Five Cleveland Guardians prospects that should see major league time in 2026

The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of minor league talent.

That's just a common fact now for the organization. Whether it's those in the depths at Single-A and High-A, or those just a stop or two away in Double-A and Triple-A, Cleveland's front office has a lot of guys to choose from.

In the 2026 campaign, Cleveland's major league roster will likely see several unfamiliar faces sport the navy blue and red.

Here are five prospects to be on the lookout for as they look to get a good chunk of major league time in the upcoming season:

1. Chase DeLauter (OF) - Main 2025 Assignment: Triple-A

DeLauter looked great in his limited time in the 2025 MLB Postseason. He was composed and calm while at the plate and seemed to adapt easily to the clubhouse. With a full off-season to work on major-league-level pitching and fielding, he should be poised for a pretty promising 2026.

“I think knowing that he can handle playing in the postseason, he's going to be able to handle playing in the regular season," manager Stephen Vogt said.

The only reason he wouldn't end up on the major league roster for Opening Day would be if the coaching staff believes that either Nolan Jones or Angel Martinez has progressed far enough to lock down the outfield for the time being.

2. George Valera (OF) - Main 2025 Assignment: Triple-A

Valera was expected to be out of the organization just a short few years ago due to an on-the-field altercation. He also suffered countless injuries while in the minors.

But the Guardins gave him another chance and he capitalized on it.

He became one of the best hitters in the farm system and worked his way up to the major league roster in 2025. He looked raw, but promising. Through 48 plate appearances, finished the year with a slashing line of .220/.333/.415 for an OPS of .748.

He's more than likely going to be the team's center fielder in the upcoming season, with reports emerging throughout the offseason that he's grown at a high rate. It would be shocking to see him anywhere other than the starting lineup on Opening Day.

3. Khal Stephen (RP) - Main 2025 Assignment: Triple-A

The 23-year-old was involved in the trade between the Toronto Blue Jays that ended with the Guardians moving on from long-time Ace Shane Bieber. Stephen's only heading into his second year of professional baseball, but he is touted as one of the best prospects in the game.

He marched his way through Single-A, High-A and into Double-A with ease, recording a season average ERA of 2.80 across 103 innings pitched. He was a strikeout machine, averaging a mark of 9.6 per nine innings, while only allowing a total of 20 walks on the season.

He may have a bigger question mark on being involved with the major league roster in 2026, but he could end up being a Parker Messick-type that gets a late-season call to show what he's worth.

4. Parker Messick (SP) - Main 2025 Assignment: Triple-A

At the end of the 2025 season, Messick was dicing it up on the mound for the Guardians. He looked efficient and effective, tossing a 2.72 ERA across nearly 40 innings of action, averaging 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He has some work to do in cutting down hits, but if he can keep them from crossing home plate, that's what matters the most.

He pitched 98.8 innings of minor league ball last season, giving the front office a good sample size of what he can do. The only question now is whether or not they deem what they got from him at the end of the season was enough to warrant an Opening Day roster spot.

5. Travis Bazzana (SP) - Main 2025 Assignment: Double-A

Bazzana is expected to be one of the most exciting prospects in recent years for the Guardians' organization.

In 2025, he slashed .245/.389/.424 for an OPS of .813 with 17 doubles, five triples and nine home runs. That was good enough to help contribute 39 RBIs. He played seven games of Rookie ball, 26 games at Triple-A and 51 games of Double-A action. While most of his time was with the Rubberducks, seeing him up at the highest level of the minor league system was promising for his development.

He's set to be a late-season major league addition if he does end up getting the nod from the organization.