This overlooked pitching prospect has a wide open path at Guardians spring training

While the Guardians’ big league pitching staff features plenty of top-tier talent, there are also some question marks on the roster as we begin spring training. 

One of those biggest question marks relates to pitching prospect Daniel Espino, who was one regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball before he missed more than three years due to a variety of arm and shoulder injuries. 

But Espino made his return to organized baseball late last year with a late-season appearance at Triple-A and now seems set for his first healthy seasons in years. 

Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino could make his big league debut at some point in 2026 

Espino burst onto the scene in 2022 when he recorded a 2.45 ERA in 18 1/3 innings at Double-A Akron. While his season ended in April due to a shoulder injury, he still entered 2023 as the No. 16 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. 

But his 2023 was wiped away due to a May shoulder surgery. The same thing happened in 2024 thanks to shoulder capsule injury that required surgery.

All those injuries made it seem like Espino was destined to join the list of talented pitchers whose careers never panned out due to injury. 

Then last season happened. 

Espino spent almost all of the season rehabbing in Arizona, which led to him sneaking in that late season appearance at Columbus. A couple weeks after that, Espino appeared in the Arizona Fall League and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings en route to being named a Fall League All-Star. 

Earlier today The Athletic’s Zack Meisel published a story from Goodyear on Espino’s spring and wrote that the Guardians are planning on having him pitch every fifth day for a bit before determining if his future is best suited as a reliever or starter. 

He also wrote that several evaluators in the Guardians’ organization “envision him pitching impactful innings in the big leagues later this season.”

The easiest way for that to happen is by having him work out of the bullpen. 

While it’s fun to envision him working as an electric left-handed starter behind Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams, moving him to the bullpen would be a win-win.

Not only would it give him an easier path toward making the Guardians’ big league roster, but it would also give him a little bit more control over when his outings would be. 

Espino still has incredible potential, but his injury history can’t be overlooked (even if he’s healthy this season). 

Espino’s prospect story has become one of perseverance, and it seems like he’s on the doorstep of having that perseverance turn into his big league debut.