This Cleveland Guardians Prospect Shined on the Mound in the Spring Breakout Game

The Cleveland Guardians decided to take Joey Oakie, fresh out of high school, with the No. 84 overall selection in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft.

And while, at first, and even for most of last season, many didn’t even blink at the sight or sound of his name, following Thursday night’s Spring Breakout game, plenty now will.

On Thursday, March 19, the Guardians' Spring Breakout team took on the Los Angeles Angels for a mid-afternoon matchup, with Cleveland coming out on top, 4-2. There were a few impressive moments throughout the game, and players who drew attention for their solid play, but not many looked as good as Oakie did.

Across 2.0 innings on the mound, he allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out three batters. He threw 34 total pitches, with 19 being strikes and over half of them being at least 97 miles per hour, flashing his pitch speed.

When asked about how impressive Oakie was, Guardians' Spring Breakout manager Erlin Cerda offered high praise.

“It's fun to see him,” said Cerda. “He was [around] 94, 95 [mph] last year, and then he just started getting up, getting up. That means he's doing what he needs to do to put himself in a really good position.”

Joey Oakie came in and showed off the heat. Ended u walking one and allowing a hit, but an impressive outing for the 19 year old. pic.twitter.com/E2wU9HPltH
— Justin L. (jlbaseball on bluesky) (@JL_Baseball) March 19, 2026

While spring training is often a chance for veterans and experienced players to get their feet under them, it also provides opportunities for players like Oakie to make a strong impression and put themselves firmly on the front office’s radar.

Oakie's Scouting Profile and High Praise

After being drafted right out of 12th grade, Oakie was quickly thrusted into professional baseball.

“It was a big learning curve,” Oakie said, who began his career in the Arizona Complex League before even turning 19. “It took me until halfway through the season to really get good routines and really understand how to use all those resources to my advantage. I feel like I'm in a better spot than I was at the start of last year.”

The Guardians' front office wasted no time in giving him a chance to showcase what he has to offer, pitching him in 18 games and nearly 60 innings last season.

Across six starts in Single-A with the Lynchburg Hillcats, he tossed a 2.22 ERA with a 1.315 WHIP, all while posting 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. His WHIP was high due to a pretty high amount of walks, 5.5 per nine innings, but his hits allowed were just barely over six.

If he can hone in on his control, he'll be able to decrease his WHIP this season and allow fewer batters on base.

MLB Pipeline praised his pitching arsenal, highlighting a unique slider that few in his draft class could match.

"His mid-80s slider -- the righty's top knockout offering -- was one of the best in his Draft class and features two-plane depth and plenty of spin," his profile reads.

But what makes him such an intriguing arm doesn't just stop there, as the Pipeline also dove into his fastball and the growth it's made over time.

"His fastball sits 94-98 mph and actually improved in velocity over the year, which is impressive considering it declined over his final high school season," his profile reads. "He's working on a sinker to differentiate from the four-seamer, and his low release point helps give his changeup ample arm-side movement, although he still needs to work on its playability after barely using it in his debut season."

As long as Oakie continues to improve as a pitcher, especially since he's still not even 20 years old, he has a chance to become one of the Guardians' next league-altering arms.

"I'm really excited to get out there this year," Oakie said.

Heading into 2026, he's expected to play either Single-A or High-A ball with an opportunity to jump all the way up to Double-A if he dominates while on the mound.