Arguably one of the best times in the Covering the Corner calendar is finally here — the annual Top Prospect Countdown!
This may also be the best time to follow the prospects of the Cleveland Guardians with their depth and top-end talent. Some of them were drafted, some of them were signed internationally and some arrived in trades.
Last season the Guardians saw an explosion of young talent reach the majors. In total, seven of our top 20 from last year made it to the major-league roster. No Guardians earned
votes in the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year voting.
Out of the rookies to debut with the club, the biggest impact was in the starting rotation as No. 8 CTC prospect Joey Cantillo and No. 13 Parker Messick became staples of a six-man rotation that propelled Cleveland into a miracle September comeback to win the Central Division. No. 10 C.J. Kayfus also made an impact with his bat and No. 2 Chase DeLauter made his MLB debut during the playoffs.
Looking ahead, it appears a majority of Cleveland’s top prospects once again are position players, but then again, that’s for you to decide!
For the newcomers to voting, here’s how this works: Beginning today and then running from every Monday through Saturday, from now until we reach 20 prospects, you’ll have an opportunity to vote on which prospect should be in that day’s spot. Voting will take place between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. and the winner will be announced and discussed in the next day’s post. The choices are curated by Covering the Corner staff, but the final vote is entirely up to who the community chooses. Vote in the poll below, and drop your feelings on the current rankings, as well as who you feel should be included in the next poll, in the comments.
Passion about prospects and their respective positions in the list is what makes this series so much fun, but remember to keep it civil. Debate other people’s opinions; do not resort to personal attacks.
Travis Bazzana, 2B (Age 23)
2025 (CPX): 26 PA, .222/.462/.333, 0 HR, 1 SB, 30.8 BB%, 15.4 K%, 137 wRC+
2025 (AA): 228 PA, .256/.364/.426, 5 HR, 9 SB, 12.7 BB%, 24.1 K%, 136 wRC+
2025 (AAA): 120 PA, .225/.420/.424, 4 HR, 2 SB, 24.2 BB%, 26.7 K%, 138 wRC+
Selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Bazzana was remarkably consistent at both Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, although he was hampered by a pair of oblique injuries.
Chase DeLauter, OF (Age 24)
2025 (CPX): 28 PA, .182/.357/.455, 2 HR, 1 SB, 21.4 BB%, 17.9 K%, 115 wRC+
2025 (AAA): 126 PA, .278/.383/.476, 5 HR, 0 SB, 14.8 BB%, 15.4 K%, 130 wRC+
2025 (MLB playoffs): 7 PA, .167/.286/.167, 0 HR, 0 SB, 14.3 BB%, 14.3 K%
DeLauter’s 2025 was slowed by injuries (again) but he made his MLB debut in the 2025 playoffs, earning a pair of starts in Cleveland’s outfield and collecting his first MLB hit and walk along the way.
Angel Genao, SS (Age 21)
2025 (CPX) 32 PA, .308/.438/.654, 3 HR, 0 SB, 18.8 BB%, 12.5 K%, 177 wRC+
2025 (AA): 341 PA, .259/.323/.359, 2 HR, 6 SB, 8.5 BB%, 15.8 K%, 103 wRC+
Had an average regular season in 2025 after missing the first two months with a shoulder sprain, which likely sapped his power after he came back in June.
Parker Messick, LHP (Age 25)
2025 (AAA) 20 GS, 98.2 IP, 3.47 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 29.1 K%, 10.3 BB%
2025 (MLB): 7 GS, 39.2 IP, 2.72 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 23.0 K%, 3.6 BB%
Guardians 2022 2nd round pick. Pitched well at Triple-A, then improved his numbers after earning a late-season promotion into Cleveland’s starting rotation.
Ralphy Velazquez, 1B (Age 20)
2025 (A+) 418 PA, .245/.323/.469, 17 HR, 1 SB, 9.6 BB%, 20.3 K%, 120 wRC+
2025 (AA): 126 PA, .330/.405/.589, 5 HR, 0 SB, 9.5 BB%, 15.1 K%, 188 wRC+
Was Cleveland’s most impressive hitter in the minor leagues in the second half of 2025 after getting off to a slow start at Single-A. Dominated after being promoted to Double-A Akron.
