at the plate.

50. Daniel Espino

22-year-old right-handed pitching prospect Daniel Espino finds himself 50th on the list. This is a fairly impressive feat considering Espino has just 33 minor league appearances to his name since 2019 and only 24 since the beginning of the 2021 season.

It has never been a question of stuff when it comes to Espino. The problem has been injuries. Espino is yet to pitch in 2023 and only made four starts in 2022 before being shut down. That season saw Espino deal with a knee and shoulder issue, and his attempt to return in 2023 ended after undergoing shoulder surgery in May that should keep him out for at least a year.

When Espino has pitched, he has been very impressive. Compiling a 3.57 ERA, 1.062 WHIP, and 14.9 strikeouts per nine, Espino has shown he has the stuff to be a professional pitcher. Espino's four games in 2022 were some of his best, striking out 35 batters in 18.1 innings while allowing just five runs.

The concern for Espino is the volume and severity of injuries in such a short period. This can take a toll and ultimately shorten the lifespan of a pitcher at the major league level, should he reach it. Espino still has a chance to make an impact for the Guardians in the future, but his window of opportunity appears to be narrowing as time goes on.

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