Ralphy Velazquez can still hear the boos.
Only 10 years old, the native of the greater Los Angeles area was nestled inside Dodger Stadium to see the major league debut for a player who would become his favorite. Bryce Harper, all of 19 years old, strode to the plate in the top of the second inning to make his first official plate appearance for the visiting Washington Nationals.
A polarizing figure in Major League Baseball even before his first at-bat, Harper heard a loud chorus of boos from the home fans. Now in the final stretch of his first stint at the Triple-A level, Velazquez can still remember the experience.
“It was fun to watch,” Velazquez said. “Being booed at 19 years old, so must be doing something right, you know?”
Leaning against the
home dugout railing at Huntington Park before a Sept. 5 home game against the Iowa Cubs, Velazquez smiled as he recalled the seminal memory involving his favorite player. As a kid, Velazquez imitated Harper’s swing in the backyard and started his still-growing baseball card collection with one of Harper.
“I wanted to do everything that he did,” he said.
It might not happen this season, and he’s unlikely to get the same reaction the polarizing Harper received, but it’s hard not to picture Velazquez soon playing at the same level as his childhood idol. As the No. 23 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 21-year-old Velazquez is knocking on the door to a call-up to Cleveland as the Clippers play out the string on a season of solid baseball that nevertheless will not result in postseason play.
A steady climb through the minor leagues put Velazquez on the cusp of the majors when he was promoted from Double-A Akron to Columbus on May 20 this season. In 36 games for the RubberDucks in 2026 he hit .317, blasted seven home runs and drove in 30 runs. That earned him a spot with the Clippers, where he entered the penultimate series of the regular season with 22 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .276 batting average in 81 games.
In August, he became the first Clippers player named the Internation League’s player of the month since Will Benson in July 2022. All he did was hit .356, lead all of professional baseball with 15 homers and tie for the RBI lead with 34 while leading the International League in slugging percentage (.867) and OPS (1.300).
Velazquez is Cleveland’s top prospect not currently in the major leagues and the No. 32 overall prospect in baseball according to the MiLB.com rankings.
“It’s been a good year,” he said. “I’ve been on two really good teams. It’s been fun. This team up here has a lot of talent and it’s fun to be around. It’s a great group of guys.”
Clippers bench coach Daniel Robertson, a former player who spent parts of four seasons in the majors with four different teams, said he was talking with manager Andy Tracy when they realized a unique situation regarding Velazquez. It was May 28, and as the Clippers were playing a series in Toledo Velazquez was celebrating his 21st birthday.
“Never in my time had anyone celebrated a 21st birthday in Triple-A,” said Robertson, now in his third year with the Clippers. “You know that he’s maturing and he’s on the path he needs to be on. Now, is he ready for the lights? Only he knows that, so we’ll see what happens then.”
With the 2026 season coming to a close, that remains the looming question surrounding Velazeuez’s continued development. With Triple-A clubs focused more on preparing players to be productive for their major league affiliates, Cleveland’s highest-rated prospect still in the minors is still waiting for his shot. It could come next season: the Guardians have been platooning Rhys Hoskins and Nathaniel Lowe at first, and both are looming free agents. Opening-day first baseman Kyle Manzardo is currently Velazquez’s teammate in Columbus after being sent back down in early August.
An opportunity would seem to be there for the taking for the 21-year-old Harper fan, but with two weeks left in the Clippers’ season Velazquez said he was focused on just one thing.
“Just keep having fun,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing for myself. I play my best ball when I’m having fun and whatever happens, happens. Finish the season strong.”
Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social, on Instagram at @cdadamjardyor on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ralphy Velazquez idolized Bryce Harper as a kid. Now he's next in line
