The Cleveland Guardians’ offense has dragged the team down over the first half of the season, as the unit currently ranks 26th in MLB in runs scored and has led the team to a 44-49 record, with the hope of a return to the postseason dwindling more and more by the day.
With this unit fighting for its life to push across more than four runs in any given game, there is added focus on the multiple exciting prospects who shouldn’t be too far away from reaching the big leagues, and one top prospect recently drew a comparison to long-time first baseman Mitch Moreland.
Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report recently ranked the top prospects in the MLB Futures Game at All-Star Weekend, and coming in at No. 27 was first baseman/outfielder C.J. Kayfus of the Guardians, who Rymer believes can be a clone of Mitch Moreland.
“Kayfus has played in 201 minor league games so far, and he has a .929 OPS to show for them. The catch is that he doesn’t have the standard power for a first base/corner outfield type, but he’s an above average hitter who plays good defense at the cold corner. With even 20-homer pop, he’s a potential Mitch Moreland clone,” Rymer wrote.
A .929 OPS in over 200 minor league games is impressive, and with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 58 games at Triple-A so far this season, it could only be a matter of time before Cleveland calls him up.
The Guardians’ season is circling the drain, and this lineup is in desperate need of a shot in the arm, as fans have been begging for something to happen to spark some sort of turnaround.
Moreland had a solid career, but fans are certainly hoping Kayfus can hit a higher ceiling at some point, as Moreland’s career OPS was .764.
Kayfus looks ready to go, and this Guardians team could use some excitement going into the second half.
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