4 Current Guardians Who Were Put on Notice by the 2026 MLB Draft

The Cleveland Guardians are set to resume the second half of the 2026 MLB regular season after a strong showing at the All-Star Game.

Their hopes are that they’ll be able to continue to win games and hopefully take a lead in their division to contend again this year. Of course, strong results and improving players is the most important factor in making that happen.

A few Guardians players haven’t had quite the seasons they had hoped, and when it gets to be a detriment to the team's results, one can never rule out the thoughts of how the team can replace them.

One thing the Guardians organization has always been able to do well is develop players in their farm system. This year's MLB draft class will soon be the next phase of hopeful future stars in Cleveland, and who knows, maybe they will light a fire under a few current players to step it up.

These four Guardians players need to return to form or step up their game after they were put on notice following the MLB Draft.

Steven Kwan

It’s unfortunate that Kwan makes it on this list, but his fall from grace needs to be studied. For a player who’s used to batting at the top of the order, around a .280 batting average, he’s been performing at a career low this season.

If Cleveland would have foreseen this fall off in 2026, it’s likely they would have shopped him more seriously last season to maximize his value. In the MLB Draft this past week, the Guardians drafted two outfielders in the first five rounds.

Both prospects are known contact hitters, which is Kwan’s specialty at the plate. Kwan is batting a .333 average over the last 15 days, so he’s been improving. But Cleveland’s willingness to draft outfield prospects this year should still be noted by Kwan for his future.

Tanner Bibee

By no means is Bibee having a poor season, in fact he’s on pace to average similar numbers that he’s seen over the course of his four-year career. However, it’s certainly not what the Guardians had hoped out of Bibee, who started the season as their ace.

He has the second lowest ERA amongst their starting rotation, sitting at a 3.90, and has also given up the most home runs and second most hits on the team. His strikeout totals have also taken a hit compared to previous seasons and struggles with velocity occasionally.

Bibee competing for Cleveland’s ace role is a whole separate story, but the fact that Cleveland went out and drafted a pitcher in the first and second round should tell you something. Only one of those prospects is really noteworthy compared to Bibee, but he’ll need to improve his numbers to remain in their rotation down the line.

Bo Naylor

The thing for Naylor is that he’s already on thin ice. He was sent down to Columbus back in May and hasn’t shown that he’s worth a recall any time soon. Cleveland already called up catcher prospect Cooper Ingle, so his position in the big leagues is taken for now.

On top of that, the Guardians decided they would add another catcher through the MLB Draft when they selected Deiten Lachance out of Oklahoma. Lachance is known for his power hitting, especially coming out of a big baseball school such as the Sooners.

Naylor will need a strong second half of the season in order to make his way back up to Cleveland. He’s already on borrowed time, and this addition could further the strain on his future.

Slade Cecconi

The fact that Cecconi is still a starting option for Cleveland might surprise a few people, as he currently has a 4.55 ERA while allowing the most hits on the team.

He also has the fewest strikeouts between their five starters, and if he continues to perform poorly, a change could be made given he’s their fifth starter.

The 13 pitchers in total that Cleveland drafted should make any bottom of the barrel starter a bit nervous knowing your replacement could have just been drafted, so he’ll have to earn his keep in Cleveland.

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