Guardians Top 30 Prospects: #1 Daniel Espino

Well folks, we've finally reached the end. It's been a long 10 weeks leading up to this point, but I've had a ton of fun doing this. I've learned more about many of Cleveland's prospects than I ever expected to when I set out, and I hope you all have as well. So before we jump into my number one prospect I wanted to say thank you for reading along.Getting into the meat of it, of course, we're going to end with a pitcher. We at Waiting For Next Year haven't dubbed the organization the Cuyahoga Pitching Factory LLC just for fun. By now we've discussed 13 pitchers with a generally similar blueprint — say it with me kids — of above-average to advanced command, and possibly an offering or a tool that sets them apart. That being said, my top prospect is different. The raw talent is step above anyone else in the organization, and he's a monster lurking just below the surface.Process of elimination could have pointed you to Daniel Espino being my top-ranked Guardians prospect, but the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher is something special. Espino was born and raised in Panama before coming to the United States in 2016 via the Albany Paulies Baseball Program, a travel baseball organization based in Albany, Georgia that helps athletes from all over the world find educational opportunities through sports. It was through the Albany Paulies that Espino wound up at Georgia Premier Academy as a 16-year-old sophomore.After going 9-0 with a 0.32 ERA as a senior at Georgia Premier Espino was committed to playing college baseball for Louisiana State University before the Guardians drafted him 24th overall in the 2019 MLB draft and signed him away from his commitment with a $2.5 million signing bonus. There were concerns in the industry surrounding his command and whether or not his repertoire would ever develop beyond his fastball. Enter the Cleveland Guardians.[embed]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1515441796670763008?s=20[/embed]Espino made a brief 23.2 inning professional debut in 2019 between the Complex League and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, but his first full season came in 2021 after working out at the team's alternate site during the COVID year. In 2021 he split 20 starts evenly between Low-A Lynchburg and High-A Lake County, compiling a 3-8 record in 91.2 innings pitched with a 3.73 ERA, four walks (10.4%), and an otherworldly 152 strikeouts, a gaudy 40.5% clip. Command issues and self-inflicted wounds limited Espino to less than five innings per start, but the then 20-year-old hardly missed a beat after taking a year off.Espino's 2022 lasted just four starts after a shoulder injury put him on the shelf, but the numbers were still telling. All four of his starts came at Double-A Akron where he managed to go 1-0 in 18.1 innings pitched with a 2.45 ERA, just four walks surrendered (5.9%) and 35 strikeouts, a freakish 51.5% rate. I know, small sample sizes, but Espino was maintaining career bests in K/9 (17.18), BB/9 (1.96), and strand rate (100%) before the injury occurred, suggesting a measurable improvement in his command.[embed]https://twitter.com/Official_CGBI/status/1513006221577621506?s=20[/embed]Calling Espino special earlier doesn't begin to do his talent justice, after all this is a man who has drawn comparisons to Jacob deGrom. He's a damn unicorn, and that's a fact. Espino uses a four-pitch mix headlined by an 80-grade fastball that sits 96-98 and can reach up to 102 with wicked movement. He pairs the heater with a slider with great spin and two-plane movement that would be plus pitch in anyone's arsenal, but very few can throw it in the 86-90 range like Espino can. He also features a 12-6 curveball that's a valuable change of speed sitting in the mid-to-upper 70s that he has a good feel for, and generates plenty of whiffs with. He also mixes in a low 90s changeup that he can locate but isn't used enough to make a definitive judgment on just yet.Espino's velocity and stuff are one thing, but what puts him in an entirely different class is how easily repeatable and effortless his delivery is. Pair that with how flexible and dedicated he is to hone his body and it's a special combination that not all high school flamethrowers achieve. Like Gavin Williams before him on this list he will need to attain at least average command for the stuff to keep pushing his ceiling, but the brief glimpse we saw of Espino in 2022 suggests he's moving in the right direction.[embed]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1518085834993397760?s=20[/embed]Espino will miss the first month or so of the Minor League season rehabbing the shoulder injury that cost him the rest of 2022. The timeline is optimistic, and barring any setbacks we could see him take the mound sometime in May. There are many who are concerned about the injury, but I personally don't believe we're anywhere near the panic stage with Espino yet. Yes, he only has 133.2 innings pitched as a professional, but he doesn't have a history of injuries and Cleveland is very cautious with their young arms. Look no further than how the organization handled Triston McKenzie.Espino will get every opportunity to be a starter, the Guardians know how rare a talent he is. They won't needlessly rush him back to playing and will monitor him closely when he does start throwing again, but I expect Espino to face Triple-A hitters in 2023. He may ramp up his workload with Double-A Akron, but it would quickly become clear he has little left to prove at that level. He doesn't need added to the 40-man roster until this coming December, so don't expect the club to go out of their way to force him to the show this season. Be patient and let him work his way back at the proper pace. I promise you, it will be worth the wait.The List:2. Brayan Rocchio3. Gavin Williams4. Bo Naylor5. George Valera6. Tanner Bibee7. Logan Allen8. Chase DeLauter9. Angel Martinez10. Cody Morris11. Justin Campbell12. Jose Tena13. Xzavion Curry14. Gabriel Arias15. Jaison Chourio16. Will Brennan17. Joey Cantillo18. Juan Brito19. Nate Furman20. Petey Halpin21. Parker Messick22. Doug Nikhazy23. Tanner Burns24. Joe Lampe25. Isaiah Greene26. Jake Fox27. Jhonkensy Noel28. Jack Leftwich29. Trenton Denholm30. Peyton Battenfield