Cleveland Baseball Insider

Trending Up, Trending Down: Cleveland Guardians Top Prospects in July

Here are some of the top Cleveland Guardians' prospects who are trending up and down through the month of July.
Dylan Feltovich|
Columbus Clippers outfielder Petey Halpin (8) walks to the outfield during the game against the St. Paul Saints at Huntington Park on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Columbus Clippers outfielder Petey Halpin (8) walks to the outfield during the game against the St. Paul Saints at Huntington Park on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cleveland Guardians

As we near the end of the 2025 minor league season, the Cleveland Guardians' farm system is continuing to make noise through the dog days of the summer.

Here are some of the top Guardians' prospects who are trending up and down through the month of May.

Trending Up: Ralphy Velazquez, 1B

In May, Velazquez was on the "trending down" side of these articles. But after a hot month in July, the Guardians' 2023 first-round pick has found his groove.

Through 58 at bats this month with the High-A Lake County Captains, Velazquez has posted a .345 batting average and an OPS of .983. His hot stint also includes three home runs and nine RBIs, while limiting his strikeouts to seven over the stretch of July.

Velazquez is currently the No. 6 prospect in Cleveland's farm system with a projected major league ETA of 2027, according to MLB.com. The 20-year-old first basemen is continuing to grow as a power hitter, as he is up to a career-high 13 home runs and six triples throughout the 2025 season.

Trending Down: Juan Brito, UTL

As one of the purest utility hitters in the Guardians' minor league system, it's hard to imagine Brito being a player that's "trending down." However, Cleveland's President of Baseball Ops Chris Antonetti told reporters earlier this week that the young talent will miss multiple weeks due to a "significant" left hamstring strain.

With Gabriel Arias missing time due to an ankle injury sustained in June, there was a chance Brito could have made an appearance with the Guardians. But Cleveland's No. 10 prospect will have to wait to make his MLB debut. Before his injury, Brito was batting .256 while maintaining an OPS of .820 through 24 games in Triple-A Columbus.

Trending Up: Petey Halpin, OF

After the Guardians' No. 2 prospect Chase DeLauter sustained a wrist injury that will sideline him for 6-8 weeks, Halpin has begun to fill his void in the outfield for the Clippers.

The former 2020 third-round pick has been playing some of his best baseball since being drafted by the team, as he's batting .305 with an OPS of .990 and four home runs in the month of July. This sudden resurgent from Halpin has put him back on the map, as the 23-year-old prospect is coming off a rough stint in June.

In order for Halpin to make the jump to the majors, he must find a way to cut down his strikeouts. The Guardians' No. 25 prospect has over 100 strikeouts this season, with 20 of them coming in the month of July. However, his production this month is a positive sign for Cleveland, as he is expected to make his MLB debut in 2026.

Trending Down: Doug Nikhazy, LHP

It's hard to judge Nikhazy's performance in the month of July due to him making an apperance at the MLB level on Jul. 4. However, since returning to Columbus, the 25-year-old lefty has struggled to get his rhythm back.

In his two starts this month, Nikhazy has recorded a 10.80 ERA with a 2.28 WHIP in 8.1 innings of work. This includes giving up a total of 10 earned runs and three home runs, which was a dramatic drop-off from his impressive run in June.

Trending Up: Austin Peterson, RHP

Despite having a slower development than his peers in the minors, Peterson is now beginning to live up to his third-round draft hype in the month of July.

The 25-year-old RHP has a 1.71 ERA through four starts this month, while also posting a 1.14 WHIP. His dominant run also includes only four earned runs given up, thanks to his average of six strikeouts per game this month. Cleveland's No. 27 prospect has a projected MLB ETA of this year, which means Guardians' fans could see an appearance from the young talent.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.

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