2 Guardians Prospects Who Get Called Up In Second Half

The Cleveland Guardians are one day away from starting their second-half journey. They will do it at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

To survive the increasingly tough AL Central, they need to keep winning games. They have a solid roster with several injured players close to returning, but they always resort to their minor leagues for impactful players and contributions.

These two prospects should get the call at some point after the break:

Ralphy Velazquez

The Guardians’ first-round pick back in 2023, Velazquez is maturing every day in Triple-A, and after a slow start there, he is slashing a cool .271/.358/.419 with a 107 wRC+. This comes after sporting a 161 wRC+ in Double-A, too.

Velazquez has shown the ability to make adjustments, and that’s a key trait for a young prospect. If he can get hot for a few weeks in Columbus, there’s a good chance the Guardians will bring him up, as Kyle Manzardo isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire and Rhys Hoskins is not a long-term solution.

Velazquez’s ceiling is exciting because he is the kind of prospect who can hit for both average and power. If he realizes his potential, Cleveland will have a top middle-of-the-order masher for the next half decade or so.

Can Velazquez do enough to force his way up this year, though?

Angel Genao

Genao, a top-three organizational prospect, is also having an amazing season in Triple-A. He is proving his worth as a hitter and positioning himself for a call-up whenever the team needs him.

The talented infielder opened the season in Double-A and hit .271/.418/.412 there with a 133 wRC+ and three homers in 24 games. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Columbus, where he has been even better: .308/.389/.498 is his line there, with seven round-trippers in 56 games and a 131 wRC+.

Offensively, Genao seems ready for the majors. The positional fit is not the best, though: he plays second base, shortstop, and third base, and all those spots are covered by long-term pieces.

Still, if he keeps hitting, the Guardians will need to find a spot for him. That’s if he’s not used as trade bait to land a star ahead of the deadline, though.