Cleveland Guardians 2024 Preseason Top 30 Prospects 21-25
I recognize it has been over a month since my last installment of revealing my top 30 Cleveland Guardians prospects for the 2024 season. I apologize, however, the extra time has allowed for me to do some extra research, and for some new information to come to light about some members of this list. I had half-expected a trade to occur by now, alas, the front office in recent days has doubled down on improvement coming from within, ((The doubling down was from comments made by the front office at GuardsFest 2024.)) especially from a slugging perspective, and that they don't want to block any young bats. You can take that for what you will, but it will make watching the farm system in 2024 that much more exciting, as anyone who can improve the team in any meaningful way should get a shot this coming season. Does anyone in this drop of five have what it takes to impact the Guardians in 2024?
#25. Petey Halpin - OF
2023 Stats (AA): 113 G, 510 PAs, .243/.312/.372, 23 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 12 SB, 47 BB (9.2%), 126 K (24.7%), 88 wRC+
If you've read my previous entries in this series you'll find I measure success in various ways. I try not to make it a moving goalpost, but development is different for every player. On the surface I wouldn't necessarily describe Petey Halpin's 2023 numbers as a rousing success, however, he tested Double-A for the first time as a 21-year-old and didn't experience a significant drop off from his numbers in High-A the previous year. That's what I would call success for Halpin.The name of the game for Halpin has been steady growth. For the third consecutive season, he has set career bests in doubles and home runs, all at different levels, while maintaining reasonable walk and strikeout rates as he climbs the ranks. Inversely, however, his average, OBP, BABIP, and wOBA have all decreased year-over-year. If Halpin is going to break through his current ceiling of "capable fourth outfielder" then he needs a productive year as he likely plays in Akron for the second straight season. The continually decreasing OBP and wOBA limit his best tool (speed) and lends mild concern to his chances of being an everyday player despite being a capable defender anywhere in the outfield.[embed]https://twitter.com/CleGuardPro/status/1700748790364332207?s=20[/embed]Halpin received a big-league camp for Spring Training and will work directly with the Major League staff in Goodyear. He isn't currently a member of the 40-man roster, and it's extremely unlikely he breaks camp with the team, but it's a reward for his efforts so far and a chance for both the team and the fans to see him firsthand against some higher-level talent. Our very own Michael Bode is a fan of Halpin, hopefully, he can make the site — and more importantly the fans — proud in 2024.
#24. Tommy Mace - RHP
2023 Stats (A+, AA): 24 G (17 GS), 6-6, 114.2 IP, 4.63 ERA, 54 BB (10.7%), 103 K (20.5%), 1.49 WHIP, 4.60 FIP
Tommy Mace was a late addition to the Top 30 after some careful reconsideration of Cleveland's unusually shallow pitching depth following the graduations of Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, and Logan Allen. Mace is in a bizarre gray area for Cleveland's development team. He doesn't have glowing reviews as a command-first pitcher, and a fastball that touched 97 at Florida has sat predominantly 90-93 in two seasons in the farm system. That being said, Mace pieced together a solid campaign split between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, and it could have been better. Ideally, the walk rate would be lower, but opposing hitters posted a .264 BA when facing Mace, fueled by an equally disproportionate .317 BABIP, which helped inflate his 1.49 WHIP and nullify his 72.2% strand rate.At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, plus a history of higher velocity, it wouldn't shock me if Mace was next in line for the Tanner Bibee/Joey Cantillo spike in velocity, but for now, Mace's success hinges on keeping hitters guessing fastball and throwing them anything else. His slider is already a plus pitch, and the curveball and changeup have the potential to be slightly above average. Even if the velocity doesn't return it's possible some pitch usage tweaks and minor adjustments could help Mace's productivity.[embed]https://twitter.com/LCCaptains/status/1667008175034212353?s=20[/embed]I still see a path for Mace, but it's heavily influenced by "what-ifs" even by my overly optimistic standards. Even though 2024 will be just Mace's third season in the organization this feels like the year that will cement him as either a prospect worth monitoring or as organization depth. Mace turned 25 in November and is staring the "late-bloomer" tag squarely in the eyes. Succeed early at Akron in 2024 and get a taste of Columbus late in the season, or struggle and fall off the radar. Don't. Get. Eliminated!
#23. Jacob Zibin - RHP
Has not debuted
Sports medicine has advanced significantly over the decades. Tommy John surgery isn't nearly as detrimental as it once was, especially for someone young enough to bounce back quicker and stronger, but missed development time can still impact careers. Fortunately for Jacob Zibin, he won't turn 19 until the end of January and has plenty of time to catch up from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in May of 2023.The Guardians selected Zibin in the 10th round of the 2022 Amateur Draft. Zibin was both the youngest player in the draft and accepted the largest-ever signing bonus for a 10th-round pick ($1.2 million) to go pro and turn down collegiate offers from Kentucky and South Carolina. We have yet to see him throw a pitch at an affiliate level, but Zibin oozes talent. The 6-foot-4 218-pound teenager utilizes a three-pitch mix; a two-seam fastball that sits 92-95 (has touched 97-99) with electric movement, a slider/slurve off-speed offering with two-plane movement, and a changeup that has flashed as a legitimate weapon.[embed]https://twitter.com/PrepBaseballBC/status/1536036500751589376?s=20[/embed]As far as young pitching prospects go Zibin might be the exact prototype the Guardians development team dreams of, but for now, we'll all have to be patient. The Guardians have a history of treating young arms with kid gloves, and even if all goes well with rehab Zibin likely won't see game action until mid-to-late summer in the Arizona Fall League, but the wait will be worth it.
#22. Kahlil Watson - 2B/SS
2023 Stats (CPX, A+): 83 G, 347 PAs, .216/.329/.405, 13 2B, 14 HR, 25 SB, 43 BB (12.4%), 93 K (26.8%), 107 wRC+
How on Earth did Kahlil Watson go from a 2021 first-round pick to a trade chip for Josh Bell and Jean Segura's dead contract? In 2022, while still with the Miami Marlins, Watson was ranked 25th overall on MLB.com's preseason top 100 list, and that's as good as things got for him. That same season, Watson finished the season having slashed .233/.306/.406 with a K-rate north of 35% and one indefinite (roughly three-week) suspension for making an inappropriate gesture towards an umpire after disagreeing with a call. His stock plummeted, and he hasn't been on the radar since.Watson is just 20 years old and hasn't played above High-A with either Miami or Cleveland. He's a power/speed threat when he makes contact and may be one of the strongest candidates for a change of scenery of any player in the game. He's fueled by raw athleticism, but it hasn't quite translated to filling a scorebox yet. The only thing we know for certain is the raw power is very real, and as our very own Joe Gerberry has pointed out, he represents a shift in focus of the type of player Cleveland has targeted the past calendar year, even if he is just a lottery ticket.[embed]https://twitter.com/LCCaptains/status/1699493869560242303?s=20[/embed]The question remains will the Guardians development staff be able to bring out the best in him and will the change of scenery benefit Watson? There's no reason to believe there isn't an All-Star caliber player in there, but he'll have to make significant strides in the coming seasons or risk the dreaded post-hype tag. He lacks much of the bat-to-ball skills the team has prioritized, but Watson has shown some patience at the plate and makes just enough contact and smart swing decisions to not look like Javier Baez at the plate. He's worth watching and could be an interesting option in the coming seasons.
#21. Wuilfredo Antunez - OF
2023 Stats (A): 89 G, 384 PAs, .275/.354/.420, 17 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 11 SB, 39 BB (10.2%), 72 K (18.8%), 120 wRC+
Wilfredo Antunez represents another in a long line of successes for the Guardians scouting and signing underrated and toolsy players on the international market. Signed during the July 2nd period of the 2018 international free agent class, Antunez is a native of Venezuela who came stateside in 2022 as a 20-year-old after the pandemic cost him two seasons of development time. He played just 15 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 before reaching rookie ball and affiliate levels in 2022.2023 was Antunez's first full season at an affiliate level where he played 89 games for Low-A Lynchburg. His reputation from Complex Ball as a balanced hitter who blends contact and power fairly well followed him to the Carolina League. Antunez has strong hands, and he's quick to the ball from the left-handed batter's box. The results are a line-drive hitter with extra base potential while still being capable of 20 home runs. He controls the zone well, and has the speed to be a bigger threat on the basepaths lending himself towards the profile of an every day player, but there are questions if he'll be able to stick in center field.[embed]https://twitter.com/JayLVideoBP/status/1638053733085982722?s=20[/embed]Antunez will turn 22 in May, and he's easily one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects on this list. He should start 2024 with High-A Lake County and could be a breakout candidate if he stays healthy. He doesn't necessarily have a "carrying" tool, but he's a jack-of-all-trades player who does almost everything well. I'll be excited to see him face tougher talent this season, and he could progress alongside another exciting international outfielder we'll get to later on in this list.The List So Far26. C.J. Kayfus27. Angel Genao28. Aaron Bracho29. Ethan Hankins30. Joe Lampe