Two Cleveland Guardians Prospects Projected To Be the Best at Their Position

The Cleveland Guardians did not make many moves this offseason.

A large part of that is because the front office believes their young studs can come up to the Major Leagues and produce at a high rate. We have heard all offseason long about their prospect pool and how high the front office and executives across baseball are about them.

Now, we get a list of the best prospects at each position heading into the 2026 season. No, Travis Bazzana is not listed because he is expected to start the season in the Minor Leagues. But two Guardians expected to make the Opening Day roster and play a massive role in this team’s success did make the list.

CHASE DELAUTER

Brian Murphy of MLB writes that DeLauter is tied for third in terms of projected WAR for this year’s rookie class at 2.1, behind only a pair of Blue Jays, Kazuma Okamoto (2.5) and Trey Yesavage (2.2).

Murphy makes it clear that the postseason experience DeLauter gained at the end of last season was massive and can only help the prospect this season. After fighting years of injuries, DeLauter seems to be fully healthy and ready to rock full-time across the outfield. Murphy’s projections have DeLauter with a respectable offensive output this season, with a .252/.326/.408 slash line with 14 home runs in 118 games.

If the Guardians can get 14 home runs in 118 games, they can expect near 20 if he plays closer to 150 games. Adding that kind of power would be massive for this lineup, which ranked near or at the bottom in all offensive categories last season.

The .252 projected batting average is not something that would excite many people, but for a team that ranked near the bottom in batting average, having someone who can get a hit once in every four at-bats will be a difference maker.

If DeLauter can produce at this level, Jose Ramirez will see better pitches. Ramirez will score more runs. The pressure is off Ramirez and Steven Kwan to produce the entire offense. They will have a semblance of protection. DeLauter and his projected 2.1 WAR will be an integral part of whatever success the Guardians have this season.

PARKER MESSICK

Parker Messick came in tied for 13th with Konnor Griffin at 1.4 WAR. Now, this is a shock to some, as Griffin is the top prospect in baseball. But Griffin is a teenager and is expected to begin the year in the Minors. How long he is there remains to be seen. Heck, he could easily just make the Opening Day roster out of camp.

But as for the Guardians, Parker Messick had a great debut in 2025 and has been named by several experts as a pitcher to watch this season. His changeup is nasty and one of the better pitches in the game, but no one talks about it. He draws a lot of soft contact and a lot of ground balls, therefore keeping the ball in the ballpark. This also opens the door for more double-play opportunities if he finds himself in any jams.

Murphy’s projections have Messick making 23 starts, registering a 4.06 ERA in 129 innings. In 2025, Messick had a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings with a 38 to 6 strikeout to walk ratio. The projected ERA may seem high, but the more he gets seen, the more familiar opponents will become with his stuff. Maybe Messick can keep that ERA below four, and if he does, he will be a mainstay in this rotation.

The Guardians are set up well for 2026 despite not signing any big names or making any significant trades. They are running back with what they had last season, with the addition of young prospects. One not mentioned on this list, Travis Bazzana, expects to be called up at some point in the season, giving him a great chance to produce.

This is a young Guardians team that has a lot of excitement around it. If these two prospects can really be two of the best 15 across baseball, that is almost as good, if not better, than any free agent they could have brought in this winter.