Farm system heat check: What’s the immediate and future outlook for Guardians

CLEVELAND The Guardians farm system is in a healthy place, which is important since they plan to rely on it to fuel the big-league club in the future and the present.

Heres a breakdown of what experts say is one of the leagues better systems.

Keith Laws farm system ranking: 5th How this sets up the Guardians for contention in the next two years Cleveland placed six prospects in Laws Top 100 , and theyre all hitters.

Welcome to Bizarro World.

Even after a division title and a trip to the ALCS, the Guardians are leaning on their internal options to fill potential roster deficiencies.

Chase DeLauter should enter the outfield picture in 2025.

The clubs trade of Andres Gimenez clears a path to second base for Travis Bazzana, either late in 2025 or sometime in 2026.

In the meantime, Juan Brito could occupy that spot.

And while hitters have garnered much of the attention in Clevelands system, there are a handful of pitching prospects who could contribute this season in Doug Nikhazy, Ryan Webb, Parker Messick, Franco Aleman, Nic Enright and a couple of relievers who debuted last September in Andrew Walters and Erik Sabrowski.

Advertisement How this sets up the Guardians for contention in the next five years Imagine a lineup stocked with young, capable hitters.

Imagine Jaison Chourio, Angel Genao, Ralphy Velazquez, C.J.

Kayfus and Cooper Ingle filling out a lineup that already oozes talent with Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo, Bazzana and DeLauter.

Imagine the organization with a renowned pitching development pipeline being envied for its development of hitters, too.

OK, reality rarely lives up to fantasy, especially when it comes to prospects.

Some of these players will flourish and others will flounder.

But if the Guardians can continue to convert overlooked pitchers into capable big-leaguers, they seem to be as well-positioned on the hitting side in the farm system as they have been in a long time.

(Since the 90s, perhaps?) This isnt a group of slap-hitting middle infielders, which had become the organizations prototype in recent years.

Bazzana was the overall No.

1 pick.

DeLauter and Velazquez have booming bats.

Chourio has some elite skills.

Genao and Kayfus have posted gaudy numbers.

Relying on a farm system comes with risks, of course, but theres a promising long-term outlook here.

GO DEEPER Travis Bazzana's an Aussie schooled in cricket.

Now he's the top pick in the 2024 MLB Draft Top-100 prospects : No.

25 Travis Bazzana, No.

54 Angel Genao, No.

67 Cooper Ingle, No.

69 Jaison Chourio, No.

73 Ralphy Velazquez, No.

90 Chase DeLauter Prospect most likely to impact 2025 team : Chase DeLauter Law has long been skeptical of DeLauters swing and whether hell be able to handle left-handed pitching, but the fact is, the Guardians are banking on him to contribute and soon.

The more pressing question is if he can stay healthy.

Since the Guardians snagged him with the 16th overall pick in 2022, he has appeared in a whopping 96 games.

Now he has destroyed pitching in those 96 games, to the tune of a .317/.387/.517 slash line, and he impressed Clevelands decision-makers last spring when he wasnt even technically in big-league camp but performed so well he stuck around until the final cuts.

This spring, he has an official invite to big-league camp, and even if he doesnt make the Opening Day roster, he figures to factor into the outfield equation provided he can stay on the field.

Advertisement Projected 2027 Opening Day roster C: Bo Naylor 1B: Kyle Manzardo 2B: Travis Bazzana SS: Brayan Rocchio 3B: Jose Ramirez LF: Juan Brito CF: Steven Kwan RF: Chase DeLauter DH: Ralphy Velazquez Bench: IF Angel Genao, OF Jhonkensy Noel, OF Petey Halpin, C Cooper Ingle SP: Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi RP: Cade Smith, Andrew Walters, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, Doug Nikhazy, Franco Aleman, Nic Enright, Daniel Espino Of course, there will be trades.

Some prospects will fizzle before reaching the majors.

But for the sake of a light-hearted exercise, this illustrates the strength of Clevelands farm system.

In this scenario, Kwan has signed a long-term extension; otherwise, hed be entering a contract year, and odds are, he wouldnt be a Guardian.

The talk all spring is whether Chourio can claim the starting center field job (shifting Kwan back to his original position in left field), but the club ultimately chooses patience and hes a midseason call-up instead.

By this point, there could be a slew of pitching prospects rising through the system (Jackson Humphries, Chase Mobley, Braylon Doughty, Joey Oakie, Josh Hartle, Cameron Sullivan), but many of the names on the big-league staff remain the same.

Oh, you spotted that final choice in the bullpen? Who knows whether Espino will ever be healthy enough to pitch in a big-league game, but this prompt is a fever dream, right? In this scenario, Cleveland has traded Emmanuel Clase to restock the farm system.

(Photo of Chase DeLauter: Norm Hall / MLB Photos via Getty Images).

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