Guardians have two named in list of top prospects

3 of 3

It is never too early to start looking at players who could be the future of the Cleveland Guardians. When perusing the list of Top-60 MLB Prospects from The Athletic's Keith Law, there are two players who have been mentioned as potential impact players for Cleveland at some point down the line. One is actually in the Top-10 while the other is relegated to honorable mention status.

Honorable Mention: George Valera

George Valera comes in as one of several honorable mentions. Law states that he (and other honorable mentions) would be in a Top-100 list, but just miss out on being in the Top-60.

Valera was previously ranked at 27 by Law in a Top-100 published back in January. It is not a surprise to see him drop considering that he has only appeared in 23 games for Triple-A Columbus this season due to injuries and has struggled when has actually seen the field. Valera is slashing just .193/.320/.265 with 24 strikeouts in 100 plate appearances, far from what is expected of the highly regarded prospect.

There is no reason to panic just yet when it comes to Valera, but his 2023 performance on top of his less than stellar 2022 is a bit concerning. Time is still on Valera's side as he is just 22-years old, although an uptick in performance down in Columbus would help alleviate any concerns about his future.

8. Brayan Rocchio

Brayan Rocchio finds himself inside the Top-10 and is the highest Guardians prospect on Keith Law's Top-60. Rocchio saw himself jump up from his previous spot just outside the Top-20 in January's list into the Top-10. It has been a solid 2023 season down in Columbus for Rocchio, slashing .294/.382/.419 with a .801 OPS and 105 wRC+ per Fangraphs.

Law was complimentary of Rocchio while also being critical of the lack of chances he has gotten in Cleveland.

Rocchio is an above-average shortstop with excellent hands and good instincts, which makes it all the more baffling that the Guardians, who’ve gotten nothing from shortstop this year, haven’t called him up and given him a shot at the job.
Keith Law on Brayan Rocchio

Rocchio's time appears to be coming soon, but the presence of Amed Rosario is currently standing in the way. Moving Rosario could result in Rocchio getting his chance to takeover as Cleveland's shortstop of the future, but it should be mentioned that Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman could get looks as well.

There will come a point in time where Rocchio will have a legitimate opportunity, he may just have to wait a little bit longer than he probably should for it to come.