Cleveland Guardians Top 30 Prospects: #21 Will Benson
It's rare for a single draft to be so fruitful for an organization. Statistically, all prospects are long shots, and while you can hope that at least your team's first-round picks make it to The Show and contribute, the Cleveland Guardians rotation is currently made up of a majority of pitchers the club selected in 2016. Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale all debuted in the same season — a feat worthy of its own recognition — and have combined for 28.0 fWAR, 103 wins, and a Cy Young award. That draft also featured Nolan Jones in the second round who debuted with Cleveland in 2022 before the former top 100 prospect was dealt to the Colorado Rockies.It is the first round pick of the Guardians from 2016 that is my focus this time around, and it is outfielder Will Benson who also made his Major League debut in 2022. Cleveland drafted Benson as a teenager and signed him away from a commitment to play college baseball for Duke University. Standing in at 6 foot 5 inches and weighing 230 pounds Benson more closely resembles an NFL tight end but has a tantalizing combination of above-average speed and arm strength from the outfield to pair with the power you should expect from his frame.Benson, 24, began 2022 with Triple-A Columbus where he played 89 games before getting the call. Overall the left-hander slashed .278/.426/.522 with 20 doubles, 17 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 78 walks (18.7%), 91 strikeouts (22.7%), and a 153 wRC+. It was by far Benson's most electric season in the minors, eventually earning him the call-up and several nominations for "prospect of the year" within the Guardians organization. Fans were foaming at the mouth for him to get an opportunity in the big leagues, and he eventually would, slashing .182/.250/.200 in 28 games. It's a small sample size so I'm not willing to pass final judgment just yet, but more on that in a minute.[embed]https://twitter.com/CLBClippers/status/1552808616461213697?s=20&t=9irvWyAO-I_pfZUjv5Z0rA[/embed]Benson's 2022 numbers with the Clippers pop off the page, but the majority of his other six seasons with Cleveland raise some red flags. Good things happen when you put the ball in play, it's something I mutter in my sleep when I think about Cleveland's developmental philosophy, but it's something Benson has consistently failed to do in his time in the minors. Overall he possesses a .222/.351/.443 career batting line in the minors with a 15.4% BB% and 29.8% K%. In fact, before 2022 Benson had never had a strikeout rate below 28.6% and only hit better than .238 in one other season.There's also the concern of places for Benson to play disappearing. The emergence of Oscar Gonzalez surprised everyone, and late season call-up Will Brennan received more consistent playing time for Cleveland at the end of the season and in the playoffs. I didn't even mention George Valera knocking on the door from Columbus. With all of the surprise wealth in the outfield the club tried to experiment with Benson as a first baseman, a move that I personally disagree with because it wastes his speed and arm.[embed]https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1568785920052137984?s=20&t=9irvWyAO-I_pfZUjv5Z0rA[/embed]Benson's 2022 season piqued my interest. When he puts it all together the talent is evident, the problem is he has yet to do so consistently. The lackluster Major League debut didn't help, but if his 2022 Minor League numbers signal a breakout, and this is who Will Benson is, I'm sold. I need to see Benson repeat his 2022 successes from the minors, and he'll likely start back with the Clippers barring a scorching Spring Training or a surprise trade.With elite zone awareness and the speed to swipe 20+ bags easily with MLB's updated base dimensions and placement Benson sounds like an excellent bench option, but it will be his inability to put the bat to the ball that will ultimately be his Achilles' heel. The tools are there teasing us to what he can be in terms of an impact bat. With his ability to draw walks Benson doesn't have to hit .300 to be a problem for opposing pitchers, but he certainly has to do better than .238 and strikeout less than 28.6% of the time. We'll find out sooner rather than later what direction Benson will be moving on this list.The List so Far:22. Doug Nikhazy23. Tanner Burns24. Joe Lampe25. Isaiah Greene26. Jake Fox27. Jhonkensy Noel28. Jack Leftwich29. Trenton Denholm30. Peyton Battenfield