You could hardly blame the Cleveland Guardians if they wished the MLB roster expansion began with Opening Day, rather than waiting until September, when it usually goes into effect. They might not need the entire former 40-man limit, but any additional spots could definitely make manager Stephen Vogt’s life a little bit easier.
The Guardians have an abundance of outfielders at spring training, and at least one of them does something to make an impression seemingly every day. The competition for jobs is intense, but some of the younger candidates may simply have to wait their turn.
Vogt always speaks highly of his players when talking to the media, but he recently had some very high praise for outfield prospect Khalil Wilson.
“Khalil is making a huge impression in this camp. He’s an awesome kid. Great work ethic. He looks mature in the box; he looks mature in the outfield. He made tremendous growth last year in the outfield. It’s been amazing to watch him,” Vogt said.
"Khalil is making a huge impression in this camp"#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt highly complementary of OF prospect Khalil Watson today. #GuardBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/GBTKRpc4pa
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) February 28, 2026
The 22-year-old may be a year away from joining the Guardians full-time, through no fault of his own. On a 26-man roster, MLB teams usually carry no more than five outfielders, maybe six in a rare instance when one of them will be used extensively at DH.
The Guardians have Steven Kwan as a fixture in center of left, and they look to be fully committed to using rookie Chase DeLauter at one of the corner spots. That leaves Nolan Jones, George Valera, Johnathan Rodriguez, Angel Martinez, Stuart Fairchild and possibly Daniel Schneemann competing for three likely remaining openings.
With veteran slugger Rhys Hoskins having signed during camp, he could share at-bats at DH with CJ Kayfus, who can play the outfield as well. Hoskins would then occupy another roster spot.
In addition to Watson, who has five hits in eight at-bats this spring, prospect Jaison Chourio has also been impressive in camp. Simple math and roster construction would indicate that there definitely isn’t enough room for everybody.
That is unfortunate for Watson, who showed he was ready for the big leagues with his Triple-A performance last season. A converted shortstop, he had a .959 OPS over the final 33 games with Columbus.
If he does start the 2026 season there, Vogt and the Guardians will likely have no hesitation calling him up if the need arises.
NEXT: New Data Highlights Guardians’ Offseason Spending
