The Cleveland Guardians have had a quiet offseason thus far and have done next to nothing to improve on their back-to-back AL Central titles over the past two years. The team is just a few pieces away from being a legitimate World Series threat, but up to this point, there haven’t been any big splashes, and the team’s payroll is in the mix to be the lowest in all of MLB.
At the heart of the team’s issues in 2025 was the lack of power, as the Guardians ranked 20th in MLB with just 168 homers. Jose Ramirez’s 30 home runs and Kyle Manzardo’s 27 did most of the heavy lifting in that department, as nobody else on the roster hit more than 14, which is why it’s imperative for somebody outside of Ramirez and Manzardo to step up and start hitting bombs if this team is going to get to the next level. Jim Ingraham of Baseball America recently wrote an article about Guardians prospect Alfonsin Rosario, who may not help the team in 2025, but could help solve this power outage down the road.
It’s obvious the Guardians are counting on internal solutions to this problem, and Rosario absolutely factors into that plan.
“The Guardians are always on the hunt for power, especially in the outfield, and 21-year-old Alfonsin Rosario may one day fit the bill. Rosario is obviously not yet a finished product, but the organization is optimistic about his progress and his potential. He still needs to work on his plate discipline and reading the strike zone, but his power is real. The Guardians’ light-hitting lineup could use a dose of power, especially in the outfield. Many have applied, but few have delivered. Rosario could potentially become a candidate,” Ingraham wrote.
Rosario is already 6’2″ and 222 pounds and projects as a potential 30-homer outfielder, which would be exactly what the Guardians need. Cleveland’s outfield was abysmal in 2025, including in the power department, where Steven Kwan and Angel Martinez led the group with 11 homers.
Rosario made his way up to Double-A in 2025 and hit 21 homers with an .806 OPS over the course of 499 plate appearances in 115 games. MLB.com has him ranked as the team’s 12th-ranked prospect overall and projects him to make it to the bigs in 2027.
He is one of a growing handful of prospects in this system who have the potential to add significant power to this lineup over the next year or two, and although the organization certainly doesn’t want to put too much pressure on any of them, there is a severe need for at least one of them to emerge quickly and start producing.
NEXT: Guardians Star Lands On MLB's Top 100 List
