If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball in general and the Cleveland Guardians in particular, there’s good news and bad news regarding the upcoming MLB amateur draft which will be held from July 13th through the 14th. The good news is that there’s a plethora of young baseball talent about to realize their professional dreams and a good number of these prospects will eventually play in the Show. The bad new is that the Guardians are number 27 in the draft order this year, which means that at least 26 top-tier players could potentially be scooped up by other franchises before the Guardians even get on the draft clock.
Let’s not get completely twisted here and take a breath and realize that not all of the top 30 draft prospects will necessarily be drafted by other big league teams right out of the gate. While a player like Ethan Holliday will certainly be gone by the time the Guardians get around to making their first round pick, there will be plenty of great talent to choose from and if you want a hint, watch some of the upcoming Men’s College World Series as some of these young players may find themselves moving up the draft order based on their performances starting this weekend in Omaha. For Guardians fans, focus more on which players you have in the farm system currently rather than worry about which players the front office may be able to draft next month.
Top prospect Travis Bazzana is fighting through some setbacks.
There’s an old saying that equally applies to sports: “two steps forward and three steps back,” and this mantra certainly applies to the upcoming career of top Guardians Prospect Travis Bazzana. While making a name for himself in Double-A Akron, Bazzana was putting in the numbers at the plate with a solid .252 batting average and gaining better pitch recognition with each at-bat. Bazzana’s work ethic did not go unnoticed by the Guardians, but his hard work also caused him to suffer a setback with a right oblique strain, which will keep him out at least eight to ten weeks. With a July or even August return from the Injured Reserve list, Bazzana’s trajectory to the Show may be on a temporary hold and while he’s expected to fully recover and still make it to the big league club, it probably won’t be this year. That being said, the Australian import and former Oregon State Beaver is still on track to make his Major League debut sooner than later. It should also be noted that Bazzana was the first number one draft in Guardians franchise history and the first Australian to be picked number one in the draft last year as well.
Is Chase DeLauter heading to the Show this season?
There’s an inherent danger in rushing players up to the big leagues, but in the case of the Cleveland Guardians and their noted outfield woes, sooner may be better than later, especially in the case of OF Chase DeLauter. DeLauter was the Guardians’ first-round draft pick in 2022 and the James Madison University product may find himself patrolling the outfield for the Guardians at any time this season. While his offensive numbers at Triple-A Columbus haven’t been overwhelming with a .227 batting average, DeLauter is a big outfielder and his 6’3″, 235-pound frame simply spells out power output at the plate. Being able to play all three outfield positions is another key element that points to DeLauter getting the call-up sooner rather than later to the big club.
However, and this is a really big however, DeLauter already fought off sports hernia surgery earlier this season in spring training and has a history of foot injuries going back to his college playing days, so there is a danger in rushing DeLauter to the Show. There’s also a danger of watching the 2025 season slip away by not promoting top prospect talent so it’s up to the Guardians’ front office to make prudent decisions on whether or not Chase DeLauter is ready to play with the Guardians or will his body need more time and conditioning to get ready for the grind that is Major League Baseball.
Stay tuned for these and more prospect developments as they unfold.
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