Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2022 Top 50 Guardians Prospects: No. 31-40
Cleveland Guardians minor league spring training opened up last week out in Goodyear, Arizona. As the future of the organization prepares to launch their 2022 season, there’s no better time to bring you the Cleveland Baseball Insiders top 50 prospects for the upcoming 2022 season.
Articles will publish every two days with ten players covered in each story. Today's rankings will cover prospects 41-50, while 31-40 will come out on Wednesday and so on until we debut our final top 10 list on Tuesday, March 22.
Here are the links and schedule for releasing the other parts of our list:
- Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2022 Top 50 Prospects: No. 41-50
- Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2022 Top 50 Prospects: No. 21-30 (Friday, March 18)
- Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2022 Top 50 Prospects: No. 11-20 (Sunday, March 20)
- Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2022 Top 50 Prospects: No. 1-10 (Tuesday, March 22)
Triple-A Columbus is set to open up on April 5th while Akron, Lake County and Lynchburg will all begin their seasons on April 8th.
The Guardians are widely regarded as having one of the deepest farm systems in all of baseball. So deep, in fact, that it was very difficult to trim the list down to just 50 players I think could have an impact at the MLB level. I probably could easily have ended up listing 75 or more players.
I am implementing the Fangraphs future value grading scale which you will be able to locate under each player video. Future Value is a grade on the 20-80 scale that maps to anticipated annual WAR production during the player’s first six years of service.
My rankings are based off seeing the players live, watching video and having conversations with other evaluators and writers. While prospect lists are fun and entertaining for fans, they are not an end-all-be-all in terms of who make it eventually to the major leagues. Remember, Jose Ramirez was never a top 100 prospect nationally and Zach Plesac wasn't even a top 30 prospect in the Guardians organization.
The ultimate goal here is to inform our readers and give you information on some of the young talent in the organization that they can follow and look forward to seeing in the future at the MLB level.
Our list continues below:
No. 40 Will Brennan - OF
2021 Stats
Brennan made his full-season debut in 2021 at Lake County where hit .290 with a .809 OPS and 22 doubles over 62 games. Brennan earned a promotion to Akron in early August where he held his own hitting .280 over 40 games but showed little to no power with only six extra base hits. However, he helped Akron win an Eastern League championship with a HR leading off the bottom of the ninth vs Bowie. At the time, that tied the game and sent it into extra innings where Akron eventually won.
Brennan features a high contact rate thanks to his terrific bat-to-ball skills and compact stroke at the plate. The compact swing has led to minimal power, something that Brennan recently said he is working on making adjustments to this off-season. Other than the lack of power Brennan, doesn't have many holes in his offensive game.
His above average speed enables him to steal a few bases and cover ground in the outfield. Brennan is a good defender and exhibits solid range in the outfield, spending the majority of the time in center field. He has an average to above average arm.
Brennan should begin the 2022 season at Akron, but it's entirely possible that at age 24 and with 40 games under his belt at Akron he could make the jump to Columbus. He has a high floor and low ceiling as a prospect: ceiling being an average regular or platoon bat and his floor is as a fourth outfielder. If he can develop more pop his projection would rise as a prospect.
No. 39 Aaron Davenport - RHP
2021 Stats
Davenport made his pro-debut in 2021 after being drafted in the sixth round out of the University of Hawaii. He pitched in only seven games (three in the Arizona Complex League and four with Lynchburg) totaling 16.2 innings. Over those 16.2 innings, he struck out 26 batters - good for a 14.04 strikeouts per nine innings. Batters also only hit .140 against him.
Davenport offers a four-pitch mix that features a signature mid-70's hammer curveball that is already plus or better. His fastball sits 88-92 mph and can touch 94 mph. He has an average changeup that has potential to develop more and become another above average pitch. He added a slider to his arsenal this off-season.
His numbers from 2021 are a little deceptive as he is known for better control than his 10 walks would indicate. In his last start of the year, he walked four batters over two innings which led to the inflated stats. Overall, his control is considered to be above average and he commands all three of his pitches well.
Davenport should start out the 2022 season either returning where he finished in 2021 at Lynchburg or he could possibly make the jump to Lake County. His MLB future ceiling is that of a fourth or fifth starter if he continues to develop.
No. 38 Josh Wolf - RHP
2021 Stats
Wolf came over in the Francisco Lindor trade with the Mets before the 2021 season. He spent the entire 2021 season pitching for Lynchburg where he had a very up-and-down year. Wolf dealt with a nagging shoulder strain injury that affected his performance. He pitched better than his ERA indicated, sporting a 4.27 FIP (fielding independent pitching) as he had some bad defensive luck behind him.
Wolf has an electric arm which features an upper 90's fastball that usually sits between 92-95 mph. He also offers a 12-6 curveball that he throws in the low 80's that is another plus pitch. His third pitch is a changeup that does offer some fade and has a chance to become better, but currently grades out as average.
In 2021 he had trouble with his command and locating spots with all three pitches which led to control issues. Both issues may have stemmed from the shoulder strain. Wolf rehabbed the injury after the season and it will be interesting to see how he performs if he's 100 percent healthy. He is a bounce back candidate to rise back up the prospect charts in 2022.
Wolf most likely will start the season at Lake County (again, if healthy) out of spring training, but with the organization's pitching depth at starter he could easily return to Lynchburg as well. He has the arm and the stuff to make it to Major Leagues as a starter, but needs to improve his command as well as possibly adding a fourth pitch into his mix. At the very least, he may end up a back-end bullpen arm with his power fastball and curveball combination.
No. 37 Junior Sanquintin - INF
2021 Stats
Sanquintin signed for $1.25 million in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. He made his pro-debut in 2019 in the Dominican Summer League. In 2021 he spent the entire year in the Arizona Complex League. Sanquintin got off to a hot start last season before fading a bit down the stretch. He finished third in the ACL in RBI's with 36 and fourth in HR's with eight on the season.
Sanquintin has some electric bat speed and has put up some exit velo's that mirror fellow Guardians highly-touted prospect Jhonkensy Noel. His power potential from both sides of the plate is very intriguing. Sanquintin will strike out and needs to make more contact moving forward against advanced pitching. He struck out 30.3 percent of the time and had a 39.8 swinging strike percentage.
He was signed as a shortstop, but he has grown out of the position and profiles more as a possible third baseman. That said, he played the majority of his games in 2021 at first base. A move to a corner outfield position is possible with his above average arm strength. He runs well for his size and has average to above average speed.
Look for Sanquintin to start the 2022 season at Lynchburg. If Sanquintin makes it to the Majors, it will be because of his bat and power. He most likely will end up at first base as a potential regular, but he brings extreme boom-or-bust projection currently as a prospect.
No. 36 Dayan Frias - INF
2021 Stats
Frias had a nice pro-debut in 2019 in the Dominican Summer League, but in 2021 he turned out to be one of the top players in the Arizona Complex League. Frias put up tremendous numbers, finishing second in the league OPS, third in AVG and OBP. After the season ended Frias competed in the Colombian Winter League where he continued to impress. He was then selected to play on Colombian roster for the Caribbean World Series. Colombia went on to win its first ever championship for their country.
Frias is far removed from his listed height and weight. He is much bigger now, having added muscle and even a couple inches in height. He showed much more power in 2021 with 19 extra base hits including four HR's in just 42 games. He will likely continue to get stronger at just 19 years old still. One of his best attributes might be his eye at the plate and contact rate. Frias has drawn 64 walks in just 82 career games, compared to just strikeouts.
Frias can play all over the infield, but in 2021 he spent most of his time between shortstop and third base. Frias has an above average arm and average-to-above average speed.
Frias should open the 2022 season at Lynchburg. If he can continue his success at the plate and continue to mature physically, he could potentially be a starter in the Majors or possibly a utility player at the very least. I am very high on this kid's potential moving forward.
No. 35 Milan Tolentino - SS
2021 Stats
Tolentino has MLB bloodlines as he is the son of former Astros first baseman and current Angels broadcaster Jose Tolentino. He made his pro-debut in 2021, splitting time between the Arizona Complex League and Lynchburg. Tolentino earned his promotion to Lynchburg after hitting .301 with six HR's 31 RBI's and an .858 OPS. He struggled a bit after the promotion, hitting only .206 in only 16 games.
Tolentino uses the whole field and makes a lot of opposite field contact. Tolentino was not advertised as having a ton pop of coming out of high school, but put up seven HR's over just 48 games in 2021. His strikeout rate jumps out a bit, going down on strikes more than 30 percent of the time. He will need to make better contact as he faces more advanced pitching.
Tolentino is known for his fielding ability. He might be the organization's top defensive shortstop. He has quick feet and hands as well as a plus arm capable of making throws from any angle. Tolentino has average speed, but very good instincts on the base paths.
Look for Tolentino to return to return to Lynchburg to start the 2022 season, but it's also very possibly he could be bumped up to Lake County as well. His MLB future most likely depends on how much he can hit. If he continues to develop at the plate, he could become a regular. If not, he could still be very valuable as a utility player that could play multiple positions at a high defensive level.
No. 34 Gabriel Rodriguez - SS/3B
2021 Stats
Rodriguez signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for $2.1 million, which remains a franchise record for an international position player. He struggled at the plate in 2021 in his first year of pro-ball with Lynchburg as one of the youngest players in the league. Rodriguez showed signs of life over his final 27 games thought, finishing strong by hitting .282 with 15 RBI and 11 walks.
Rodriguez has a compact right-handed stroke and will use the entire field. Although he only hit three HR's in 2021, he has the frame to continue to add strength and with his hitting ability and bat speed he should show more power potential at the plate. He has a very good chance to bounce back strong in 2022 at the plate as his struggles could be partly contributed to his youth and inexperience.
He has only average speed, but has great body control and an above-average arm to stay at shortstop. Still, the thinking is he may eventually move to third base. Last year at Lynchburg, he played in 55 games at third and 43 at shortstop.
Rodriguez could begin the 2022 season at Lake County, but with his struggles at the plate last year he could easily return to Lynchburg to begin the year. His ceiling remains really high and he has the ability and tools, but his play in 2022 will paint a clearer picture. Rodriguez could end up being a regular at third at the MLB level or a platoon bat if he continues to develop.
No. 33 Alexfri Planez - OF
2021 Stats
Planez got off to a slow start over his first 20 games of full-season ball at Lynchburg in 2021, hitting just .157 with one HR and a .467 OPS. Something clicked for the young 19-year old though, as he showed his potential over the final 83 games by posting a .292 AVG with 15 HR's and a .827 OPS.
Planez already has tremendous raw power grading out plus-plus. He has good hand eye coordination, but struggles some with breaking balls; swing and miss may always be part of his game. His plate discipline needs to improve, as he only drew 13 walks over 103 games last year.
He runs well for his size and can cover a lot of ground in the outfield. Planez appeared in 43 games in center at Lynchburg, but likely will transition to RF as he continues to mature. He has a above-average arm that is strong and accurate and he led the organization last year in OF assists with 12.
Planez should start the 2022 at Lake County. He has tremendous ceiling and could rise up the prospect list if he does well and continues to develop. He has the potential if he reaches the Major Leagues to be a power-hitting starting right fielder or a platoon bat vs. lefties.
No. 32 Joey Cantillo - LHP
2021 Stats
Cantillo (who came over in the Michael Clevinger trade with the Padres) had a bit of a lost season in 2021 after he suffered an abdominal injury in spring training. Cantillo ended up not pitching in game action until the end of August, only throwing 13.0 innings out of the bullpen between the Arizona Complex League and Akron.
Cantillo offers a three-pitch mix in his fastball, curveball and changeup. His fastball is just average, sitting 88-92 mph topping near 94. His best pitch is a sinking changeup that is well above-average and plays well off his fastball. His curveball has a lot of downward action is graded out as average.
Although he is not overpowering, he utilizes a deceptive delivery, his advanced pitchability and solid command to get hitters out.
Cantillo most likely starts the 2022 season where he left off the 2021 year at Akron. His future in the major leagues might be as a fourth or fifth starter. If he doesn't stick in a rotation, he could be a nice lefty arm coming out of the bullpen.
No. 31 Lenny Torres Jr - RHP
2021 Stats
Torres returned to the mound for the first time in 2021 since making his pro-debut back in 2018. He missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, then missed 2020 due to the pandemic. Torres struggled on the mound at times, but more importantly his velocity returned, he was healthy and got innings in. The 2022 season should be more of a barometer on his future as a prospect.
Torres' arsenal includes an electric fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball is his best pitch: it sits mid-90s with tailing action and he can crank it up to upper 90's when needed. His low 80's slider is his second-best pitch that plays well in combination of his fastball. His changeup is just average, but needs to improve if he wants to find success as a starter.
Torres needs to continue to improve his command and control of his pitches which may improve the further he gets away from his TJ surgery.
Look for Torres to possibly begin the 2022 season at Lake County. His future in making the Major Leagues as a starter may hinge on the development of his changeup and maybe adding a fourth pitch. He could also transition nicely to a back-end bullpen piece with his fastball and slider combination.
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