This Guardians prospect has been flying under the radar this year

In 2020, the Cleveland Guardians selected Petey Halpin in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. While Halpin may not get the same kind of buzz as some other prospects in the Guardians' system, the 23-year-old has become one of the most consistent prospects in Cleveland's system.

The Cleveland Guardians took the left-handed outfielder with the hope that his pitch recognition and defensive instincts would allow for him to turn into a bonafide major league prospect, and that's become the case five years later.

This Guardians prospect has been flying under the radar this year

By the numbers

Halpin played his first season with the Guardians organization in 2021 as a 19-year-old at Single-A. He played in 54 games for the Lynchburg Hillcats, where he posted a slashline of .294/.363/.425 with 65 hits, 14 doubles, six triples and one home run.

That kind of season has become the norm for Halpin.

The following season he moved to High-A and tacked on an increase in power with four doubles and six home runs and doubled his RBI count to 36. He also stole 16 bases, which still stands as his career-high.

He spent the 2023 and '24 seasons with Double-A and finished his tenure across the RubberDucks with a .239/.313/.384 slashline with 21 home runs and 83 RBI.

The Guardians added Halpin to their 40-man roster after the 2024 season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, which signaled the organization's belief in his potential upside.

This year, Halpin has played exceltly at Triple-A, where he's posted a slashline of .251/.319/.428 with 14 home runs and 35 RBI in 111 games.

He's also already hit a career-high in doubles (24), home runs (14) and is on pace for a new career-high in slugging percentage (.428).

Halpin is able to play all three outfield positions, which could help him earn a spot on the Guardians roster for next season. As of now, the only lock for the Guardians' outfield for next season is Steven Kwan (who may end up being traded), which means there's plenty of runway for Halpin to earn a spot on the roster.

George Valera earned a September call-up and will get the first crack at proving himself at the major league level, but it's hard to believe he'll do anything to prove that he's an everyday option. The same can be said for Nolan Jones, who is trying to wash away the stink from the start of his season.

Lane Thomas is also set to depart as a free agent, which could open up another roster spot that Halpin could latch on to.

But, if Halpin's Triple-A trajectory holds up, the Guardians may be forced to see what he can do at the major league level sooner rather than later.