This Guardians prospect could be part of Cleveland's future in the outfield

The Cleveland Guardians brought Kahlil Watson to The Land in a trade with the Miami Marlins back on Aug. 1, 2023 in exchange for first baseman Josh Bell, who struggled in his half season with Cleveland.

Right after being sent to the Guardians, he was assigned to the High-A Lake County Captains, where he smashed a home run in his first game with his new club.

Fast forward roughly two years, Watson made a strong impact in Cleveland's farm system despite only playing just over 160 games. It's no secret that Cleveland's outfield has been a bit of a black hole this year, which means that Watson's chance to get a shot at playing on Progressive Field could be coming down the road soon.

In his first full year with the organization in 2024, the 22-year-old played with Double-A Akron Rubberducks and made his mark with his power.

He hit .220 across 96 games to go along with 15 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs, which helped him generate a .407 slugging percentage.

He's built on that this year, as he's slashing .241/.343/.443 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 48 games. MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked as the Guardians' No. 29 prospect in the organization despite having some clear holes in his game.

"Watson still has the quick left-handed swing and plus raw power that made him attractive as an amateur. He's starting to learn that he doesn't have to sell out to hit home runs and is showing more discipline at the plate in 2025. He may never hit for a high average and strikeouts always will be part of his offensive package, but his pull-heavy approach could lead to 20 homers per season," per his MLB Pipeline write-up.

Besides his hitting, one of the biggest changes to his game this season has been his fielding. In 2024, he primarily was utilized at shortstop and second base, but he's become a full-time outfielder this year. He has played 22 games in center field, 10 games in right and five games in left and has only committed one error.

He also has some strong prospect pedigree, as he was the Marlins first round pick (No. 16 overall) in 2021 out of Wake Forest high school in North Carolina.

He struggled with his maturity early in his career (he was suspended in 2022 for pointing his bat at an umpire as if it was a gun) but seems to have grown up since joining the Guardians organization.

At this point, Watson's path to the Guardians' roster is pretty clear.

With the current struggles of the major league outfielders, Cleveland will more than likely keep him out there. The Guardians have gotten next to no production from right field thanks to disappointing seasons from Jhonkensy Noel and everyone else that's stepped into that spot.

While Watson may not be ready for a callup this year (though he could have an outside shot if the Guardians sell off their veterans), he should be able to work his way into the picture next season.

For an organization that is having a handful of struggles in the outfield at the major league level, Watson could get his chance to show what he is worth sooner rather than later.