Farmer Ethan's Almanac: Organization Players of the Year 2023

Now that I've had some extra time to process the 2023 season, I can properly underwhelm all of you by saying that was certainly now how I saw this year playing out. I know, hard-hitting commentary right out of the gate. Yet for Cleveland, the serial lethargy permeated every level of the club. It's a perfect reminder of two things in the baseball world; 1) baseball is impossibly random, and 2) development is not linear.And that isn't to say every bit of 2023 was a failure for every player in the system. For players specifically in the upper half of my top 30 list, at least among the players that didn't debut or spend extended stretches with the big league club, there was a collective step back from players expected to have big years. Brayan Rocchio put up a strong season on the surface but suffered a significant setback in power and concerns arose around his contact numbers. George Valera re-aggravated a hamate bone injury in Spring Training and never really got the ball rolling.Although I had high expectations for those players, it just meant it was someone else's turn to take the spotlight. Several players stepped up, not necessarily mega stars or blue chip prospects in the making, but any time you can get your name on the radar it's a positive thing. So now, loyal WFNY readers, let's discuss the names of the pitchers and position players that stood out the most to me in 2023, and crown two of them as Cleveland's prospects of the year.

The Pitchers

Honorable Mention #1: Parker Messick, LHP26 G (24GS), 5-6, 121.2 IP, 3.77 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 39 BB (7.5%), 136 K (26.2%), 3.87 FIP

Parker Messick made his organizational debut in 2023 after the Guardians selected him in the second round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Florida State, and he made his name known quickly. Messick had a reputation as an elite command guy with a low-90s fastball and a devastating Changeup in college, and his offseason spent interning for the Cuyahoga Pitching Factory LLC only served to strengthen that mantle.[embed]https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1689350588327153664?s=20[/embed]Utilizing his full four-pitch arsenal with a curveball and slider on top of his aforementioned fastball and changeup, Messick ended his first professional season ranking second (among pitchers with at least 80 IP) in the organization in SwStr% (13.8%), third in SO/BB (3.49), third in FIP (3.87), third in ERA (3.77), fifth in K% (26.2%), and second in innings pitched (121.2). The Guardians have a philosophy that moves pitchers up the ladder quickly, and with Messick's name plastered all over Cleveland's Minor League leaderboards he looks to be another pitcher set to follow that track.

Honorable Mention #2: Franco Aleman, RHP39 G, 4-4, 55 IP, 3.11 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 18 BB (7.7%), 84 K (36.1%), 2.50 FIP

Franco Aleman. Remember the name. Relief pitching prospects are incredibly hard to gauge, but that doesn't mean a handful of them put up eye-popping numbers on the farm. For a reliever, I'm putting Aleman's 2023 up there with James Karinchak's 2018 season when he struck out 65 batters in 38.1 IP. Aleman didn't quite keep up the historic strikeout numbers, but he came close, and maintained a 2.50 FIP between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, suggesting he can repeat that performance going forward.Among pitchers in the organization with at least 40 IP Aleman finished first in FIP (2.50), first in K/BB (4.67), second in strikeouts (84), third in K% (36.1%), fifth in ERA (3.11), and third in WHIP (1.13). Aleman's game is exceptional, having allowed just four home runs in 55 innings and maintaining a walk rate of 7.7% he got his fair share of looks at closing out games, and deservedly so. He could beat anyone in an opposing batter's box, and most importantly didn't beat himself.

Honorable Mention #3: Joey Cantillo, LHP26 G (24 GS), 7-4, 119.1 IP, 4.07 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 69 BB (13.2%), 146 K (28%), 4.91 FIP

Joey Cantillo entered 2023 as my number 17 overall prospect in the Cleveland farm system. After coming over from San Diego in the Mike Clevinger trade Cantillo made waves among fellow farmers by showcasing a 97 MPH fastball after being known as an upper-80s guy in college and the low minors. It's not an unheard of phenomenon in the Guardians organization in recent seasons, look no further than Tanner Bibee, but Cantillo didn't have a great track record when it came to his health.[embed]https://twitter.com/CLBClippers/status/1676244701102604288?s=20[/embed]It is due to his 2023 season being fully healthy that I gave Cantillo an honorable mention on this list. His numbers aren't sexy per se, but among pitchers with at least 80 IP Cantillo finished third in innings pitched (119.1, career high), and led the organization in both strikeouts (146) and K% (28%). He struggled with walks in 2023, but that's not something that's new to Cantillo. With a healthy 2023 under his belt, and having reached Triple-A, there's something for him to build on, and the Pitching Factory can iron out the kinks as long as he stays on the bump.

Organization Pitcher of the Year: Will Dion, LHP26 G (19 GS), 6-4, 116.2 IP, 2.39 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 35 BB (7.6%), 129 K (27.9%), 2.86 FIP 

The next great success of the Cleveland Pitching Factory LLC has been under our noses this whole time. Will Dion, or mini-Clayton Kershaw, bust onto my top 30 list around the All-Star Break, debuting at number 23, and I did him an injustice. Admittedly I had concerns about Dion and his ability to be effective as he climbed the Minor League ranks due to his size (5 foot 10, 180 pounds) and his underwhelming fastball. None of that slowed Dion down in the slightest as he reached Double-A Akron this season, and stood out at the level where prospects start to separate themselves. Dion's arsenal and mechanics mimic Kershaw nigh flawlessly as if he's an MLB The Show create-a-player, but Dion used his fastball/slider/curveball/changeup arsenal to dominate opposing batters all season and takes home the award for best pitcher in the Guardians organization for 2023.[embed]https://twitter.com/ProspectLarceny/status/1668770863879995393?s=20[/embed]Among pitchers with at least 80 IP Dion led the organization in ERA (2.39), BAA (.214), WHIP (1.08), FIP (2.86), and finished second in K% (27.9%), third in strikeouts (129), and second in K/BB (3.69). You can't help but find his name scattered all over the leaderboards, and he's given little reason to have doubted him in 2023. Dion has earned a reputation as an extremely efficient pitcher who generates outs in spite of his scouting grades, and I can't wait to see more of him in 2024.

Position Players

Honorable Mention #1: Juan Brito, 2B127 G, .271/.377/.434, 31 2B, 14 HR, 78 BB (14.1%), 88 K (15.9%), 126 wRC+

Juan Brito came over from the Colorado Rockies last winter in exchange for former top prospect Nolan Jones. Brito faced a nearly impossible challenge of endearing himself to Guardians fans at large who were baffled why the club would unload Jones after a limited sample size at the big leagues. Admittedly I was one of those individuals as I wondered where Cleveland was going to add power to the Major League roster by unloading a guy with light-tower power for another contact-hitting middle infielder. Brito silenced everyone, and by several outlet's estimate earned the right to claim the title of organization position player of the year, but he finishes as a 1-B for me.[embed]https://twitter.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/1701657080028094527?s=20[/embed]He set a career-high in home runs (14), but it's unfair to say he found a power surge. As the season unfolded he started drawing comparisons to Jose Ramirez, a player with short levers who uses a combination of elite plate discipline and contact to clear the fences right down the foul line from both sides of the plate. On the season Brito finished fourth in the organization in hits (125), third in extra-base hits (46), first in walks (78), third in OPS (.811), and second in wRC+ (126). Even more impressive is he posted these numbers while climbing from High-A to Triple-A in just one season. Brito will be on every reputable radar in 2024, including my own, though they do need to experiment with where he can play in the field.

Honorable Mention #2: Chase DeLauter, OF57 G, .355/.417/.528, 22 2B, 5 HR, 23 BB (9.5%), 30 K (12.4%), 159 wRC+

Chase DeLauter was Cleveland's first-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2022 MLB draft out of James Madison. The left-handed hitting outfielder had a rather dim outlook for the 2023 season as he rehabbed the foot injury that cut his collegiate career short, but DeLauter made his (at least for me) highly anticipated affiliate debut at the end of June and the impact was immediate. In 57 games he posted video game numbers for High-A Lake County, and before long many of us at WFNY were pining for an aggressive promotion to Akron as DeLauter appeared bored by the competition in the lower levels.[embed]https://twitter.com/RotoClegg/status/1710851268070068306?s=20[/embed]DeLauter is a bona fide five-tool prospect at a desperate position of need for the Guardians. He's currently tearing up the Arizona Fall League as he looks to build on his professional debut and race towards the majors. While 2023 may have felt like a step back in many aspects, it was players like DeLauter and trade deadline acquisition Kyle Manzardo that renewed the hope in the farm system for 2024. DeLauter is in contention for my number 1 overall prospect when we reach Spring Training, and I believe he will exceed my expectations.

Honorable Mention #3: Welbyn Francisca, SS40 G, .316/.419/.500, 7 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 11 SB, 24 BB (13.4%), 35 K (19.6%), 144 wRC+

If you are reading the name Welbyn Francisca for the first time and wondering who I'm talking about it wouldn't surprise me. After all, he's barely 17-years-old, and signed with Cleveland in January of this year, and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. Francisca is a (stop me if you've heard this before) big hype, contact-oriented middle infielder who shows a high defensive ceiling at either second base or shortstop, and displays an understanding of the game, maturity, and discipline well beyond his years.Francisca won't turn 18 until next May, but the hope is that he comes stateside for the 2024 Arizona Complex League season. During my midseason rankings, I was aggressive with Francisca, ranking him 5th overall on my top 30. There's a lot of time between now and a possible Major League debut, and anything can happen, but the floor is already so high. The question with Francisca will be how close can he get to that 99th percentile ceiling, and I'll patiently wait to get a look at him against fiercer competition.

Organization Player of the Year: Johnathan Rodriguez, OF135 G, .286/.368/.529, 26 2B, 29 HR, 59 BB (10.4%), 163 K (28.8%), 135 wRC+

Johnathan Rodriguez, another midseason top 30 debut claims the title of 2023 position player of the year in the Guardians organization. The 23-year-old outfielder split the season between Double-A and Triple-A where he made a splash in nearly every way imaginable. Rodriguez, again at the biggest position of need for the Guardians, took every opportunity afforded to him to make his name known.[embed]https://twitter.com/CLBClippers/status/1691465010147696640?s=20[/embed]Among qualified hitters in the farm system, Rodriguez finished first in hits (142), home runs (29), extra-base hits (59), RBI (88), OPS (.897), ISO (.243), wRC+ (135), and finished second in batting average (.286), and tied for fifth in walks (59). Rodriguez did all of that damage despite the fact he struck out 28.8% of the time but proved to be a productive player through and through. I have concerns about the swing-and-miss potentially translating to the Major League level, but if Rodriguez continues to rip the cover off the ball then he'll force the front office's hand sooner rather than later.And with that Guardians fans, I conclude Farmer Ethan's Almanac for the 2023 season. Despite the outcome, it was another fun year down on the farm, and the future of this ball club is still very bright. If you would have let me I could have listed 50 players despite leading with this being a "down" season. Jose Devers, and Guy Lipscomb, even with concerns about contact numbers I'd still make an argument for Brayan Rocchio on this list. But at the end of the season, I'm already counting down the days to the Winter Meetings. See you in 2024!