Guardians Prospect Gets Massive Chance to Grow With Spring Training Invite

The Cleveland Guardians are hoping to get the most out of the prospects that'll be on display at spring training this year.

In just under a week, on Saturday, Feb. 21, the Guardians will take on the Cincinnati Reds at 3:05 p.m. EST, in the team's first game of the 2026 MLB Spring Training window. The Guardians, who are riddled with talent, have multiple non-rostered invites, including infielders Travis Bazzana and Ralphy Velazquez.

But while those two will more than likely draw the most eyes, Alfonsin Rosario's a prospect who deserves a bit of the spotlight as well.

The 21-year-old outfielder has been one of the most promising prospects over the past few years, continuing to raise eyebrows. Across three seasons of minor league ball, two with the Chicago Cubs and one with the Guardians, he's slashed .241/.345/.438 for an OPS of .783. In the field, he's posted nearly 300 putouts in center field with a 97% fielding mark, consistently making plays.

With him getting a chance to shine in spring training while learning from the major leaguers on the Guardians and competing against others, Rosario will have a chance to immediately raise his stock and grow as a player.

Cleveland #Guardians 21yr old OF prospect Alfonsin Rosario taking live BP out at Goodyear.

Rosario is a non-roster invite to MLB spring training.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/GkAImIUIGd
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 7, 2026

Rosario's Track Record and Promising Future

The native of Lexington, S.C., joined the organization following a trade with the Cubs involving reliever Eli Morgan. At the time, the move scratched heads, as Morgan was one of the top pitchers on the roster, but the front office believed in Rosario's talent.

His first year in Cleveland was highlighted by an initial stop in High-A ball, with the Lake County Captains. He played in 82 games and looked solid, recording a .268 batting average. His power put him on the map, especially because he's also an incredible athlete with breakneck speed. He finished his stop with the Clippers recording 16 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs.

After his jump to Double-A, he had a few struggles, taking a bit of time to adjust to the pitching. He posted a measly .211 batting average, but when he was connecting with pitchers, he was putting power behind it, smashing six doubles and five home runs.

The thing is, this is what's expected of a prospect. When they jump up levels, initially, they'll struggle, but after a bit of time, they'll start to adjust.

His MLB Pipeline profile reflects his tendencies, though, to bite on pitches and try to swing for the fences. As long as he can start to limit the jumpy-ness, he'll pan out just fine.

His profile describes him as a "study in extremes as a right-handed hitter. On the positive side, he has more bat speed and strength and generates more raw power and higher exit velocities than most 20-year-olds. But he's also overly aggressive, tries to launch every pitch he sees to his pull side and struggles to recognize or deal with non-fastballs."

Cleveland 21yr old OF prospect Alfonsin Rosario looking sharp in a #Guardians uniform out at Goodyear.

Rosario an non-roster invite to MLB spring training hit a career high 21 HR's posting a 129 wRC+ over 115 between Lake County and Akron in 2025.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/EoNJ7uWFjK
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 15, 2026

Spring training will serve as the perfect window of time for a youngster like Rosario, who's flying under the radar, to truly get a chance to learn from an experienced, successful coaching staff in Arizona. He'll likely spend a lot of time in center field, a spot where Cleveland's in need of talent with such lackluster production at that position in recent campaigns.

Rosario's roughly two to three years away from a big-league call-up, but that time will give him a chance to continue to improve and rise through the ranks. If he impresses in both spring training and the 2026 regular season, there's a good chance he makes a jump to Triple-A by the time 2027 rolls around.