Three Cleveland Guardians prospects that could quietly fly under the radar in 2026

The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best minor league systems in the league.

Heading into the upcoming campaign, the Guardians are set to sport multiple young, promising players on the major league roster. That includes the likes of outfielders Chase DeLauter and George Valera, utility power-hitter C.J. Kayfus and starting pitcher Parker Messick.

And even with so many players grabbing the headlines with opportunities to make a major-league impact, others are quietly expected to rise through the minor league ranks in 2026.

Here are three players who might quietly fly under the radar in the 2026 season before making the jump to the major leagues in due time:

Jace LaViolette (OF) - Expected MLB Debut: 2028

The Guardians need outfielders. Badly.

After an abysmal 2026 season, the front office needs to see some sort of promise in the position throughout the minor leagues. Fortunately, they may not have to look far.

LaViolette is an exciting 22-year-old who was selected No. 27 overall in the 2025 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Texas A&M. While there, he put up a 1.093 OPS on a near .700 slugging percentage. He ended up hitting 35 doubles and 68 home runs across 188 games of college ball.

In 2025, he spent all 55 games for the Aggies as the team's starting center fielder, a position that the Guardians haven't had success in for years. While he's probably three to five years out from a major league debut, if not longer due to an injury resulting in hand surgery, he might be just behind infielder Travis Bazzana as the next can't-miss prospect.

2026 will likely serve as a rehabilitation season for him, but if he does suit up, he's going to put that power-hitting on full display.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B/OF) - Expected MLB Debut: 2027

Velazquez started his time with the Guardians as a catcher, coming out of Huntington Beach HS in California. However, immediately, the coaching staff decided to adapt him into a first baseman and outfielder, giving him room to advance up to the major league roster in due time.

Currently, the team at Progressive Field has no one that's locked down either position yet.

In the upcoming season, look for Velazquez to play a pretty big role with the Double-A Akron Rubberducks. Last season, he spent most of his time with the High-A Lake County Captains, but earned a promotion to the Rubberducks for 28 games.

Over the course of 122 games, he slashed .265/.342/.497 for an OPS of .839. He crushed 28 doubles, took off for nine triples and tacked on 22 home runs. The most exciting part of his game is that he struck out just 104 times to 52 walks.

He's got a knack for composure and staying poised at the plate, but also an eye-catching pop off his bat that makes opposing pitchers hold their breath.

He's going to need to make his way up to Triple-A before even considering a major league appearance, but for now, he's going to be an exciting one to watch continue to grow and develop.

Daniel Espino (RHP) - Expected MLB Debut: 2026

Espino was one of Cleveland's most exciting prospects when he joined the organization as a first-round selection in the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft.

However, his development came to a standstill after injuries started plaguing his career. After suffering a knee injury in 2022, he ended up going an insane 1,250 days without throwing in-game pitches. Eventually, he returned to the mound for the organization with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in late 2025.

Following his rehabilitation, he tossed in just 0.2 innings of action with the Clippers and posted a 40.50 ERA, giving up three hits and three earned runs while striking out one batter.

He's got some work to do with hopes of becoming a major league contributor someday, but 2026 is set for him to get his chance.

The Guardians are going to be retooling and looking to develop their plentiful amount of prospects. Espino may end up getting bullpen work in the majors, as long as he stays healthy, which could make him due for a September call-up by the end of the season.